{"id":10903,"date":"2019-11-16T11:36:49","date_gmt":"2019-11-16T15:36:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=10903"},"modified":"2019-11-17T12:38:42","modified_gmt":"2019-11-17T16:38:42","slug":"ulster-get-champions-cup-campaign-started-with-win-over-bath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=10903","title":{"rendered":"Ulster Get Champions Cup Campaign Started With Win Over Bath"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ulster’s Marcell Coetzee (John Dickson\/Sportsfile)<\/figcaption><\/figure>Ulster squeezed out a vital 17-16 victory at Bath in their opening match in Pool Three of the European Champions Cup.<\/p>\n

Tries in each half by John Cooney and Rob Lyttle helped the PRO14 side make it five straight wins against Bath in European competition. Scrum-half Cooney converted both and kicked a 70th-minute penalty to seal the win.<\/p>\n

The Premiership side kept in touch with two penalties from Freddie Burns before replacement wing Gabriel Hamer-Webb scored their only try, converted by Burns. Rhys Priestland\u2019s 66th-minute penalty put them ahead for the first time in the match but Cooney had the final say.<\/p>\n

England World Cup trio Sam Underhill, Jonathan Joseph and Ruaridh McConnochie were making their first Bath appearances since returning from Japan.<\/p>\n

They opened confidently and Priestland soon had a chance to open the scoring but pulled his 45-meter penalty just wide.<\/p>\n

Instead, it was the visitors who struck first after 13 minutes. Will Chudley had only just charged down an attempted box-kick by his opposite number Cooney when his own kick through was blocked. Cooney was quickest to the loose ball, hacked on for a kind bounce and sprinted in from 40 meters.<\/p>\n

Two penalties in quick succession from Burns, briefly taking over the place-kicking as Priestland nursed a knock to his leg, cut the lead to a single point on the half-hour.<\/p>\n

Bath\u2019s midfield passing lacked the precision of Ulster\u2019s, for whom fullback Will Addison was a particularly creative influence.<\/p>\n

The former Sale man, capped by twice by Ireland, was involved in a prolonged series of attacks at the end of the half which finally yielded a penalty in front of the Bath posts but Cooney somehow pushed his kick wide.<\/p>\n

On their return from the half-time break, Ulster showed signs of wilting \u2013 missing tackles on Semesa Rokoduguni and Will Stuart and having a narrow escape when Charlie Ewels\u2019 offload deep into the visitors\u2019 22 found Stuart McCloskey rather than Bath hands.<\/p>\n

But it then took a try-saving tackle by Priestland to deny center Luke Marshall at the other end before Ulster increased their lead on the hour with a try by right wing Lyttle, chasing Addison\u2019s kick down the touchline.<\/p>\n

Cooney converted to make it 14-6 but Bath hit back straight away as rookie left wing Hamer-Webb rounded Addison with ease to score in the corner, with Burns adding the conversion.<\/p>\n

A high tackle by Alan O\u2019Connor on Underhill allowed Priestland to give Bath the lead, but the advantage was short-lived as Cooney kicked a simple penalty in reply.<\/p>\n

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