Ulster top of the table
Ulster have moved to the top of the Magners League table after beating Leinster 16-14 - their fourth league win this season.
Last Updated: 24/10/09 9:21pm
Ulster have moved to the top of the Magners League table after beating Leinster 16-14 - the victory being their fourth in the league this season.
The home side had to battle to see off the current European champions, with three penalties and a conversion by Ian Humphreys from a second-half try from Isaac Boss ultimately just enough.
Even so, a late converted try from the last move of the game from substitute Luke Fitzgerald saw Leinster grab a valuable bonus point.
Ulster were missing Paddy Wallace because of the Irish Rugby Football Union's player management programme and Stephen Ferris because of an ankle injury but nevertheless adapted to the poor weather conditions better than their opponents.
Leinster initially had the swirling wind and rain behind them and it came as little surprise that they fashioned the opening scoring opportunity, which came after Ian Whitten was penalised for going off his feet at a ruck. However, Shaun Berne missed the resulting penalty from about 40 metres out.
Neither side managed to put points on the board until a burst came at the end of the half.
Berne missed two more penalty attempts before Ulster put together about 10 phases, their surge ending with hooker Bernard Jackman sent to the sin bin as Leinster's line lay open for Humphreys and Andrew Trimble .
Humphreys overcame the gale to land the penalty as the half drew to a close but then, from the restart, Leinster turned the screw.
Pulling the strings
With Brian O'Driscoll pulling the strings, they surged towards Ulster's line in injury time before Tamaiti Horua also saw yellow for killing the ball.
Leinster elected to run the penalty, with O'Driscoll putting Berne clear for the right corner. He also converted and, suddenly, the visitors left the pitch 7-3 in front.
With the conditions now behind Ulster, Humphreys narrowed the deficit with a second penalty five minutes into the second half.
Their only try came three minutes later when Boss picked up the ball from a ruck and broke down the blindside to touch down from just short of 50 metres.
Humphreys made the tight conversion to give his side a 13-7 lead before falling just short with a penalty attempt from 55 metres.
Leinster attempted to fight back but were pinned at a scrum on their opponents' line, replacement Jonathan Sexton then missing a golden opportunity after fumbling an inside flip pass from O'Driscoll with the Ulster line wide open.
Humphreys' 73rd-minute strike took the match beyond the visitors, although Isa Nacewa's chip through for Fitzgerald, which Sexton then converted, narrowed the deficit to two points.
