Ulster storm back to sink Bulls to secure three straight

A hat-trick of tries from hooker Tom Stewart helped Ulster defeat the Bulls 32-23 and make it three United Rugby Championship wins in a row.

The Irish province fought back from 20-12 down to secure their latest victory and continue to pressurise second-placed Stormers ahead of the play-offs.

Ulster winger Robert Baloucoune also crossed for a score as the Ravenhill team claimed another bonus-point win, with Nathan Doak kicking three conversions and a penalty and John Cooney slotting a solitary penalty.

Baloucoune scored two minutes into his comeback from injury after Ulster threw the ball out to his wing. Doak missed the difficult conversion.

Six minutes later Chris Smith was wide with a penalty after Doak had been bottled up at a breakdown, but the Bulls’ fly-half made no mistake six minutes later from the tee.

With 18 minutes on the clock a kick through from Ulster was picked up by Kurt-Lee Arendse who combined with Canan Moodie, the winger picking up his own chip and sending Arendse away to score. Smith converted to put the Bulls 10-5 ahead.

Ulster responded in the 25th minute. Tom Stewart drove through off a maul for the hosts’ second try and Doak’s touchline conversion put them back in the lead.

But seven minutes later Zak Burger scored a try following a surging Bulls attack which Smith converted to put the South Africans 17-12 and on the stroke of half-time Smith kicked his second penalty to extend the lead further.

From the restart, Ulster were on the front-foot. Elrigh Louw was yellow carded for the visitors and then Ulster drove Stewart over for his second try, with Doak’s conversion cutting the lead to one point.

The Irish province then took the lead after 54 minutes when Stewart wriggled through from close range for his third of the evening which Doak converted as Ulster took a 26-20 lead.

Smith’s third penalty in the 62nd minute cut Ulster’s lead to three points but Doak’s 71st-minute penalty made it 29-23 to the home team.

The Bulls then had what appeared to be a vital penalty reversed after Billy Burns was clattered in the back by replacement Bismarck du Plessis and shortly afterwards sub Cooney kicked a last-minute penalty to round off victory.