Cardiff 20-42 Ulster: Welsh club's URC play-off hopes take massive dent

Cardiff's hopes of reaching the United Rugby Championship play-offs took a massive dent after they were comfortable beaten by Ulster on their own patch.

The Blue & Blacks are still in contention to make the last eight but given this was their final home game in the URC this season they will now have to do it the hard way.

It has been an abnormally tough period for every professional player in Wales with the uncertainty over their playing futures, and the aggressive pay cuts which are set to be implemented next season, not helping their cause.

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As interim Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Nigel Walker said yesterday the problem is more "acute" at the Arms Park given they have so many players out of contract at the end of the season, while they will also have to honour the expensive wages of the old National Squad 38 players depsite their budget facing a significant cut.

Whether this contributed towards this insipid performance only the players can say, but they were never at the races against an Ulster side who were in a different class.

The Irish province held the upper hand physically with young scrum-half Nathan Doak, who will almost certainly hit the heights at test level in the near future, imperious.

Dai Young's side fired the odd shot but they were never truly in the game.

Cardiff made the worst possible start with Ulster crossing for the first try within the first two minutes.

The visitors moved the ball from side to side with some neat tip on passes enough to unlock the Cardiff defence and send Stewart Moore racing over for a try with Nathan Doak converted.

But Cardiff hit back with the inspirational Rey Lee-Lo, on his 150th