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Monday, October 26, 2009
WHAT a difference 12 months make.
This time last season, Chris Henry was contemplating moving to England in order to further his career after failing to break into the Ulster side.
On Saturday, the 25-year-old former Ireland U21 skipper led Ulster to the top of the Magners League when they recorded their first victory over Leinster since May 2004.
It was a man-of-the-match performance by Henry whose crunching hit and steal on scrum-half Chris Keane led to Isaac Boss’s match-defining try shortly after the restart.
When Ian Humphreys added a spectacular touchline conversion and then his third penalty with 30 minutes remaining, it was virtually game up for the current European champions.
Leinster replacements Luke Fitzgerald and Johnny Sexton grabbed a last-minute converted try, but by then it was all too late on a night that only Ravenhill can produce with driving rain sweeping straight down the pitch.
Even though they trailed 7-3 at the break, Ulster won the game in the first-half when their tactics proved spot on against the elements. Rugged tackling, particularly by Henry and his two back-row colleagues Willie Faloon and new boy Tamaita Horua who had come in for the injured Stephen Ferris.
"We were absolutely knackered and exhausted after that first half effort, but we stayed the distance," said Henry who now must have moved onto Declan Kidney’s radar along with Humphreys whose shrewd second-half management of the game would have impressed the Ireland coach.
"It was a massive game for us and there were so many emotions at the end. I doubt anyone would have given us any chance of topping the league at this stage of the competition.
"After last’s week defeat at Edinburgh we knew we had to bounce back. To be honest as captain I didn’t have to do too much to whip the boys up.
"Leinster certainly came back at us in the second half and at one stage it was touch and go," said Henry who made light of his majestic piece of work that led to Boss’s try.
"Everybody did what they had to do, it was a team effort, I was only part of that piece of action. We knew in the first 40 minutes we had to keep the ball and be sensible. True Leinster missed a few kicks that they should have got, but that happens.
"The result certainly pleased the Ravenhill fans. It was a horrible night, yet it was a full house and they never stopped getting behind us."
It certainly wasn’t a night for the faint-hearted. However, the game itself was compelling with Leinster attempting to keep ball in hand, rather than kicking for position with the gale-force wind behind them.
Ulster’s defence frustrated Leinster until Bernard Jackman put his hand in a ruck once too often to earn a yellow card and Humphreys gave Ulster a shock lead just before the interval.
However, Leinster looked as if they were going to level when they were awarded a penalty in front of the posts but instead, Jamie Heaslip took a free tap and Brian O’Driscoll put Shaun Berne in at the corner. Surprisingly, after fluffing three previous early kicks Berne spliced the uprights with the conversion.
It was in the 48th minute that Henry dumped Keane during a Leinster attack on the half-way line, the ball was spat out and Boss picked up and found an alleyway down the narrow left flank to run in after dancing out of Mal O’Kelly’s attempted tackle.
Ulster endured a hectic finale, but held out until the final action of the game when Isa Nacewa put in a kick for Fitzgerald to touch down.
Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin was obviously full of praise for his players who rigidly stuck to his game plan.
"It was a difficult night to play rugby. But we fought hard and did what we had to do," he enthused. "All credit to the lads, they stuck at it really well and grabbed a smashing try just before half-time which in the end made all the difference.
"We came off a defeat last week against Edinburgh and were bitterly disappointed. It was a great fillip to have the European champions coming up to us at the weekend. We racked it up during the week and all credit to the players in that they reacted the right way. We had hoped for a better night weather wise, but I think we handled the conditions extremely well in the first half in keeping possession.
"In the second half we closed them down well and our defence was fairly rugged when they had the ball. It was a case that when we got into their half we took the points."
Scorers for Ulster: T: Boss; P: Humphreys 3 C: Humphreys.
Scorers for Leinster: Tries: Berne, Fitzgerald; Cons: Berne , Sexton con ULSTER: C Schicofske; T Nagusa, D Cave, I Whitten, A Trimble; I Humphreys, I Boss; T Court, N Brady, B Botha (B Young 63), D Tuohy, R Caldwell, T Horua (R Diack 63), C Henry (capt), W Faloon.
LEINSTER: R Kearney; G Dempsey (L Fitzgerald), B O’Driscoll (capt), G D’Arcy, I Nacewa; S Berne (J Sexton 58), C Keane (Simon Keogh 68); R McCormack (CJ van der Linde h-t), B Jackman (yc 38, J Fogarty 42), M Ross, D Toner (M O’Kelly ht), N Hines, K McLaughlin (Stephen Keogh 68), J Heaslip, S O’Brien.
Referee: A Small (England)
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