The Observer from London, Greater London, England • 76

16 10 January 1999 The Observer Battling Irish heroes stand tall to beat French challenge and earn Dublin final date with Colomiers Harry's wild about top dogs Best foot All eyes are on Ulster's Simon Mason as he kicks for another score In his team's victory over the favourites Stade Francais in Belfast Photograph by Martin McCullough ULSTER'S DELIGHTED coach Harry Williams saluted his side after they had upset the form book by beating the French champions. 'When I came in, I said I had a three-year plan in mind, but winning the European Cup in the first year was not strictly a part of the province-s first full-time director of coaching confessed. 'But now that we have come this far, we have to go the next step and win To do so Ulster will need a fourth victory over French opposition this season when they take on Colomiers, last season's European Conference champions, at Lansdowne Road in Dublin on 30 January. 'Everything went pretty much to plan, although we did give away more penalties than I would have said Williams. I don't think I could single anyone out, but that try by David Humphreys two minutes after the interval was the turning point of the game for Humphreys raced 50 metres up the right touchline to collect his score but admitted after the game that his try had not gone as he had planned it.

'When I chipped over the top just outside my 22, 1 envisaged catching the ball myself and sending wing Sheldon Coulter he said. 'But Sheldon caught the ball, timed his pass perfectly to me and I was left to do all the hard work. 'It will take a while for this to sink in because it was a huge task for us to play against arguably the top side in Europe. We have been criticised in the past for playing a very negative game, but we played as much rugby as they did Humphreys also paid special tribute to the Belfast crowd, who roared oh the Ulster side throughout a rousing match. David Skrela converted his own try in the all-French semi-final to take Colomiers through after a ip-6 home victory over Perpignah, who led 6-3 at half-time with two penalties from Benoit Bellot to one from Laurent Labit.

Ulster mm Eddie Butler at Ravenhiil the European Cup was worth the bother. Ulster had done their bit. But as Stade Francais began to crank up the intensity it seemed that the game would surely swing the favourites' way. Three times they were forced into touch at the corner, their disappointment tempered by the McGirrty. Conversion: Mason.

Penalties: Mason (5). (Z). 4 ..27 Lievremont Conversions: Dominguez (3). Penalties: fourth Mason penalty would not matter. They drove another line-out for a third try.

Fifteen minutes to go. Suddenly the French were snatching the ball, dropping it, flapping their arms. Mason kicked a fifth penalty. Ulster tried to stay calm but lost two line-outs on their own throw. Stade tried to wrest control one last time but lost a scrum against the head.

It was woefully without skill and wonderfully dramatic. The final whistle brought scenes of joyful Belfast bedlam, an oddity now at the heart of European rugby. Ulatan Mason; Coulter, Cunningham, Bell, Park; Humphreys (capt), Matched; FltepaJr'lck, Clarke, Irwin (Leslie 57), Blair, Longwell, McKinty, Ward, McWhirter (Topping 70). Stada Francata Vlars; Gomes, Dourthe, Mytton, Lombard; Dominguez (capt), Laussucq; Marconnet (Simon 48), Pedrosa (Moscato 48), Villiers, Chaffardon, George, Monl, Pool-Jones (Lievremont 48), Juiliet. Reform! Fleming (Scotland).

against Yorkshire 20,000 on the sunMssed face of Ravenhiil. This was a victory achieved on a surface perfect for the Gallic its most fluent. It came against all the odds. Bell and Cunningham the latter hastily drafted into the centre stopped everything coming through the nridfield. Ward, the Irish-New Zea-lander, led the blanket cover forwards across the fieldto nail technically superior opponents beyond the centres.

The defence, however water-tight, would never have been enough on their own and TV misses big match, Page 13 try from No 8 Juiliet when scrummage weights finally told from five metres out. Ulster led by a single point at half-time. One more score by their opponents, rein-structed by coach Bernard La-porte in the chariging-room, and it would be all over. It was Ulster instead who stormed into the second half. From a creaking scrummage in his own half, Humphreys opted to Barking Army see their heroes humbled by Leicester at Welford Road, while Leeds cash in Me grasp rale falters attack the blind side.

He chipped ahead, Couter regath-ered on the fall, went inside a defender and passed outside to Humphreys, who raced over from 40 minutes. Two minutes later they were further ahead, their reward for another kick by Humphreys. Eleven points adrift; the French sent on fresh forwards: current Test player Lievremont and those two old bruisers from Begles, Simon and Moscato. Before they had a chance to snarl in anger, Ulster were stretching their lead again with a drop goal by Humphreys, the crowning moment of his outstanding afternoon. There was much more to come.

Stade Francais powered a drive from a line-out over the line, and soon found themselves within four points after a penalty. They were still on course to take control. A By Kevin Mitchell at Rotherham WHILE THE REST of the rugby universe squabbles over riches that are not immediately apparent to sane outsiders, life away from the fast lane remains equally fraught. As the sun set over Rotherham yesterday, so did their burgeoning fortunes dip. But at least the manner of their 27-24 Tetley's Bitter Cup exit at the hands of Leeds Tykes left a warm glow, sustained over pints of the sponsor's product in the homely clubhouse afterwards, by acknowledgment that they had given of their best, as always.

Rotherham hadn't lost in front of their home crowd for nearly a year, when London Irish nicked a 16-13 result in the first play-off match and went on toykill off Rotherham's promotion hopes in the second leg at Sunbury. Fears that the Yorkshire club will be denied so close to the big time again, after an encouraging run in the league and cup, ran through the crowd like a dose of flu yesterday, leavened slightly by a spirited comeback in the fading fight of a mucky afternoon. They matched Leeds try for try, four apiece, but the visitors hung on to go through to tomorrow's fifth-round draw. lykes as Hiome must have been expecting an onslaught from the1 off. But Mason soon added a touch of class to the mayhem.by stroking over a long drop goal after Dominguez's left-footed clearance failed to find touch.

It was about the only time either of the Italian Outside-half feet let him down. Damage did not seem too serious as a Dominguez penalty cut the lead to three Stade: Francais were stabilising. They were beginning to rip the ball out of the tackle, starting to hurt Ulster at the scrum. Then came the first turn of the game. From a line-out catch close to the line, Ulster surprised Stade with a controlled drive in the unexpected direction: back towards the touch-line and atry for McKinty.

That was enough in itself for the claim to be made that Bubbly mood: Barking fans the journey to Leicester. BARKING gave their 1,000 travelling supporters something to cheer when they scored two penalties against Leicester at Welford Road. But the match went as expected with the home side running in 11 tries four of them scored by wing Leon Lloyd. The Jewson National Two side had the experienced former England prop Jeff Probyn in their pack but the Tigers eight were far too powerful EUGBY .33 CASG it was here, in the quest for something inventive, that Ulster truly revealed themselves. They scored two tries of which the second, coming at the start of the second half and featuring Humphreys their most gifted orehestrator, was brilliant The astonishing tale had begun way before then, as close to Mck-off as the third minute when full-back Mason; one of those claimed as a 'comeback kid' from England, kicked the penalty.

Such a start was no surprise. Even Stade Francais tackiers Ulster. THIS WAS A competition going nowhere. The boycott by the English had handed the cup on a plastic saucer to the French clubs, who might have to have a nmn-tournameiit among themselves to decide whose dust it might gather for a year. And then along, came Ulster.

If rugby ever gets any better than this, then I am the billionaire owner of an "Rnglish club. The European Cup is back as precious metal thanks to an inspired bunch of Irish provincial players playing in front of a Belfast audience of Tetley's Bitter Cup: Hands on: Leicester's Stuart Tries: Humphrey, Drop goals: Mason Stade Francais Tries: Juiliet (2), Dominguez (2). of rivals Rotherham mm the rugby crowd is accommodated in a neat and simple clubhouse as well as a ghastly main stand that resembles one of those rubber-topped coverings at motorway services. Sky TVs cameramen perched atop it, wrapped up in balaclavas; they looked eerily like SAS men on a stakeout. One player they would not have spied was the exciting Rotherham winger Matt Walker, put through flu.

Last time here, he stood Wendell Sailor on his head and was congratulated by the awesome Aussie at length in the bar that night. Sailor was there, though, all bristling menace on the Leeds wing. He had never played union until 10 games ago, since when he has touched down 12 times. Here, the ball didn't often come his way, even though all but two of the backline, Saverimutto and O'Hare, are seasoned league men who recognise the winger's explosive potential. Leeds looked like murdering Rotherham in the first half, running in tries through Mid-dleton and Easterby, who went over again in the second, to one by Garnett; Reid's early score after the resumption looked to have sealed it, then Rotherham bit back through Kenworthy, Scully and Lax.

Referee Terheege, who had a good game in difficult conditions, sent off ROtherham's Bunting, recently returned from suspension, and Reid, Leeds's captain. And how the Tykes needed it. Having lost 500,000 last year, they are looking at a 700,000 deficit again this season; this was a cash lifeline they were desperate to grab every bit as much as Rotherham. While it's all well and good to progress in the Tetley's, however, a wage bill of well over 500,000 a year at little Rotherham needs the sort of income only promotion can properly fuel. This setback will not significantly affect their charge from third place behind Bristol and Worcester.

Now there is serious work to be done in the Division Two dogfight. If they fail, the modest, friendly environment they enjoy will surely come under the closest financial scrutiny of their landlords, the Rotherham Athletic Company, which has owned this muddy plot since the formation of the rugby club in 1923. The lease has considerable life in it, hut if the rugby club cannot balance the books who knows what drastic pruning might follow? They have 15 contracted players, some of them on a very decent whack: the full-back Mike Umaga picks up 60,000 a season and the promising fly-half, Jake Niarchos, is apparently already under contract to Saracens. Clifton Lane is a ramshackle version of the old Northampton set-up, with Rotherham Town Cricket Club (one-time home of Jack Hampshire) having its pitch stuck near the sideline and trampled over all winter; had champagne on board for Photograph by Tom Jenkins and provided a perfect platform for the backs. Joel Stransky, making his first appearance after a long injury lay off.

came through unscathed and landed two conversions. He shared the kicking duties with Tim Stimpson who also hit the target with three conversions as Leicester won 65-6 and made themselves favourites for the Cup. The fifth round draw is tomorrow at Twickenham. Potter holds off three Barking.