Louis Ludik and Iain Henderson grabbed the tries as Ulster beat Scarlets 19-8 on Friday night at the Kingspan Stadium to move top of the Guinness PRO12 standings. The men from Belfast have now won three from three to kick off the new campaign – the first time they have done that since the 2013/13 season. By contrast the Scarlets have now slipped to three defeats on the spin to kick off the new campaign but they can take plenty of credit from a resilient defensive display in Belfast. Ludik’s first-half score after a fine team counter attack opened out a lead that Paddy Jackson added to with two first-half penalties. But Liam Williams produced an astonishing try saving tackle on Craig Gilroy in the first half while in the second Ulster were time and again rebuffed on the try-line by fine team defence. A third penalty from Jackson meant victory looked fairly certain for the hosts but Rhys Patchell kicked one of his own before Will Boyde burrowed over in the right corner for the visitors. That looked like it had secured a losing bonus point for Scarlets – their first point of the season – but in the final play of the game replacement Henderson smashed his way over from close range after a driving maul to deny them. The game started brightly with both sides showing characteristic ambition with ball in hand on a clear evening. It was the visitors who spurned the first chance for points – Patchell pulling a fifth-minute penalty horribly wide. And Jackson showed him how it was down moments later and the hosts were in front and starting to settle – Stuart Olding and Charles Piutau looking dangerous with ball in hand and Jackson kicking from hand with great accuracy. A second Jackson penalty – the Ulster scrum getting some early dominance – doubled the lead to 6-0. And in the 20th minute the dominant hosts grabbed the game’s first try with a fantastic counter attack. Jonathan Davies’ clearing kick was fielded by Gilroy but spread left immediately and first Olding and then Stuart McCloskey made inroads to put Ludik over for a superb score. Jackson missed with the conversion and at 11-0 the Scarlets were still in contention. An absolutely magnificent covering tackle from Liam Williams then denied Gilroy a second Ulster try after another Ludik break and the Welsh region were barely hanging on. Jake Ball didn’t make life much easier for the visitors when his continued ill-discipline earned him a yellow card but at the interval they were still in touch only 11 points down. Les Kiss will have told his Ulster side to be more clinical with their chances in the second half to put the game to bed but twice Piutau and Ludik failed to link up with the try line gaping. And the Scarlets – now restored to their full complement after Ball’s return – made them pay soon after as Patchell kicked the Scarlets’ first points of the game to trim the lead to 11-3. Scott Williams was then introduced for the away side but Ulster continued to dictate affairs – Gilroy and Ruan Pienaar both denied from short range by fantastic last-ditch defence from the visitors. The hour mark came and went and still Ulster battered against an unbreakable Welsh wall. And the visitors then wasted a golden chance to bring themselves right back into the game, Steff Evans and Scott Williams combined to put Aled Davies clear but the replacement scrum-half opted to pass when he should have just gone for the line and Piutau gambled correctly to pick off the pass and race up the other end. Ulster then opted for a late kick at the posts from Jackson to make it 14-3 and effectively seal the win. But the visitors fought hard for a losing bonus point and they looked to have got it when Boyde collected Scott Williams’ pass on the overlap down the right to score only the region’s second try of the season. But Henderson denied them with the last play of the game to move Ulster top of the standings. Guinness PRO12 Final 2017 Ticket Information: Fans can save up to 20% on selected tickets, and prices start at just €30 adults and €5 child, and be booked via www.ticketmaster.ie. For further information visit http://www.pro12rugby.com/final
