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European Challenge Cup
Cardiff (12) 29
Tries: Nott, Bowen, Southworth, D Thomas Cons: Halfpenny, Sheedy 2 Pen: Sheedy
Ulster (14) 26
Tries: Stewart, Hume, Kok 2 Cons: Flannery 3
Cardiff fly-half Callum Sheedy kicked a last-gasp winning penalty to defeat Ulster in a Challenge Cup thriller at the Arms Park.
Sheedy’s nerveless effort completed a remarkable Cardiff comeback from 26-12 down and ensured Leigh Halfpenny’s homecoming ended in a dramatic victory.
Cardiff had raced into a 12-0 lead through tries from lock George Nott and teenage wing Tom Bowen.
Ulster rallied with tries from captain Tom Stewart, centre James Hume and a double from wing Werner Kok to give the visitors a 14-point lead after 65 minutes.
Cardiff responded with tries from replacement prop Danny Southworth and flanker Dan Thomas, before Sheedy stepped up with the final kick of the game.
Halfpenny back in Cardiff colours after 11-year absence
Richie Murphy’s side had started their European campaign with a thumping 61-7 win over Racing 92.
In contrast, Cardiff suffered a 38-17 away defeat against Stade Francais.
Both sides rung the changes with Ulster making eight alterations as the likes of Jacob Stockdale, Rob Baloucoune, Jude Postlethwaite, Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak, Rob Herring and Nick Timoney were rested.
Only captain Alun Lawrence, flanker James Botham, prop Rhys Barratt and lock Thornton survived in the Cardiff starting side from the Paris trip.
Centre Ben Thomas, prop Keiron Assiratti and lock Rory Thornton all made their 100th Cardiff appearance and led the team out with their children.
Halfpenny, who will celebrate his 37rd birthday later this month, was making his first Cardiff appearance in 4,347 days since he left for Toulon in 2014.
After playing spells with Scarlets, Crusaders and Harlequins and a coaching stint with Wales in the summer in Japan, Halfpenny has returned to the Arms Park 11 years later in a playing-coach role.
Tale of two halves in opening period
Despite all the milestones and comebacks, it was Nott who opened the scoring after a clever tip pass from fellow lock Thornton.
Bowen, who was only three when Halfpenny made his first Cardiff debut in 2008, scored a superb solo try when he collected his own grubber kick and outpaced Werner Kok.
The controversial score was given following a discussion between the referee and television match official (TMO) with the ball looked to have gone forward in the build-up off Halfpenny’s chest.
The French officials decided there was no further touch from Halfpenny’s hand so the score stood.
Ulster responded when Stewart marked his first game as captain by scoring a try from a rolling maul.
Assiratti was forced off the field just before half-time before Bowen, still just 19, demonstrated both sides of his game and showed why many are tipping him for Wales senior honours soon.
After his try-saving tackle denied Stewart a second score following a free-flowing move, Bowen’s burst down the right almost led to a third Cardiff try.
Instead, Ulster weathered the pressure and Hume capitalised on a Sheedy handling mistake to sprint 50 metres to score.
Flannery’s conversion gave Ulster a 14-12 half-time lead which the visitors extended early in the second half following a well-worked try that was finished by Kok.
Sheedy seals dramatic Cardiff comeback
After extending the lead, Ulster were able to bring on imposing the forward trio of Angus Bell, Cormac Izuchukwu and Juarno Augustus.
The visitors’ dominance continued with Kok scoring his second in the right hand corner.
Halfpenny was replaced after 57 minutes by Cameron Winnett before tempers flared, with Ulster unhappy with a James Botham challenge on Zac Ward.
Lock Harry Sheridan and Botham clashed with both players sent to the sin-bin before Ulster were down to 13 men when the centre was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on.
Cardiff made their extra man tell when flanker Thomas was driven over with Sheedy’s conversion levelling the scores with six minutes to play.
A surging home scrum then forced a penalty to give Sheedy the platform to win the match.
His goal-kicking has come under scrutiny since he arrived at Cardiff from Bristol but on this occasion the Wales fly-half demonstrated his class to clinch victory.
What next?
Both sides will return to the United Rugby Championship (URC) next weekend where Cardiff are second and Ulster fourth, with both sides only losing one league games this season.
It is the Welsh derby season for Cardiff in the Christmas and New Year period as they host Scarlets on Friday, 19 December before welcoming Dragons seven days later, with a trip to play Ospreys in Bridgend on 1 January.
Ulster travel to face Leinster on Friday, 19 January before they face a trip to play Connacht eight days later. They will then host Munster on Friday, 2 January.
How they lined up
Cardiff: Halfpenny; Adams, Millard, B Thomas, Bowen; Sheedy, A Davies; Barratt, D Hughes, Assiratti, Nott, Thornton, Botham, D Thomas, Lawrence (capt).
Replacements: E Lloyd, Southworth, Wainwright, McNally, De la Rua, Bevan, Beetham, Winnett.
Sin-bin: Botham 68
Ulster: S Moore; Kok, Hume, Carson, Ward; Flannery, McKee; Crean, Steward (capt), O’Toole, Sheridan, Irvine, McCann, Reffell, Ward.
Replacements: Andrew, Bell, McGuire, Izuchukwu, Augustus, Shanahan, Humphreys, McNamara,
Sin-bin: Sheridan 68, Carson 72.
Referee: Evan Urruzmendi (France)
Assistant referees: Pierre-Baptiste Nuchy (France), Anthony Lac (Monaco)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)
