Summary

  • The clinch second spot in the URC table

  • Edinburgh stay 12th

  • Mike Blair's last game as Edinburgh head coach

  • Graham scores early try for visitors, converted by Boffelli

  • Stockdale and two Cooney penalties put Ulster ahead at break

  • Cooney with a try and conversion straight from the restart

  • Timoney try as Edinburgh's Young is sin-binned

  • Nel's try is only a late consolation

  1. Goodnightpublished at 22:24 British Summer Time 21 April 2023

    FT: Ulster 28-14 Edinburgh

    That's all from me tonight.

    Thanks for your company - enjoy your weekend!

    Ulster celebrateImage source, Getty Images
  2. I've not given my future much thought' - Blairpublished at 22:23 British Summer Time 21 April 2023

    FT: Ulster 28-14 Edinburgh

    It was Mike Blair's final game as Edinburgh head coach Mike Blair and the former Scotland international was given nothing away about what his future holds.

    "I've not given it too much thought, because I didn't want to get distracted," he tells Sportsound. "I'm disappointed with the season we've had, but I know I've given it everything I possibly could. I've made big sacrifices from a time point of view and from an emotional point of view.

    "There was a really good tempo to the game tonight. I thought our execution was excellent early on, but we didn't come up with the points. The pressure that we had we needed to get more points out of it.

    "Going in down at half-time was tough to take and then obviously giving away the intercept at the start of the second half meant we had a mountain to climb. It was our season in microcosm.

    "We showed lots of good stuff, but we had too many occasions where we took our foot off the gas or made an error at a crucial time and that's not how you win games.

    "Last season, we got momentum through victories and, when you do that, you're a different beast. We had a really tough period over Christmas this year and we didn't quite come through it. Lots to work on, lots to look back and reflect on, but we weren't good enough this season.

    "There's a huge amount of effort going in. It was very physical tonight. I spoke to the players and thanked them for their efforts. I don't think it's an effort issue, it's a smarts issue."

  3. Postpublished at 22:14 British Summer Time 21 April 2023

    FT: Ulster 28-14 Edinburgh

    Rhona Lloyd
    Scotland winger on BBC Radio Scotland

    Darcy Graham can create something from nothing. He can do it all. It would be good to see him develop this recent form ahead of the World Cup with Scotland.

  4. 'We're grinding it out and showing resilience'published at 22:03 British Summer Time 21 April 2023

    FT: Ulster 28-14 Edinburgh

    Ulster number eight Duane Vermuelen has also been giving his thoughts to Viaplay.

    "We're really pleased with the result and the effort the boys put in," he says. "We had a few injuries, so at the end, we had a back-row on the wing. Happy to have secured second place.

    "We're getting it right, grinding it out and showing resilience. We were pretty calm at half-time. We spoke about what we could do better.

    "They came in with nothing to lose. We expected them to throw the ball around, but I think we controlled it, got our kicks right and slowed it down a bit.

    "There's still a couple of things we need to work on. We've got a week to work on that."

  5. Postpublished at 22:02 British Summer Time 21 April 2023

    FT: Ulster 28-14 Edinburgh

    First, though, more from the home camp.

  6. Postpublished at 21:55 British Summer Time 21 April 2023

    FT: Ulster 28-14 Edinburgh

    We'll hopefully hear from Edinburgh's departing head coach Mike Blair very shortly...

  7. Cooney 'trying to make mum proud'published at 21:45 British Summer Time 21 April 2023

    FT: Ulster 28-14 Edinburgh

    Ulster scrum-half John Cooney has been named as the URC player of the match.

    "It was huge," he says on Viaplay. "We had to win - we knew four points would be enough and we said at half-time that we could do better.

    "We need to be better again - I think we've got another level and we need to bring it. A home quarter-final is huge. It's cliched, but we try not to look past the next game.

    "It is home. My mum loves it - she was here as usual in the crowd, she can't watch kicks, so I'll have to go home and show her every kick. Trying to make her proud, keep playing here - I try to give my all every week,= and it's just amazing to be here.

    "My proudest moment this season, in the regular season, is that I didn't miss more than one kick in a game. It's all about mindset."

    John CooneyImage source, Rex Features
  8. Full-timepublished at 21:37 British Summer Time 21 April 2023

    Ulster 28-14 Edinburgh

    Just as Peter mentions Edinburgh's inaccuracy, a Darcy Graham offload misses its mark, rolls into touch and brings Edinburgh's underwhelming campaign to an end.

    Ulster do what they had to do and secure a top two finish in the URC.

    Nick Timoney runs over Darcy GrahamImage source, Getty Images
  9. Postpublished at 21:36 British Summer Time 21 April 2023

    Ulster 28-14 Edinburgh

    Peter Wright
    Former Scotland prop on BBC Radio Scotland

    This whole game sums up Edinburgh's season - the lack of accuracy, lack of consistency.

    They play some good stuff now and again but not enough to win games.

  10. Penalty Ulster 28-14 Edinburghpublished at 79 mins

    John Cooney

    Ulster's scrum-half takes his personal points tally to 18 with a simple kick at goal.

  11. converted try

    Converted try Ulster 25-14 Edinburghpublished at 76 mins

    WP Nel

    Third time's a charm for Edinburgh.

    It's all down to the forwards and WP Nel is on hand to dive over the ruck and get the ball down.

    Emiliano Boffelli adds a simple conversion.

  12. No trypublished at 73 mins

    Ulster 25-7 Edinburgh

    It's chalked off.

    Referee Andrea Piardi deems that Jamie Ritchie never regained control of the ball after he fumbled it forwards.

    I'm not sure what he was meant to do there - no Ulster player touched it and the ball never went to ground.

    Ritchie has got steam coming out of his ears.

  13. try

    Try Ulster 25-12 Edinburghpublished at 73 mins

    Charlie Savala

    Blair Kinghorn takes the ball flat to the line and offloads to Jamie Ritchie. The Edinburgh and Scotland captain juggles two or three times before batting the ball on to the supporting Charlie Savala, who goes over to score.

    Hang on, though, the referee does want to check whether Ritchie knocked on...

  14. No trypublished at 71 mins

    Ulster 25-7 Edinburgh

    It's almost a wonderful try for Edinburgh.

    Stuart McInally, eyeing a glorious end to his Edinburgh career, breaks down the side of a ruck and looks set to score from miles out.

    Kieran Treadwell hauls him down just short, though, to the delight of the home crowd.

    McInally is able to offload to Duhan van der Merwe, but the Scotland winger knocks-on before he can dot down.

  15. converted try

    Converted try Ulster 25-7 Edinburghpublished at 66 mins

    Nick Timoney

    Clinical.

    Ulster's forwards go through the phases and Nick Timoney barges his way over from just a yard out.

    John Cooney adds the extras and it feels like a long way back for Edinburgh now.

  16. Sin-bin Glen Young (Edinburgh)published at 65 mins

    Ulster 18-7 Edinburgh

    Glen Young is shown a yellow card after a blatant infringement with Ulster banging on the door.

    They tap-and-go from close range...

  17. Postpublished at 62 mins

    Ulster 18-7 Edinburgh

    This is brainless.

    Mark Bennett chases Nathan Doak's kick back into his own 22 and is dragged towards touch.

    From the resulting ruck, Charlie Shiel throws his pass with his left foot on the touchline and so Ulster will have a lineout deep in Edinburgh territory.

    A completely unforced error.

  18. Postpublished at 21:05 British Summer Time 21 April 2023

    Ulster 18-7 Edinburgh

    It's gone a wee bit quiet out there, so here's a look at the only try of this second half so far...

    john cooney scoresImage source, Rex Features
    John Cooney scoresImage source, Rex Features
  19. Postpublished at 54 mins

    Ulster 18-7 Edinburgh

    Billy Burns steps off his right foot but runs into the giant figure of Duane Vermuelen.

    A fortuitous moment for Edinburgh, who then win a penalty at the scrum.

    WP Nel, as he so often does, wins the scrummaging contest.

  20. Postpublished at 54 mins

    Ulster 18-7 Edinburgh

    Jamie Ritchie kills the ball and Billy Burns kicks the resulting penalty into the corner.