Ulster beat Stormers in high-scoring classic to make it three wins in a row

URC: Ulster 38 Stormers 34

Ulster put together three consecutive wins on the bounce for the first time this season to breathe renewed vigour into their play-off hopes in a cracking encounter full of drama.

The northern province recovered from trailing 17-0 to score six tries on their way to victory though the Stormers who had skipper Neethling Fouche sent off still came away with two vital points from the defeat.

Ulster suffered a blow pregame when James Hume pulled out due to illness, Ben Carson coming in to feature alongside Stuart McCloskey, who was making his 200th appearance for the province a decade after the Ireland squad member made his debut.

They were down quickly for the second week running as Evan Roos raced through a huge defensive hole to score with a minute and a half gone. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted.

Leinster flip a switch and move away from Six Nations dip

Record crowd to see Connacht face Munster a sign of what a little outside-the-box thinking can do

‘We can’t keep trying to dig ourselves out of these holes’: Connacht setting aside URC hurt to focus on Challenge Cup

The Stormers outhalf then dropped a goal, and this was rapidly followed by Ben Loader snaffling a loose ball and running in from distance. Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted, and Ulster were in deep trouble, 17-0 down after seven minutes.

It already looked like now or never and on a rare visit to Stormers’ 22 the hosts found a way, with penalty advantage, to work Roberte Baloucoune over in the corner on his first game of the season.

John Cooney failed to convert but made no mistake just before the half-hour when Andrew Warwick dotted down from a tap and go penalty after the province had exerted a period of pressure and presence in the red zone.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu then went for a shot at goal following a scrum penalty but was wide after the ball initially fell off the tee. Ulster profited from the let off to end the half strongly.

With the Stormers pressing hard, Ben Carson hit the Stormers’ 10 near the Ulster line, and the Ulster launched Baloucoune down the left.

Baloucoune kicked but Feinberg-Mngomezulu impeded him and was yellow carded, the penalty going to Ulster.

Ulster’s Rob Baloucoune with Suleiman Hartzenberg and Ben Loader of DHL Stormers. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

The ball was put to the corner and just before the halfway point, Ulster drove off the maul and Jack Murphy dived over from close range. Though Cooney missed again from the tricky angle Ulster had battled back to tie things up at 17-17.

Three minutes in, Ulster had the lead. The Stormers were penalised for a no-wrap tackle and Ulster drove for the line and then moved it wide, Michael Lowry putting Jacob Stockdale over. Cooney kicked the points.

The Stormers were then reduced to 13 on 45 minutes when skipper Neethling Fouche was red carded for a head-on-head smash with Carson.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s return from binning resulted in a second drop goal to bring 14-man Stormers back within range.

This time, though, Ulster put their foot on the jugular when Stockdale’s angle and pass to sub Zac Ward carved out a superbly worked score. Murphy converted as Cooney was leaving the field.

But, yet again, the Stormers chipped away, replacement Willie Engelbrecht getting over on 62 minutes and Feinberg-Mngomezulu converting.

The response was swift, Lowry broke out from deep and linked with Nick Timoney and Nathan Doak, it was Stewart Moore’s turn to romp home under the posts. Doak did the needful for what was Ulster’s sixth try.

Once more, the Stormers hurled themselves into Ulster’s 22, resulting in Harry Sheridan’s yellow card on 72 minutes.

And they got some traction too, Roos scoring his second to cut Ulster’s lead to 38-34 and their bonus point try though the conversion was wide.

SCORING SEQUENCE – 1 min: Roos try, Feinber-Mngomezulu con 0-7; 5: Feinber-Mngomezulu dg 0-10; 6: Loader try, Feinber-Mngomezulu con 0-17; 10: Baloucoune try 5-17; 28: Warwick try, Cooney con 12-17; 39: Murphy try 17-17; Half-time 17-17; 43: Stockdale try, Cooney con 24-17; 50: Feinber-Mngomezulu dg 24-20; 54: Ward try, Murphy con 31-20; 61: Engelbrecht try, Feinber-Mngomezulu con 31-27; 65: Moore try, Murphy con 38-27; 74: Roos try, Feinber-Mngomezulu con 38-34

ULSTER: M Lowry; R Baloucoune, B Carson, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; J Murphy, J Cooney; A Warwick, R Herring, T O’Toole; A O’Connor (capt), K Treadwell; Matty Rea, N Timoney, D McCann.

Replacements: S Moore for Carson (45 mins), Z Ward for Baloucoune (47), C Reid for Warwick, S Wilson for O’Toole (both 49), J McNabney for Rea (51), N Doak for Cooney (55), T Stewart for Herring, H Sheridan for O’Connor (both 67).

Yellow card: H Sheridan (72 mins).

STORMERS: D Willemse; B Loader, S Hartzenberg, D du Plessis, L Zas; S Feinberg-Mngomezulu, D Duvenage; A Vermaak, J Dweba, N Fouche (capt); C Evans, R van Heerden; D Ewers, M Theunissen, E Roos.

Replacements: P de Wet for Duvenage (35 mins), A-H Venter for Dweba (46), S Sandi for Ewers (47), B Harris for Vermaak (53), G Porter for Vermaak (57), W Engelbrecht for Theunissen, W Simelane for Hartzenberg (all 57), J Matthee for Willemse (68).

Red card: N Fouche (45 mins).

Yellow card: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (38 mins).

Referee: A Piardi (Italy)