Ulster 21

Saracens 45

Adam McKendry reports from Kingspan Stadium

TEN THOUSAND FANS crammed into Kingspan Stadium for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but an expectant Ulster crowd were left with an empty feeling as Saracens put on a pre-season show to leave with a seven-try 45-21 victory in Belfast.

Dan McFarland’s side were left chasing shadows in a fantastic 12-minute first-half display from the visitors that saw them cross the line four times after Matty Rea had opened the scoring for the Irish province, but an eight-minute hat-trick at the end of the game by winger Ben Harris ended any hopes of a home comeback after Ivan van Zyl’s red card.

The South African scrum-half was sent off early in the second half for taking out Craig Gilroy in the air – not too different to another incident that took place in a game between these two sides in Belfast – but after Andrew Warwick and Bradley Roberts crossed, it was Harris who ensured the returning Premiership side would claim the points.

For McFarland, there will be an element of concern around the performance given how they were outplayed for long stretches of the game by their opponents, particularly in a lopsided first half, but the work of some of the forwards will give them a base to work from, particularly in their start to the second half.

Ivan van Zyl takes out Craig Gilroy. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

It had all started so well for Ulster when their driving maul exhibited proof that it hadn’t lost any of its bite over the summer, with Rea the benefactor from the back of an early set-piece, but that was to be the highlight of a turgid first-half from the Irish province.

Instead, over the next 16 minutes they were given a rigorous defensive examination and they failed the test on four occasions.

First came the excellent Elliott Obatoyinbo’s leveller, the full-back picking a nice line to sear through and over, and then Rotimi Segun exhibited some dancing feet and a decent show of power to take Saracens into the Ulster 22, from where Nick Tompkins struck from close range for their second.

While Ulster’s forwards play might have been an overall positive from the night, they were then dismantled by the Saracens maul as Tom Woolstencroft added their third, and then Segun got the try his performance deserved when he powered through the tackles of Craig Gilroy and Ben Moxham to score in the corner.

That would have been concerning enough for McFarland, who had just watched his side torn apart four times before the first half had reached its midpoint, and equally concerning would be how they failed to even land a passing blow, with a five-minute period where the hosts were camped into the visiting 22 right at the end of the half yielding no points.

Ben Harris scores a try for Saracens. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

In fact, but for Nathan Doak’s last gasp intervention the scoreline could have been even worse at the break, the scrum-half managing to get back and hold up Aled Davies with the help of Aaron Sexton after the Welshman had been sent over the line by Dom Morris’ line-break.

Indeed, it was only after Van Zyl’s dismissal ten minutes into the second period that things began to look more promising, Warwick driving over the line to finally finish off one of the many chances Ulster produced at the start of the second half and then Roberts doing likewise a couple of minutes after the hour mark to make it a five-point game.

But, just as soon as the crowd had got their hopes up of a comeback victory to start the season, on came Harris to spoil the party in spectacular fashion.

His first was nothing more than a walk-in after some nice passing by the Saracens’ backs set up the opportunity, but his second was a beautiful piece of opportunistic work by fly-half Manu Vunipola, who dropped a splendid cross-field kick over the head of Conor Rankin and into the hands of his onrushing winger to stroll over.

And Harris’ quickfire hat-trick was completed right at the death as Ulster tried to play it out from the back rather optimistically, and when the ball hit the deck, the former Sevens star was onto it in a flash to hack it over the line and dive on it to round off the scoring.

The two sides will meet in London on Thursday for a return friendly, and McFarland will no doubt be looking for better.

Scorers

For Ulster

Tries: Mat Rea, Warwick, Roberts

Cons: Madigan (3)

For Saracens

Tries: Obatoyinbo, Tompkins, Woolstencroft, Segun, Harris (3)

Cons: Goode (3), M Vunipola (2)

Red card: Van Zyl

ULSTER
(15-9) Aaron Sexton; Craig Gilroy, Stewart Moore, Angus Curtis, Ben Moxham; Ian Madigan, Nathan Doak; (1-8) Callum Reid, John Andrew, Ross Kane; Mick Kearney, Sam Carter; Matty Rea, Marcus Rea, Greg Jones.
Replacements from: Brad Roberts, Gareth Milasinovich, Marty Moore, Alan O’Connor, Sean Reidy, David Shanahan, Jude Postlethwaite, Ben Carson, Azur Allison, David McCann, Harry Sheridan, Andrew Warwick, Lewis Finlay, Conor Rankin.

SARACENS

(15-9) Elliott Obatoyinbo; Alex Lewington, Dom Morris, Nick Tompkins, Rotimi Segun; Alex Goode, Aled Davies; (1-8) Ralph Adams-Hale, Tom Woolstencroft, Marco Riccioni; Nick Isiekwe, Tim Swinson; Jackson Wray, Ben Earl, Billy Vunipola.
Replacements from: Ethan Lewis, Eroni Mawi, Alec Clarey, Callum Hunter-Hill, Sean Reffell, Ivan van Zyl, Manu Vunipola, Sean Maitland, Joel Kpoku, Janco Venter, Charlie Watson, Alex Lozowski, Ben Harris, Sam Crean, Harvey Beaton, Theo McFarland.