Pienaar ends Edinburgh hopes

Ruan Pienaar: Was perfect from the kicking tee

Edinburgh's fairytale Heineken Cup run was ended at the semi-final stage as a flawless kicking display from Ruan Pienaar inspired Ulster to a 22-19 victory at Aviva Stadium.

Pienaar sent 17 points sailing through the posts as the Irish province booked their spot in the final of Europe's premier club competition in front of a passionate home support.

Pedrie Wannenberg scored Ulster's only try of the game, but it was Pienaar's five penalties that ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides in the second half.

Edinburgh fly-half Greig Laidlaw was on target with four penalties, while a breakaway try in added time from Jim Thompson was a deserved consolation for their brave efforts.

Ulster will face either Clermont Auvergne or defending champions Leinster in the final at Twickenham on May 19.

Positive

Edinburgh made a positive start but it was Ulster who took an early lead when Ruan Pienaar kicked a monster sixth-minute penalty.

However, Edinburgh fly-half Greig Laidlaw was not to be outdone in the long-range stakes and turned the tables with two penalties of his own from distance.

Ulster were quickly back on the front foot and Wannenburg scored the first try of the match just after the 15-minute mark, the South African No. 8 stealing in from the back of a five-metre scrum.

The score was not without a measure of controversy, however, as referee Romain Poite ruled that Wannenburg had kept control of the ball as it bobbled under his feet as the scrum drove forward.

Pienaar converted to give Ulster a 10-6 lead, but Edinburgh responded with a lengthy spell of possession that was stopped just short of the line.

The Scottish outfit continued to threaten as Ulster were reduced to 14 men when full-back Stefan Terblanche was sent to the sin bin after throwing a punch at Ross Ford.

But Edinburgh's pressure ultimately came to nought and Ulster made them pay on the stroke of half-time when Lee Jones was penalised for being offside and Pienaar nailed his second penalty.

Deficit

There was still time for the Laidlaw to respond with three points of his own and cut the lead to 13-9 at the interval, and Edinburgh came out firing at the start of the second half.

Another nerveless strike from the tee saw Laidlaw reduce the deficit to just one point, although the visitors were then themselves forced to soak up a prolonged spell of pressure.

Edinburgh fended off the threat of a try with some desperate defending on their line but after seemingly clearing the danger, an infringement at the scrum allowed Pienaar to kick another penalty.

And the scrum-half extended the lead to seven points with another superb kick from wide on the left as Ulster began to take a stranglehold of the tie.

Edinburgh enjoyed some more of the ball in the closing stages but another booming penalty from Pienaar, his sixth successful kick from six attempts, sealed their fate, with Thompson's late score proving to be too little, too late.