Gwent Dragons - 27 Ulster - 19 The future of the Celtic League was thrown into the air both on and off the field amid a sensational game in Newport on Saturday night and desperate talks in Scotland.
While Ulster and the Newport Gwent Dragons kept 6,000 or so spectators on the edge of their seats right up to the final whistle, Irish and Scottish officials were looking to set a cap on such occasions.
The newly extended Celtic League, played on a home and away basis for the first time in its short, three-year history, has been hailed as a success by coaches and players alike, with at least four clubs in the hunt for the title.
Yet the Scottish Rugby Union, backed by the IRFU, want to avoid playing through the Six Nations and autumn international periods by reverting to the original home or away structure.
Tournament director Keith Grainger said: "I think the format now is ideal and we need the same stability as the Zurich Premiership, but we have to respect the issues surrounding the impact international rugby has on the Irish and Scottish regions."
Ulster, however, did not have the luxury of that excuse at Newport with Ireland trio David Humphreys, Simon Best and Gary Longwell all in the starting line-up.
Humphreys was at his inspirational best, conducting the powerful Ulster back division, behind a hardened pack, with assuredness to star the visitors into a 16-9 half-time lead after finally working the space for number eight Roger Wilson to cross five minutes before the break.
But the Dragons staged a thunderous comeback. Percy Montgomery's half-break was rounded off by replacement outhalf Lee Jarvis, though they took the lead only five minutes from time with a penalty from the ex-Springbok.
Humphreys had the chance to win the game but fluffed a relatively straight forward penalty, before Michael Owen's quick thinking, with Ulster preoccupied with arguing with referee Iain Ramage, sent Hal Luscombe over for the winning try to usurp the visitors at the top of the table.
"We were in control at half-time, but the inordinate number of penalties against us in the second half made it difficult," said Ulster coach Alan Solomons. "The Dragons came back at us and full marks to them, but the penalties were the turning point."
NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS: S Tuipulotu; N Brew, P Montgomery, A Marinos (capt), H Luscombe; C Warlow (L Jarvis, 54), G Baber; A Black (R Snow, 54), S Jones, R Thomas, M Owen, P Sidoli, R Beattie (J Ringer, 54), S Van Rensburg, J Forster.
ULSTER: B Cunningham; J Topping, S Stewart, P Steinmetz, S Young; D Humphreys, K Campbell (N Doak, 51); R Kempson, P Shields, S Best, G Longwell (M Mustchin, 68), M McCullough, N Best (R Moore, 15-17, 60), R Wilson (W Brosnihan, 68), N McMillan (capt).
Referee: I Ramage (Scotland)
