Sharks leave it late, but let slip home URC playoff hopes after Ulster slamming

Ulster might have killed the Sharks’ home United Rugby Championship (URC) hopes after beating the men in black 24-21 in Belfast on Friday night.

The manner in which the Sharks succumbed will concern their management; they looked like a hastily assembled Barbarian outfit, without the attacking pizzazz and all of the disorientated defending.

Nothing clicked for the Sharks, and it looked for a long time that they could conceivably leave Ireland without scoring a point on the scoreboard, so comprehensive the mauling. But three late tries saved their blushes, adding some respectability to the result.

AS IT HAPPENED | Ulster vs Sharks

On the face of it, it looked like a close game but Ulster seldom ceded control and looked like a Test team, while the Sharks looked like individuals who’ve played some Tests.

Their losing bonus point took them to 57 points on the URC log, one ahead of Munster, who face what’s likely to be a weakened Leinster on Saturday night, while Ulster’s four points took them to 59, and second place.

The Sharks loss also means the Bulls and Stormers could overtake them in the top four race.

Ulster fullback Mike Lowry scored the first try in the 27th minute after great work by wing Ethan McIlroy, who smartly offloaded near the line to dupe the on-rushing Sharks cover defence.

Scrumhalf John Cooney’s conversion made it 10-0 to the home side after he broke the deadlock with a penalty earlier in the game.

A brutal, Test-feel game claimed James Hume to an early head injury assessment, followed by try-scorer Lowry, who was on the receiving end of an Aphelele Fassi midfield break as he tried to tackle the fullback but got a bloodied temple as payback.

There was no malice on Fassi’s part and Lowry’s tackle technique was