BBC Sport Rugby Union: Ulster Edge Past Cardiff in Dramatic URC Clash
In a thrilling URC encounter, Ulster managed to escape with a crucial victory over Cardiff, thanks to a last-minute penalty kick from John Cooney.
The game saw a dramatic finale, with the lead changing hands three times in the closing 15 minutes. Cardiff thought they had secured the win when Theo Cabango scored what would have been his hat-trick try, only for it to be disallowed after the TMO intervened.
The result lifts Ulster up to sixth in the URC table, while Cardiff were left to reflect on a gutting defeat.
The visitors dominated much of the first half, but both teams made early errors, with Ulster’s Nathan Doak kicking a penalty dead and Cardiff losing the ball in a ruck just meters from the Ulster line. The hosts thought they had scored the opening try when Jude Postlethwaite sent Mike Lowry clear, but the pass was ruled forward.
Cardiff did eventually take the lead, with Cabango crossing the whitewash after a sharp line-out move. The Welsh side’s advantage was short-lived, however, as Doak slotted two penalties to give Ulster a narrow 6-7 deficit at the break.
The second half saw further drama, with Cabango scoring his second try shortly after the restart to extend Cardiff’s lead. But Ulster rallied, and Dave McCann’s try, combined with a John Cooney penalty, put the home side ahead with just a quarter of an hour remaining.
The lead changed hands again when Tinus de Beer’s penalty put Cardiff back in front, only for Cabango’s potential match-winning try to be disallowed. Cooney then stepped up to kick the decisive penalty and secure a hard-fought victory for Ulster.
🔗 Source
