Ulster’s South African import Ruan Pienaar scored all his side’s points, including a last-kick penalty to win the game, as an understrength Glasgow came up just short in their battle to move up the Magners League at Firhill last night.
A losing bonus point was scant reward for the Warriors as they played all the rugby and seemed to be pulling away at 16-9 and with a man advantage with 15 minutes to play.
However, the more experienced Irishmen came back with a controversial try and a succession of penalties, with the 60-times capped Springbok proving the difference with a try, five penalties and a conversion.
Pienaar’s try was shrouded in controversy as TV official Ian Ramage needed several looks at the footage before deciding that he had just clipped the line as he reached out with the ball, Glasgow adamant that he had come up short.
Glasgow’s try came from super-sub Ryan Grant, his first for the club, and it seemed as if another sub, Duncan Weir, had given the Warriors a share of the points with a late penalty.
However, indiscipline cost them as kicking the ball away brought an extra 10 metres to get Pienaar within range to win it.
Ulster showed relatively little ambition and were content to contain in the first half, taking the penalties from their early domination of the scrummage with Pienaar missing his first chance but landing his next three.
Glasgow were by far the more adventurous side and, after their first foray, a high and late tackle by Pieter Wannenberg allowed Jackson to boot his side in front.
Pienaar missed an opportunity to respond almost immediately when Fergus Thomson obstructed Simon Danielli as the Scotland wing playing at full-back chased his own kick, but at Ulster’s first attacking scrum the Glasgow front row went down and the South African levelled.Subs’ impactAn unlikely grubber kick from home prop Jon Welsh almost put in DTH Van de Merwe, but the ball ran in goal and Glasgow ended up conceding another scrum penalty when they tried to run the resultant long drop out from their own 22, Pienaar putting his side ahead.
Once more Glasgow pressed and nearly scored again. Aramburu and Stortoni both went for a Jackson cross kick and referee David Jones called a knock-on.
Right on half-time Aly Muldowney was penalised for holding on, Pienaar landing the kick from near halfway for a 9-3 lead.
Jackson had missed one penalty in the first half and two more were pulled wide, but Ulster were penalised at a defensive scrum in their own 22 for the fly-half to make no mistake from point-blank range.
Jackson then put in a brilliant touchfinder from open play to pin Ulster back. Lock Rob Harley got the charge down and although Richie Vernon’s flick from the deck didn’t go to hand, the rampaging Grant on as a replacement for only a minute picked up and battered through two tacklers to score, Jackson converting for a 13-9 lead.
Pienaar missed a chance to reduce the deficit and Glasgow’s response was hugely impressive, seemingly all 15 players involved in a sweeping move before hooker Rory Best killed the ball and saw a yellow card, Jackson kicking his third penalty to stretch the lead.
Pienaar was off target again with a penalty, but the visitors kept the pressure on and the South African stretched out after a tap penalty to score, although Ramage needed several long looks before he gave the try. On-field ref Jones showed yellow to Vernon as Pienaar converted to level the scores at 16-16.
Glasgow looked the more likely to score but Johnnie Beattie, on as a replacement, was caught holding on at the halfway line and Pienaar put Ulster back in the lead.
The Warriors put on Weir for the final five minutes and when the Ulster back-row broke from a scrum near halfway too quickly, the young fly-half kept his cool to land the penalty and level the scores again.
But Beattie was caught holding on again at the back of a scrum and a Glasgow player kicked the ball away to be punished an extra 10 yards, allowing Pienaar to win the game with his fifth penalty of the night.