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2020 West Ham Keep Ulster Survive Scare To Beat Benetton
Ulster survived a spirited
7th, Moyes-Less Win Streak Benetton fight-back to kick off the
October new Guinness PRO14 season with
a 35-24 bonus point victory in a

| Going Against Foxes high-scoring thriller in Belfast.
The 600 spectators inside the
EXAMINER Maway from home for The forward took a quick free- ly have brought a third goal had able to watch a game there since
Kingspan Stadium – the first ones
ichail Antonio was on
That combination would like-
kick after he was fouled by
last February – were treated to a
the scoresheet again
Evans
Caglar Soyuncu out wide on the
Jonny
pulsating contest which saw both
blocked
not
IRISH West Ham as they brushed aside right. He switched play with a Fornals’ effort inside the six-yard sides commit to playing fast and free-flowing rugby.
cross-field
pass
box, following Antonio’s low
a lackluster Leicester 3-0 at the
to
Aaron
Six tries were shared in a helter-skelter first half which
King Power Stadium.
Cresswell and made a run for the
cross.
The 30-year-old opened the far post, where he was on hand Rice came close to making it ended level as Benetton recovered from falling 14-0 and
21-7 down. The Italians moved ahead in the second period
scoring early on and became the to head home Cresswell’s curl- 3-0 midway through the second but tries from Marcell Coetzee and Adam McBurney
first Hammers player to score in ing pinpoint cross. half. The midfielder made a ensured a winning start for the recent PRO14 runners-up.
five consecutive top-flight away Leicester struggled to break surging run towards goal, hold- The first half was played at a blistering pace throughout
matches since Mike Small in down an organized Hammers ing off Nampalys Mendy for and it was the hosts who drew first blood after a moment
1991. defense as their neat build-up much of the way, after receiving of magic from quick-witted scrum half John Cooney in the
Pablo Fornals doubled the play lacked an incisive final pass the ball inside his own half and eighth minute.
lead before half-time and Jarrod around the penalty area. hit a shot inside the penalty area The Ulster and Ireland half-back weighted his grubber
Bowen added some shine to the The visitors were having no which struck the underside of kick perfectly with the outside of his boot and in-form cen-
victory late on after Declan Rice such problems and Bowen saw the crossbar. ter James Hume chased in beside the posts to score the
had also struck the crossbar. his goal-bound effort deflect off The seemingly inevitable
Leicester were looking to win Soyuncu’s last-ditch sliding chal- third goal did arrive seven min- opening try – just as he had in last month’s PRO14 final
their opening four league games lenge and loop onto the roof of utes from time. Fornals’ pass in defeat to Leinster.
for the first time in their history the net. behind the defense cut Leicester Cooney converted before contributing another assist
but Brendan Rodgers’ side were West Ham doubled their lead open again and Bowen darted just three minutes later, providing the final pass to give the
never allowed to get going by after 34 minutes. Cresswell’s through to finish neatly past impressive Stewart Moore a simple run in for a try on his
the visitors, who had Alan Irvine long, high clearance forward was Schmeichel and ensure another first senior start for Ulster.
in the dugout once again in the brilliantly brought under control emphatic Premier League victo- At 14-0 down inside the opening quarter-of-an-hour, it
absence of David Moyes. by Fornals, allowing him to ry for West Ham, following looked as though it could be a long night for Benetton but
Ayoze Perez replaced the advance into the penalty area their 4-0 success against Wolves the visitors roared back and set up camp inside the Ulster
injured Dennis Praet in the only and beat Kasper Schmeichel last weekend. half. Federico Ruzza succeeded in muscling over from five
change for Leicester, while down by his near post. Leicester’s day was summed meters out and Paolo Garbisi added the extras to halve the
James Maddison was absent Leicester had their first real up in stoppage time when Jamie deficit.
from the squad with a calf prob- effort of any note at the start of Vardy, largely anonymous for Ulster went straight back on the attack and restored
lem. Recent signings Wesley the second half when Harvey the entire match, finally got their two-try cushion when the versatile Michael Lowry
Fofana and Cengiz Under were Barnes hit a volley wide follow- some decent service but clipped dotted down in the left corner for another score set up by
included in the squad for the first ing a poor clearance by goal- his finish over the goalkeeper Cooney, who nailed his conversion from the touchline.
time and both were on the keeper Lukasz Fabianski. and wide after Kelechi With eight minutes left before the interval, Ireland star
bench. However, the Hammers’ Iheanacho’s lovely through ball Jacob Stockdale was sin-binned for a high tackle on
Vladimir Coufal was handed a deep defensive line largely con- had put him through one-on- Dewaldt Duvenage and Benetton took full advantage of
debut for the Hammers follow- tinued to deny the hosts space one. their sudden numerical advantage.
ing his move from Slavia Prague. and they remained dangerous on Barnes then had a goal ruled Powerful breaks from Iliesa Ratuva Tavuyara laid the
West Ham took the lead after the break through Antonio and out by VAR for a marginal off- platform for both of Benetton’s late first half tries, with
14 minutes through Antonio. Fornals. side at the death. C
Garbisi going over on 32 minutes and Braam Steyn
stretching out a left hand to follow suit barely six minutes
later.
Both were converted by Garbisi to ensure a hugely
entertaining first half ended all square at 21 points apiece.
When play resumed, the Italy Under-20 starlet slotted over
a penalty in the 43rd minute to put Benetton in front for
the first time.
Their lead lasted just a matter of minutes, however, as
South African powerhouse Coetzee lunged over to secure
Ulster’s bonus point and put the hosts back in the ascen-
dancy.
Aided by an industrious performance from man-of-the-
match Matthew Rea, Ulster then had to dig in for a spell as
Benetton again put together some threatening moves but
the cutting edge of the first half was lacking.
Dan McFarland’s men, who have two debutantes in
replacements David McCann and Gareth Milasinovich,
then stepped up their intensity and took advantage of the
visitors’ tiring defense to settle the outcome. Reserve
hooker McBurney powered over from a 73rd-minute

Jarrod Bowen scores his third goal in two matches for West Ham United rolling maul. C