EDINBURGH BATTLED GAMELY but Ulster had too much class and passion for them.
Brian McLaughlin even allowed some replacements on the pitch. We rate the Ulstermen after a great semi-final win.
Tom Court – 8
The main man for Ulster at the scrum. He needed an ice pack on his head near the end but it was probably because he was getting patted so much by his teammates.
Rory Best – 7
Always looking for the ball and found his jumpers with no dramas. Did well to earn the second-half penalty that made it 19-12.
Declan Fitzpatrick – 7
John Afoa’s presence was not missed too much as Fitzpatrick did the job up front. Very close to a second-half try on the right wing too.
Johann Muller – 9
Muller and Wannenburg were the two best performers on the day. The captain was an inspiration today and tackled anything in black that moved.
Dan Tuohy – 7
Close to going over for a second half try and enjoyed himself at the breakdown. Threw a few Edinburgh backs into touch while he was at it.
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Stephen Ferris – 7
Not a vintage Ferris display as he was carrying an injury from 30 minutes onward but his presence alone inspired those around him.
Willie Falloon – 7
Nearly over under the posts with around 20 minutes left on the clock. Chris Henry was missed but Falloon can be proud of his performance.
Pedrie Wannenburg – 9
Burrowed over for a superb try and covered nearly every blade of grass at the Aviva. Stunning effort from the South African.
Ruan Pienaar – 8
He improved upon his quarter-final display and there can be no arguments about his official nod as man-of-the-match. Kept Ulster ticking over and was flawless with the boot.
Paddy Jackson – 7
Some fine covering tackles and showed good hands to offload in the tackle on numerous occasions. Smart kicking kept Brown busy.
Craig Gilroy – 7
Had a chance to race free and cement his place in Ulster folklore but lost his footing. Eager for the ball all afternoon and tackled lustily when required.
Paddy Wallace – 7
Solid outing from Wallace and a great shift in defence, especially in the first half as Edinburgh pressed. Forced an early scrum after a great chase down of a high ball.
Darren Cave – 8
Cave came of age on the biggest of stages and delivered some thundering hits. Took Jim Thompson out with one crunching tackle and was a danger straight up the middle.
Andrew Trimble – 7
A quiet game for Trimble but he was very close on two occasions to picking the locks in the Edinburgh defence. Unfortunate to knock on from a Cave pass at his ankles.
Stefan Terblanche – 7
Great covering defence and mopped up trouble along the 22 all day. Some eager kick and chases and had to be alert to touch down in the first half as Jones bore down.
Replacements:
Adam Macklin – 7
Replaced Fitzpatrick and almost immediately won a penalty for his team.
Paddy McAllister – 6
Game was nearly over when he came on but battled fiercely nonetheless.
Diack, Stephenson, Brady – not on long enough to rate
Player ratings: We mark the Ulster players out of 10
EDINBURGH BATTLED GAMELY but Ulster had too much class and passion for them.
Brian McLaughlin even allowed some replacements on the pitch. We rate the Ulstermen after a great semi-final win.
Tom Court – 8
The main man for Ulster at the scrum. He needed an ice pack on his head near the end but it was probably because he was getting patted so much by his teammates.
Rory Best – 7
Always looking for the ball and found his jumpers with no dramas. Did well to earn the second-half penalty that made it 19-12.
Declan Fitzpatrick – 7
John Afoa’s presence was not missed too much as Fitzpatrick did the job up front. Very close to a second-half try on the right wing too.
Johann Muller – 9
Muller and Wannenburg were the two best performers on the day. The captain was an inspiration today and tackled anything in black that moved.
Dan Tuohy – 7
Close to going over for a second half try and enjoyed himself at the breakdown. Threw a few Edinburgh backs into touch while he was at it.
Stephen Ferris – 7
Not a vintage Ferris display as he was carrying an injury from 30 minutes onward but his presence alone inspired those around him.
Willie Falloon – 7
Nearly over under the posts with around 20 minutes left on the clock. Chris Henry was missed but Falloon can be proud of his performance.
Pedrie Wannenburg – 9
Burrowed over for a superb try and covered nearly every blade of grass at the Aviva. Stunning effort from the South African.
Ruan Pienaar – 8
He improved upon his quarter-final display and there can be no arguments about his official nod as man-of-the-match. Kept Ulster ticking over and was flawless with the boot.
Paddy Jackson – 7
Some fine covering tackles and showed good hands to offload in the tackle on numerous occasions. Smart kicking kept Brown busy.
Craig Gilroy – 7
Had a chance to race free and cement his place in Ulster folklore but lost his footing. Eager for the ball all afternoon and tackled lustily when required.
Paddy Wallace – 7
Solid outing from Wallace and a great shift in defence, especially in the first half as Edinburgh pressed. Forced an early scrum after a great chase down of a high ball.
Darren Cave – 8
Cave came of age on the biggest of stages and delivered some thundering hits. Took Jim Thompson out with one crunching tackle and was a danger straight up the middle.
Andrew Trimble – 7
A quiet game for Trimble but he was very close on two occasions to picking the locks in the Edinburgh defence. Unfortunate to knock on from a Cave pass at his ankles.
Stefan Terblanche – 7
Great covering defence and mopped up trouble along the 22 all day. Some eager kick and chases and had to be alert to touch down in the first half as Jones bore down.
Replacements:
Adam Macklin – 7
Replaced Fitzpatrick and almost immediately won a penalty for his team.
Paddy McAllister – 6
Game was nearly over when he came on but battled fiercely nonetheless.
Diack, Stephenson, Brady – not on long enough to rate
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Best Brian McLaughlin Court Edinburgh Ferris HCup London Muller out of 10 Pasddy Jackson Pedrie Wannenburg Pienaar Ratings Rugby Ulster Wannenburg