2011–12 Ulster Rugby season

The 2011–12 Ulster Rugby season was Ulster's 18th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and their third under head coach Brian McLaughlin. They were losing finalists in the Heineken Cup, and finished sixth in the Pro12.

2011–12 Ulster Rugby season
Ground(s)Ravenhill Stadium (Capacity: 12,500)
Coach(es)David Humphreys (Director of Rugby)
Brian McLaughlin (Head Coach)
Top scorerIan Humphreys (168)
Most triesAndrew Trimble (6)
Craig Gilroy (6)
League(s)Heineken Cup (finalists)
Pro12 (6th)
1st kit
2nd kit
← 2010–11 2012–13 →

McLaughlin, who was coaching Ulster while on sabbatical from his regular job as a teacher at Royal Belfast Academical Institution, stood to lose his teaching position and pension if he extended his contract with Ulster any further, and as head coach risked losing his job at any time. Director of rugby David Humphreys decided to offer him the security of a full-time position coaching the academy, and to replace him as head coach with Mark Anscombe.[1]

Squad
Ulster Rugby squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

Back row

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

Centres

Wings

Fullbacks

(c) denotes the team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped players.
* denotes players qualified to play for Ireland on residency or dual nationality.
Players and their allocated positions from the Ulster Rugby website.

    Player transfers

    Players in (Season 2011/2012)

    Players out (Season 2011/2012)

    Heineken Cup
    Main article: 2011–12 Heineken Cup

    Pool 4
    Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
    Clermont Auvergne [5] 6402265+2121569+1462220
    Ulster [8] 6402168+815887+713120
    Leicester Tigers 6402138+5123117+61017
    Aironi 6006438−3451274−223000
    12 November 2011
    15:40
    Ulster 16 – 11 Clermont Auvergne
    Try: Humphreys 69' c
    Con: Humphreys (1/1)
    Pen: Humphreys (3/4) 12', 40', 50'
    		 Report
    Highlights
    Full game    		 Try: Nakaitaci 5' m
    Pen: Skrela (2/2) 17', 38'
    Ravenhill, Belfast
    Attendance: 9,385
    Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
    19 November 2011
    18:00
    Leicester Tigers 20 – 9 Ulster
    Try: Smith 66' m
    Pen: Flood (5/6) 7', 16', 22', 45', 80'
    		 Report Pen: Humphreys (3/4) 2', 10', 19'
    Welford Road, Leicester
    Attendance: 21,473
    Referee: Romain Poite (France)
    9 December 2011
    19:30
    Ulster 31 – 10 Aironi
    Try: Ferris 16' c
    D'Arcy 40' m
    Trimble 42' m
    Marshall 56' c
    Jackson 68' c
    Con: Humphreys (3/5)
    		 Report Try: D'Apice 78' c
    Con: Olivier (1/1)
    Pen: Tebaldi (1/3) 20'
    Ravenhill, Belfast
    Attendance: 7,494
    Referee: Andrew Small (England)
    17 December 2011
    14:30
    Aironi 20 – 46 Ulster
    Try: Sinoti 56' c
    Quartaroli 60' m
    Biagi 74' m
    Con: Orquera (1/1)
    Pen: Orquera (1/1) 17'
    		 Report Try: Trimble 5' c
    penalty try 22' c
    Court 37' c
    Gilroy 69' c
    Diack 77' c
    Macklin 80' m
    Con: Humphreys (3/3)
    Pienaar (2/3)
    Pen: Humphreys (2/2) 15', 33'
    Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
    Attendance: 5,000
    Referee: Greg Garner (England)
    13 January 2012
    20:00
    Ulster 41 – 7 Leicester Tigers
    Try: Trimble (2) 5' c, 39' m
    Gilroy 69' c
    P. Marshall 72' c
    Con: Pienaar (3/4)
    Pen: Pienaar (5/5) 11', 32', 53', 56', 63'
    		 Report Try: Murphy 13' c
    Con: Twelvetrees (1/1)
    Ravenhill, Belfast
    Attendance: 11,900
    Referee: Romain Poite (France)
    21 January 2012
    16:40
    Clermont Auvergne 19 – 15 Ulster
    Try: Paulo 62' c
    Con: Parra (1/1)
    Pen: Parra (4/4) 14', 21', 48', 73'
    		 Report Pen: Pienaar (5/7) 17', 32', 45', 56', 70'

    Quarter-final
    8 April 2012
    13:45 IST
    Munster 16–22 Ulster
    Try: Zebo 34' c
    Con: O'Gara (1/1)
    Pen: O'Gara (3/4) 40', 49', 61'
    		 Report Try: Gilroy 16' c
    Con: Pienaar (1/1)
    Pen: Pienaar (4/5) 5', 11', 20', 59'
    Drop: Humphreys (1/1) 32'
    Thomond Park, Limerick
    Attendance: 26,500
    Referee: Romain Poite (France)

    Semi-finals
    28 April 2012
    17:45 IST
    Ulster 22–19 Edinburgh
    Try: Wannenburg 15' c
    Con: Pienaar (1/1)
    Pen: Pienaar (5/5) 5', 38', 58', 63', 75'
    		 Report Try: Thompson 80' c
    Con: Laidlaw (1/1)
    Pen: Laidlaw (4/4) 9', 11', 40', 45'
    Aviva Stadium, Dublin
    Attendance: 45,147
    Referee: Romain Poite (France)

    Final
    Main article: 2012 Heineken Cup Final
    19 May 2012
    17:00 BST
    Leinster 42–14 Ulster
    Try: O'Brien 12' c
    Healy 31' c
    penalty try 44' c
    van der Merwe 76' m
    Cronin 80' c
    Con: Sexton (3/3)
    McFadden (1/2)
    Pen: Sexton (3/4) 51', 67', 73'
    		 Report Try: Tuohy 60' m
    Pen: Pienaar (3/3) 7', 40', 49'
    Twickenham Stadium, London
    Attendance: 81,774
    Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

    Pro12
    Main article: 2011–12 Pro12
    Pro12 Table
    Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Tries For Tries Against Try Bonus Losing Bonus Points
    1 Leinster (F) 221813568326+24248285281
    2 Ospreys (C) 221615491337+15444222371
    3 Munster (SF) 221417489367+12245275467
    4 Glasgow Warriors (SF) 221345445321+12434232365
    5 Scarlets 221228446373+7343305562
    6 Ulster2212010474424+5053415356
    7 Cardiff Blues 2210012446460−1443455550
    8 Connacht227114321433−11227360737
    9 Newport Gwent Dragons227114370474−10427411536
    10 Benetton Treviso227015419558−13941573536
    11 Edinburgh226115454588−13442652432
    12 Aironi 224018289551−26222541522

    If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:[8]

    1. number of matches won;
    2. the difference between points for and points against;
    3. the number of tries scored;
    4. the most points scored;
    5. the difference between tries for and tries against;
    6. the fewest red cards received;
    7. the fewest yellow cards received.
    Green background (rows 1 to 4) are play-off places. Qualification for the Heineken Cup is based on each country's allocation, i.e. three highest-ranked Irish teams, three highest-ranked Welsh teams, both Italian teams and both Scottish teams. Because Leinster won the 2012 Heineken Cup Final, Ireland earned an extra Heineken Cup place, which will go to Connacht. Aironi were denied a licence for the 2012–13 season due to financial issues; the newly established Zebre side replaced Aironi in the Pro12 and Heineken Cup.

    Updated 5 May 2012. Source: RaboDirect PRO12

      2 September 2011
      19:05
      Ulster 28 – 14 Glasgow Warriors
      Try: Cave
      Henry
      Marshall
      Con: Humphreys (2)
      Pen: Humphreys (3)
      		 Report Try: Nathan
      Pen: Weir (3)
      Ravenhill, Belfast
      Attendance: 6,296
      Referee: Leighton Hodges
      10 September 2011
      15:00
      (1 BP) Aironi 19 – 25 Ulster
      Try: Williams
      Con: Olivier
      Pen: Olivier (4)
      		 Report Try: Gilroy
      Tuohy
      Whitten
      Con: Humphreys (2)
      Pen: Humphreys (2)
      Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
      Attendance: 3,000
      Referee: Neil Hennessy
      16 September 2011
      19:05
      Ulster 20 – 3 Cardiff Blues
      Try: Cave (2)
      Con: Humphreys (2)
      Pen: Humphreys
      Jackson
      		 Report Pen: Sweeney
      Ravenhill, Belfast
      Attendance: 6,555
      Referee: James Jones
      25 September 2011
      16:30
      Ospreys 32 – 14 Ulster
      Try: Penalty try
      Fussell
      Con: Biggar
      Morgan
      Pen: Biggar (6)
      		 Report Try: Jackson
      Penalty try
      Con: Jackson
      McKinney
      Liberty Stadium, Swansea
      Attendance: 5,590
      Referee: Dudley Phillips
      30 September 2011
      19:05
      Newport Gwent Dragons 22 – 9 Ulster
      Try: Riley
      Con: Tovey
      Pen: Tovey (4)
      		 Report Pen: Jackson (3)
      Rodney Parade, Newport
      Attendance: 4,554
      Referee: Neil Paterson
      7 October 2011
      19:05
      Ulster 12 – 23 Benetton Treviso
      Try: Wannenburg (2)
      Con: Humphreys
      		 Report Try: Penalty try
      Burton
      Pen: Burton (3)
      Ravenhill, Belfast
      Attendance: 7,372
      Referee: Stefano Penne
      29 October 2011
      15:00
      Scarlets 24 – 17 Ulster (1 BP)
      Try: Trimble
      Pen: Humphreys (4)
      		 Report Try: Williams
      Warren
      Con: Thomas
      Pen: Thomas (3)
      Newton
      Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
      Attendance: 7,075
      Referee: Alan Falzone
      5 November 2011
      17:35
      Ulster 22 – 3 Connacht
      Try: Gilroy
      Court
      Humphreys
      Con: Humphreys (2)
      Pen: Humphreys
      		 Report Pen: Nikora
      Ravenhill, Belfast
      Attendance: 6,887
      Referee: John Lacey
      25 November 2011
      19:35
      Glasgow Warriors 17 – 9 Ulster
      Try: Nathan
      Pen: Weir (3)
      Drop: Weir
      		 Report Pen: Humphreys (3)
      Firhill Stadium, Glasgow
      Attendance: 3,940
      Referee: Stefano Penne
      2 December 2011
      19:05
      Ulster 24 – 17 Scarlets (1 BP)
      Try: Ferris (2)
      Con: Humphreys
      Pen: Humphreys (4)
      		 Report Try: Lamont
      Longi
      Murphy
      Con: Jones
      Ravenhill, Belfast
      Attendance: 8,117
      Referee: Alain Rolland
      26 December 2011
      17:30
      (1 BP) Leinster 42 – 13 Ulster
      Try: Carr
      Cronin
      Auva'a
      Penalty try
      Madigan
      Hagan
      Con: McFadden (6)
      		 Report Try: Cochrane
      Con: McKinney
      Pen: McKinney (2)
      RDS Arena, Dublin
      Attendance: 18,500
      Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon
      30 December 2011
      19:05
      (1 BP) Ulster 33 – 17 Munster
      Try: Terblanche
      Afoa
      Humphreys
      Pienaar
      Con: Humphreys (2)
      Pen: Humphreys (2)
      Pienaar
      		 Report Try: O'Dea
      Murphy
      Con: Keatley (2)
      Pen: Keatley
      Ravenhill, Belfast
      Attendance: 11,379
      Referee: Alain Rolland
      6 January 2012
      19:30
      Edinburgh 20 – 42 Ulster (1 BP)
      Try: De Luca
      Walker
      Con: Laidlaw (2)
      Pen: Laidlaw (2)
      		 Report Try: Best
      Tuohy
      Trimble
      Cave
      Con: Pienaar (2)
      Pen: Humphreys (2)
      Pienaar (4)
      Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
      Attendance: 3,792
      Referee: George Clancy
      10 February 2012
      19:05
      (1 BP) Ulster 30 – 12 Newport Gwent Dragons
      Try: Diack
      Pienaar
      Gilroy
      Terblanche
      Con: Pienaar (2)
      Pen: Pienaar (2)
      		 Report Pen: Tovey (4)
      Ravenhill, Belfast
      Attendance: 7,435
      Referee: Carlo Damasco
      17 February 2012
      19:05
      Cardiff Blues 21 – 14 Ulster (1 BP)
      Try: Parks
      James
      Con: Parks
      Pen: Parks (3)
      		 Report Try: Diack
      Pen: Pienaar (3)
      Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
      Attendance: 9,154
      Referee: George Clancy
      24 February 2012
      19:05
      Ulster 15 – 14 Ospreys (1 BP)
      Try: Penalty try
      Wallace
      Con: Pienaar
      Pen: Pienaar
      		 Report Try: Bearman
      Walker
      Con: Biggar
      Ravenhill, Belfast
      Attendance: 8,131
      Referee: Neil Hennessy
      2 March 2012
      19:05
      (1 BP) Ulster 38 – 16 Edinburgh
      Try: Marshall
      Terblanche
      D'Arcy
      Penalty try
      Cochrane
      Humphreys
      Con: Pienaar (4)
      		 Report Try: S. Visser
      T. Visser
      Pen: Godman (2)
      Ravenhill, Belfast
      Attendance: 8,044
      Referee: Nigel Owens
      24 March 2012
      16:15
      (1 BP) Benetton Treviso 23 – 27 Ulster
      Try: Ceccato
      Di Bernardo
      Con: Burton (2)
      Pen: Burton
      Drop: Burton
      		 Report Try: Henry
      Wallace
      D'Arcy
      Con: Pienaar (3)
      Pen: Pienaar
      Stadio Comunale di Monigo, Treviso
      Attendance: 4,200
      Referee: Leighton Hodges
      30 March 2012
      19:05
      (1 BP) Ulster 45 – 7 Aironi
      Try: Wallace
      Penalty try
      Best
      Cave
      Court
      Wannenburg
      Con: Pienaar (4)
      Humphreys (2)
      Pen: Pienaar
      		 Report Try: Tibaldi
      Con: Olivier
      Ravenhill, Belfast
      Attendance: 10,125
      Referee: Neil Paterson
      14 April 2012
      17:15
      Connacht 26 – 21 Ulster (1 BP)
      Try: Nikora
      Duffy
      Tiernan O'Halloran
      Con: Nikora
      Pen: Nikora (3)
      		 Report Try: Marshall
      Jackson
      Con: Jackson
      Pen: Jackson (3)
      Galway Sportsgrounds, Galway
      Attendance: 5,017
      Referee: Dudley Phillips
      20 April 2012
      19:05
      Ulster 8 – 16 Leinster
      Try: Laughlin
      Con: Sexton
      Pen: Sexton
      Drop: Sexton
      		 Report Try: Muller
      Pen: Pienaar
      Ravenhill, Belfast
      Attendance: 10,500
      Referee: John Lacey
      5 May 2012
      19:30
      (1 BP) Munster 36 – 8 Ulster
      Try: Zebo
      O'Mahony
      Sherry
      Archer
      O'Donnell
      Con: Deasy (2)
      Cusack
      Pen: Deasy
      		 Report Try: Henderson
      Pen: Jackson
      Thomond Park, Limerick
      Attendance: 19,362
      Referee: Alain Rolland

      End-of-season awards

      2011–2012 Dream Team[9]

      Pos Player Team
      SH9 Ruan PienaarUlster
      LL4 Dan TuohyUlster
      TP3 BJ BothaUlster

      Ulster Ravens

      British and Irish Cup
      Main article: 2011–12 British and Irish Cup

      Pool C
      Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TB LB Pts
      Bedford Blues 55001646698183023
      Moseley 54011171134162018
      Neath 53027876290214
      London Welsh 52039399-6141211
      Ulster Ravens 5104109128-1913127
      Swansea 500561140-797022
      Points breakdown:
      *4 points for a win
      *2 points for a draw
      *1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less
      *1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match
      16 October 2010
      14:30
      Swansea 12 – 32 Ulster Ravens
      Stats
      St Helens
      Attendance: 1,200
      11 December 2010
      15:00
      Bedford Blues 36 – 22 Ulster Ravens
      Stats
      Goldington Road
      Attendance: 2,105
      14 January 2011
      19:00
      Ulster Ravens 20 – 25 Neath
      Stats
      Instonians RFC
      Attendance: 400
      22 January 2011
      14:00
      London Welsh 29 – 11 Ulster Ravens
      Stats
      Old Deer Park
      Attendance: 785
      23 February 2011
      14:00
      Ulster Ravens 24 – 26 Moseley
      Stats

      Ulster Rugby Awards

      The Ulster Rugby Awards ceremony was held at the Culloden Hotel on 10 May 2012.[10] Winners were:[11]

      References
      1. "It's Grim Up North - Ulster's Malaise", Digging Like a Demented Mole, 4 March 2018
      2. "Ulster snap up Stevenson". Sky Sports. 18 February 2011.
      3. "Ulster announce two new signings". The Irish Times. 7 March 2011.
      4. "Ulster Sign All-Black Prop John Afoa". Ulster Rugby. 16 March 2011.
      5. "Payne signs with Ulster". The Blues. 1 April 2011.
      6. "Connacht sign Ulster duo as Naoupu returns". RTÉ Sport. 7 January 2011.
      7. "Connacht sign Anderson from Ulster", The Irish Times, 7 March 2011
      8. Competition Rule 3.5 "Summary of Key Rules". Pro12. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
      9. "2012 RaboDirect PRO12 Dream Team 2011/12". The Rugby Blog. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
      10. Niall Crozier, "Ulster's big winners to be unveiled at glitzy awards night", Belfast Telegraph, 10 May 2012
      11. "Ferris lost for words as he scoops top Ulster award", News Letter, 12 May 2012
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