Not forgetting that it’s been only five seasons since several of these players were slugging champagne from the European Cup — definitely the most prized piece of silverware in the northern hemisphere for clubs and provinces — this was still a win that Ulster badly needed.
Underachievers in Europe since that memorable triumph in 1999, but current leaders of the Celtic League, they targeted this inaugural cup competition for teams from Ireland, Wales and Scotland as if their lives depended on it. And at Murrayfield in the teeming rain they managed to repel wave after wave of Edinburgh attacks as if their lives depended on it.
Andy Ward has been out of the international frame for a couple of years now, yet he performed with such fire and determination that Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan would have found it hard not to notice. Among the forwards, South African prop Robbie Kempson was outstanding along with Matt Sexton and the emerging Roger Wilson, while once again the experience of David Humphreys shone through the gloomy conditions.
Not content to kick a total of 17 points from five penalties and a conversion, Humphreys adopted exactly the right tactics in the circumstances as he pinned Edinburgh back in their own half with a series of intelligent, probing kicks. “It was a day when possession was almost a liability,” he said afterward. “We knew we had to play for position, and also apply our pressure defense when needed.”
Edinburgh meanwhile were unable to adapt to the downpour with anything like the same skill. They preferred for the most part to try to keep ball in hand but either dropped their passes or we knocked back by some magnificent Ulster tackling. While Humphreys controlled the game for the winners, the Scots had no one with his sort of skill or tactical acumen.
“We played the conditions well especially in the first half,” reflected Ulster coach Alan Solomons, “and even if we missed a few tackles later on, I thought our defense was incredible when it really mattered. I think it’s great for Ulster rugby to have some silverware and it’s great for the province. The conditions were dreadful, so it was great to be able to repay our supporters.”
Those 3,000 or so Ulster fans who traveled to the Scottish capital had plenty to cheer about in the opening period as their team surged into a 21-0 lead. While Edinburgh had plenty of possession, they wasted far too much ball and with a mixture of skill and opportunism, the visitors took full advantage.
Humphreys’s earlier contribution of two perfectly struck penalties had settled his team when wing forward Neil Best struck for the first try. Edinburgh failed to deal with a high Humphreys kick and Tyrone Howe hacked on for Best to get the touchdown. Humrphreys converted, then added another penalty and when second row Rowan Frost drove over for the second try, the game appeared to be over at 21-0.
However, Edinburgh launched a ferocious assault on the Ulster line for much of the second period and had soon closed the gap with two converted tries by Scotland internationals Simon Webster and Chris Paterson. A fourth penalty by Humphreys to make it 24-14 calmed Ulster’s nerves, but back came Edinburgh one more time for Mike Blair to score another converted try.
With several minutes of injury time remaining and just 3 points between the teams, there appeared to be every chance now that Edinburgh could steal an unlikely victory at the death, but with his customary aplomb Humphreys landed his fifth penalty to seal Ulster’s success.
Ulster: P. Wallace; J. Topping, S. Stewart, P. Steinmetz, T. Howe; D. Humphreys, N. Doak; R. Kempson, M. Sexton, S. Best, R. Frost, M. Mustchin, A. Ward, N. Best, R. Wilson. Subs: P. Shields for Sexton, R. Moore for S. Best, A. Larkin for Topping, M. McCullough for Mustchin, W. Brosnihan for N. Best.