Ulster fightback falls just short against Edinburgh
Ulster suffered a 34-29 defeat against Edinburgh in their opening match of the season at Affidea Stadium. Despite a strong second-half comeback, Ulster could not overcome a 34-5 deficit established by Edinburgh's dominant early performance.
Why it matters
This match marks the opening of the competitive rugby season, highlighting the performance of new signings and team cohesion for both clubs.
Ulster staged a second half fightback against Edinburgh in Belfast, but Richie Murphy's side had to be content with two losing bonus-points in their 34-29 defeat at Affidea Stadium.
A calamitous first 50 minutes from Ulster saw them fall 34-5 behind, as Sean Everitt's Edinburgh carved the home side open with four tries, and James Grayson kicked four conversions a penalty from out-half in an excellent display.
To their credit, Murphy's Ulster never threw in the towel, and tries from Zac Ward, David McCann and Keynan Knox got them back within touching distance heading down the stretch, but the Scottish side survived the final minutes for a huge opening day win.
Ulster handed debuts to five new signings in their starting team, and they struggled to gel as a group early on as Edinburgh dominated the early exchanges.
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