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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 competed in the Heineken Cup and the inaugural Pro12, successor competition to the Celtic League.

They finished sixth in the Pro12, and qualified for next season's Champions Cup as the third highest placed Irish team. Scrum-half Ruan Pienaar, lock Dan Tuohy and prop BJ Botha made the Pro12 Dream Team. They finished second in their pool in the Heineken Cup, beat Edinburgh in the semi-final, and lost to Leinster in the final. Out-half Ian Humphreys was Ulster's top scorer with 168 points. Wings Andrew Trimble and Craig Gilroy were joint top try scorers with six each. Flanker Chris Henry was Player of the Year. Craig Gilroy won the IRUPA Try of the Year award.[1]

Brian 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.[2]

Staff

Position Name[3] Nationality
Chief Executive Officer Shane Logan  Ireland
Director of Rugby David Humphreys  Ireland
Head coach Brian McLaughlin  Ireland
Assistant coach (backs) Neil Doak  Ireland
Defence coach Jonny Bell  Ireland
Head of strength and conditioning Jonny Davis  Ireland
Team doctor David Irwin  Ireland
Team physiotherapist Gareth Robinson  Ireland
Physiotherapist Alan McAldin  Ireland
Performance analyst Alex McCloy  Ireland
Team manager David Millar  Ireland
Team administration co-ordinator Sarah Sherry  Ireland
Resource Manager Mick Ennis  Australia

Squad

Senior squad

Ulster Rugby squad[10]

Props

Hookers

Locks

Back row

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

Centres

Wings

Fullbacks

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

Academy squad

Position[11] Name Nationality
High Performance Manager Gary Longwell  Ireland
Elite Player Development Officer Jonny Bell  Ireland
Elite Player Development Officer Niall Malone  Ireland
Strength & Conditioning Coach Chris Shiells  Ireland
Strength & Conditioning Coach Kevin Geary  Ireland
Academy squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

  • Ireland Iain Henderson (QUB) (2)
  • Ireland David O'Mahony (TBA) (1)
  • Ireland James Simpson (Ballynahinch) (1)

Back row

  • Ireland Ali Birch (Dungannon) (2)
  • Ireland Neil Faloon (Armagh) (1)
  • Ireland Conor Joyce (Malone) (1)
  • Ireland David McGuigan (QUB) (2)
  • Ireland Sean O'Connell (Instonians) (1)

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

Centres

Wings

Fullbacks

Heineken Cup

Pool 4

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
France Clermont Auvergne [5] 6 4 0 2 26 5 +21 215 69 +146 2 2 20
Ireland Ulster [8] 6 4 0 2 16 8 +8 158 87 +71 3 1 20
England Leicester Tigers 6 4 0 2 13 8 +5 123 117 +6 1 0 17
Italy Aironi 6 0 0 6 4 38 −34 51 274 −223 0 0 0
12 November 2011 Ulster Ireland 16 – 11 France Clermont Auvergne Ravenhill, Belfast  
15:40 Try: Humphreys 69' c
Con: Humphreys (1/1)
Pen: Humphreys (3/4) 12', 40', 50'
Report[12]
Highlights
Full game
Try: Nakaitaci 5' m
Pen: Skrela (2/2) 17', 38'
Attendance: 9,385
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Ulster lineup:

Ulster lineup:
1. Tom Court, 2. Rory Best, 3. John Afoa,
4. Johann Muller (c), 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Stephen Ferris, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Paul Marshall, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Craig Gilroy, 12. Paddy Wallace, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Andrew Trimble,
15. Simon Danielli.
Replacements:
16. Andi Kyriacou, 17. Paddy McAllister (for Court 67'), 18. Declan Fitzpatrick (for Afoa 67'),
19. Lewis Stevenson, 20. Willie Faloon (for Ferris 76'),
21. Ian Porter, 22. Nevin Spence, 23. Adam D'Arcy (for Danielli 55').

19 November 2011 Leicester Tigers England 20 – 9 Ireland Ulster Welford Road, Leicester  
18:00 Try: Smith 66' m
Pen: Flood (5/6) 7', 16', 22', 45', 80'
Report[13] Pen: Humphreys (3/4) 2', 10', 19'
Attendance: 21,473
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Ulster lineup:

1. Tom Court, 2. Rory Best, 3. Declan Fitzpatrick,
4. Johann Muller (c), 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Stephen Ferris, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Paul Marshall, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Craig Gilroy, 12. Nevin Spence, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Andrew Trimble,
15. Simon Danielli.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady, 17. Paddy McAllister, 18. Adam Macklin (for Fitzpatrick 68'),
19. Lewis Stevenson, 20. Willie Faloon,
21. Ian Porter, 22. Paddy Jackson (for Humphreys 74'), 23. Adam D'Arcy (for Danielli 68').

9 December 2011 Ulster Ireland 31 – 10 Italy Aironi Ravenhill, Belfast  
19:30 Try: Ferris 16' c
D'Arcy 40' m
Trimble 42' m
Marshall 56' c
Jackson 68' c
Con: Humphreys (3/5)
Report[14] Try: D'Apice 78' c
Con: Olivier (1/1)
Pen: Tebaldi (1/3) 20'
Attendance: 7,494
Referee: Andrew Small (England)
Ulster lineup:

1. Paddy McAllister, 2. Rory Best, 3. John Afoa,
4. Johann Muller (c), 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Stephen Ferris, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Ruan Pienaar, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Craig Gilroy, 12. Nevin Spence, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Andrew Trimble,
15. Adam D'Arcy.
Replacements:
16. Andi Kyriacou, 17. Tom Court (for McAllister 50'), 18. Adam Macklin,
19. Lewis Stevenson, 20. Robbie Diack,
21. Paul Marshall (for Pienaar 50'), 22. Paddy Jackson (for Spence 53'), 23. Stefan Terblanche (for Trimble 50').

17 December 2011 Aironi Italy 20 – 46 Ireland Ulster Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana  
14:30 Try: Sinoti 56' c
Quartaroli 60' m
Biagi 74' m
Con: Orquera (1/1)
Pen: Orquera (1/1) 17'
Report[15] 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'
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Greg Garner (England)
Ulster lineup:

1. Tom Court, 2. Rory Best, 3. John Afoa,
4. Johann Muller (c), 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Stephen Ferris, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Ruan Pienaar, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Craig Gilroy, 12. Nevin Spence, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Andrew Trimble,
15. Adam D'Arcy.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady (for Jackson 67'), 17. Paddy McAllister (for Court 49'), 18. Adam Macklin (for Afoa 78'),
19. Tim Barker (for Tuohy 61'), 20. Robbie Diack (for Wannenburg 65'),
21. Paul Marshall (for Humphreys 65'), 22. Paddy Jackson (for Spence 46'), 23. Stefan Terblanche (for Trimble 49').

13 January 2012 Ulster Ireland 41 – 7 England Leicester Tigers Ravenhill, Belfast  
20:00 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[16] Try: Murphy 13' c
Con: Twelvetrees (1/1)
Attendance: 11,900
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Ulster lineup:

1. Tom Court, 2. Rory Best, 3. John Afoa,
4. Johann Muller (c), 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Stephen Ferris, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Ruan Pienaar, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Craig Gilroy, 12. Paddy Wallace, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Andrew Trimble,
15. Stefan Terblanche.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady (for Best 76'), 17. Callum Black (for Court 76'), 18. Adam Macklin (for Afoa 76'),
19. Lewis Stevenson (for Ferris 71'), 20. Willie Faloon (for Wannenburg 71'),
21. Paul Marshall (for Humphreys 65'), 22. Ian Whitten (for Cave 57'), 23. Adam D'Arcy.

21 January 2012 Clermont Auvergne France 19 – 15 Ireland Ulster Stade Marcel-Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand  
16:40 Try: Paulo 62' c
Con: Parra (1/1)
Pen: Parra (4/4) 14', 21', 48', 73'
Report[17] Pen: Pienaar (5/7) 17', 32', 45', 56', 70'
Attendance: 17,633
Referee: Dave Pearson (England)
Ulster lineup:

1. Tom Court, 2. Rory Best, 3. John Afoa,
4. Johann Muller (c), 5. Dan Tuohy Yellow card 12',
6. Stephen Ferris, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Ruan Pienaar, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Craig Gilroy, 12. Paddy Wallace, 13. Ian Whitten, 14. Andrew Trimble,
15. Stefan Terblanche.
Replacements:
16. Andi Kyriacou, 17. Callum Black, 18. Adam Macklin,
19. Lewis Stevenson, 20. Willie Faloon,
21. Paul Marshall (for Humphreys 61'), 22. Nevin Spence, 23. Adam D'Arcy.

Quarter-final

8 April 2012 Munster Ireland 16–22 Ireland Ulster Thomond Park, Limerick  
13:45 IST Try: Zebo 34' c
Con: O'Gara (1/1)
Pen: O'Gara (3/4) 40', 49', 61'
Report[18] Try: Gilroy 16' c
Con: Pienaar (1/1)
Pen: Pienaar (4/5) 5', 11', 20', 59'
Drop: Humphreys (1/1) 32'
Attendance: 26,500
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Ulster lineup:

1. Tom Court, 2. Rory Best, 3. John Afoa,
4. Johann Muller (c), 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Stephen Ferris, 7. Chris Henry Yellow card 37', 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Ruan Pienaar, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Craig Gilroy, 12. Paddy Wallace, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Andrew Trimble,
15. Stefan Terblanche.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady, 17. Paddy McAllister, 18. Adam Macklin,
19. Lewis Stevenson, 20. Willie Faloon,
21. Paul Marshall, 22. Nevin Spence, 23. Adam D'Arcy.

Semi-finals

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

1. Tom Court, 2. Rory Best, 3. Declan Fitzpatrick,
4. Johann Muller (c), 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Stephen Ferris, 7. Willie Faloon, 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Ruan Pienaar, 10. Paddy Jackson,
11. Craig Gilroy, 12. Paddy Wallace, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Andrew Trimble,
15. Stefan Terblanche Yellow card 28'.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady, 17. Paddy McAllister (for Court 77'), 18. Adam Macklin (for Fitzpatrick 65'),
19. Lewis Stevenson (for Ferris 77'), 20. Robbie Diack (for Faloon 73'),
21. Paul Marshall, 22. Ian Humphreys, 23. Adam D'Arcy.

Final

19 May 2012 Leinster Ireland 42–14 Ireland Ulster Twickenham Stadium, London  
17:00 BST 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[20] Try: Tuohy 60' m
Pen: Pienaar (3/3) 7', 40', 49'
Attendance: 81,774
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Ulster lineup:

1. Tom Court, 2. Rory Best, 3. John Afoa,
4. Johann Muller (c), 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Stephen Ferris, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Ruan Pienaar, 10. Paddy Jackson,
11. Craig Gilroy, 12. Paddy Wallace, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Andrew Trimble,
15. Stefan Terblanche Yellow card 72'.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady, 17. Paddy McAllister (for Court 74'), 18. Declan Fitzpatrick,
19. Lewis Stevenson (for Tuohy 79'), 20. Willie Faloon (for Henry 67'),
21. Paul Marshall (for Humphreys 69'), 22. Ian Humphreys (for Jackson 45'), 23. Adam D'Arcy (for Trimble 79').

Pro12

Pro12 Table
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts Qualification[a]
1 Ireland Leinster (F) 22 18 1 3 568 326 +242 48 28 5 2 81 Play-off place
2 Wales Ospreys (C) 22 16 1 5 491 337 +154 44 22 2 3 71
3 Ireland Munster (SF) 22 14 1 7 489 367 +122 45 27 5 4 67
4 Scotland Glasgow Warriors (SF) 22 13 4 5 445 321 +124 34 23 2 3 65
5 Wales Scarlets 22 12 2 8 446 373 +73 43 30 5 5 62
6 Ireland Ulster 22 12 0 10 474 424 +50 53 41 5 3 56
7 Wales Cardiff Blues 22 10 0 12 446 460 −14 43 45 5 5 50
8 Ireland Connacht 22 7 1 14 321 433 −112 27 36 0 7 37
9 Wales Newport Gwent Dragons 22 7 1 14 370 474 −104 27 41 1 5 36
10 Italy Benetton Treviso 22 7 0 15 419 558 −139 41 57 3 5 36
11 Scotland Edinburgh 22 6 1 15 454 588 −134 42 65 2 4 32
12 Italy Aironi 22 4 0 18 289 551 −262 22 54 1 5 22
Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 2012. Source: RaboDirect PRO12
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:[21]
  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.
    (C) Champions; (F) Lost in the final; (SF) Lost in the semi-finals
    Notes:
  1. ^ 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.
2 September 2011 Ulster Ireland 28 – 14 Scotland Glasgow Warriors Ravenhill, Belfast  
19:05 Try: Cave
Henry
Marshall
Con: Humphreys (2)
Pen: Humphreys (3)
Report[22] Try: Nathan
Pen: Weir (3)
Attendance: 6,296
Referee: Leighton Hodges
Ulster lineup:

1. Paddy McAllister, 2. Andi Kyriacou, 3. Jerry Cronin,
4. Lewis Stevenson, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Pedrie Wannenberg, 7. Willie Faloon, 8. Chris Henry,
9. Paul Marshall, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Ian Whitten, 12. Nevin Spence, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Craig Gilroy,
15. Adam D'Arcy.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady (for Kyriacou 67'), 17. Jarlath Carey, 18. Adam Macklin,
19. Neil McComb, 20. Robbie Diack,
21. Ian Porter, 22. Paddy Jackson, 23. Peter Nelson.

10 September 2011 (1 BP) Aironi Italy 19 – 25 Ireland Ulster Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana  
15:00 Try: Williams
Con: Olivier
Pen: Olivier (4)
Report[23] Try: Gilroy
Tuohy
Whitten
Con: Humphreys (2)
Pen: Humphreys (2)
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Neil Hennessy
Ulster lineup:

1. Paddy McAllister, 2. Andi Kyriacou, 3. Jerry Cronin,
4. Tim Barker, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Pedrie Wannenburg, 7. Willie Faloon, 8. Chris Henry,
9. Paul Marshall, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Ian Whitten, 12. Nevin Spence, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Craig Gilroy,
15. Adam D'Arcy.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady (for Kyriacou 50'), 17. Declan Fitzpatrick (for McAllister 50'), 18. Adam Macklin (for Wannenburg 79'),
19. Lewis Stevenson (for Barker 56'), 20. Robbie Diack (for Faloon 61'),
21. Ian Porter, 22. Paddy Jackson (for Humphreys 78'), 23. Luke Marshall (for Spence 65').

16 September 2011 Ulster Ireland 20 – 3 Wales Cardiff Blues Ravenhill, Belfast  
19:05 Try: Cave (2)
Con: Humphreys (2)
Pen: Humphreys
Jackson
Report[24] Pen: Sweeney
Attendance: 6,555
Referee: James Jones
Ulster lineup:

1. Declan Fitzpatrick, 2. Andi Kyriacou, 3. Jerry Cronin,
4. Lewis Stevenson, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Pedrie Wannenburg, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Robbie Diack,
9. Paul Marshall, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Ian Whitten, 12. Nevin Spence, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Craig Gilroy,
15. Jared Payne.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady (for Kyriacou 64'), 17. Paddy McAllister (for Fitzpatrick 52'), 18. Adam Macklin (for Cronin 79'),
19. Neil McComb (for Tuohy 79'), 20. Mike McComish (for Diack 64'),
21. Ian Porter (for P. Marshall 67'), 22. Paddy Jackson (for Humphreys 74'), 23. Adam D'Arcy (for Cave 41').

25 September 2011 Ospreys Wales 32 – 14 Ireland Ulster Liberty Stadium, Swansea  
16:30 Try: Penalty try
Fussell
Con: Biggar
Morgan
Pen: Biggar (6)
Report[25] Try: Jackson
Penalty try
Con: Jackson
McKinney
Attendance: 5,590
Referee: Dudley Phillips
Ulster lineup:

1. Declan Fitzpatrick, 2. Andi Kyriacou, 3. Jerry Cronin,
4. Lewis Stevenson, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Pedrie Wannenburg, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Robbie Diack,
9. Paul Marshall, 10. Paddy Jackson,
11. Ian Whitten, 12. Luke Marshall, 13. Nevin Spence, 14. Craig Gilroy,
15. Jared Payne.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady (for Kyriacou 56'), 17. Paddy McAllister (for Fitzpatrick 52'), 18. Adam Macklin (for Tuohy 66'),
19. Tim Barker (for Wannenburg 66'), 20. Willie Faloon (for Diack 58'),
21. Blane McIlroy (for P. Marshall 67'), 22. James McKinney (for Jackson 76'), 23. Adam D'Arcy (for Payne 53').

30 September 2011 Newport Gwent Dragons Wales 22 – 9 Ireland Ulster Rodney Parade, Newport  
19:05 Try: Riley
Con: Tovey
Pen: Tovey (4)
Report[26] Pen: Jackson (3)
Attendance: 4,554
Referee: Neil Paterson
Ulster lineup:

1. Declan Fitzpatrick, 2. Nigel Brady, 3. Jerry Cronin,
4. Lewis Stevenson, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Pedrie Wannenburg, 7. Willie Faloon, 8. Chris Henry,
9. Paul Marshall, 10. Paddy Jackson,
11. Ian Whitten, 12. Luke Marshall, 13. Nevin Spence, 14. Craig Gilroy,
15. Adam D'Arcy.
Replacements:
16. Andy Kyriacou, 17. Kyle McCall, 18. Adam Macklin,
19. Tim Barker (for Stevenson 52'), 20. Robbie Diack (for Faloon 53'),
21. Ian Porter (for P. Marshall 47'), 22. James McKinney, 23. Conor Gaston.

7 October 2011 Ulster Ireland 12 – 23 Italy Benetton Treviso Ravenhill, Belfast  
19:05 Try: Wannenburg (2)
Con: Humphreys
Report[27] Try: Penalty try
Burton
Con: Burton (2)
Pen: Burton (3)
Attendance: 7,372
Referee: Stefano Penne
Ulster lineup:

1. Declan Fitzpatrick, 2. Andi Kyriacou, 3. Jerry Cronin,
4. Tim Barker, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Pedrie Wannenburg, 7. Mike McComish, 8. Chris Henry,
9. Paul Marshall, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Ian Whitten, 12. Nevin Spence, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Craig Gilroy,
15. Jared Payne.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady (for Kyriacou 65'), 17. Kyle McCall, 18. Adam Macklin,
19. Lewis Stevenson (for Barker 54'), 20. Robbie Diack (for McComish 68'),
21. Ian Porter, 22. Paddy Jackson (for Whitten 41'), 23. Adam D'Arcy 15').

29 October 2011 Scarlets Wales 24 – 17 Ireland Ulster (1 BP) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli  
15:00 Try: Trimble
Pen: Humphreys (4)
Report[28] Try: Williams
Warren
Con: Thomas
Pen: Thomas (3)
Newton
Attendance: 7,075
Referee: Alan Falzone
Ulster lineup:

1. Tom Court, 2. Rory Best, 3. John Afoa,
4. Johann Muller, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Stephen Ferris, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Paul Marshall, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Craig Gilroy, 12. Nevin Spence, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Andrew Trimble,
15. Adam D'Arcy.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady (for Best 70'), 17. Paddy McAllister (for Court 54'), 18. Adam Macklin (for Afoa 70'),
19. Lewis Stevenson (for Tuohy 54'), 20. Robbie Diack (for Henry 70'),
21. Ruan Pienaar (for P. Marshall 63'), 22. Paddy Jackson (for Humphreys 70'), 23. Ian Whitten (for Spence 60').

5 November 2011 Ulster Ireland 22 – 3 Ireland Connacht Ravenhill, Belfast  
17:35 Try: Gilroy
Court
Humphreys
Con: Humphreys (2)
Pen: Humphreys
Report[29] Pen: Nikora
Attendance: 6,887
Referee: John Lacey
Ulster lineup:

1. Tom Court, 2. Rory Best, 3. John Afoa,
4. Johann Muller, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Stephen Ferris, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Paul Marshall, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Craig Gilroy, 12. Paddy Wallace, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Andrew Trimble,
15. Simon Danielli.
Replacements:
16. Andi Kyriacou, 17. Paddy McAllister, 18. Adam Macklin,
19. Lewis Stevenson, 20. Robbie Diack (for Ferris 59'),
21. Ian Porter (for P. Marshall 59'), 22. Nevin Spence, 23. Adam D'Arcy.

25 November 2011 Glasgow Warriors Scotland 17 – 9 Ireland Ulster Firhill Stadium, Glasgow  
19:35 Try: Nathan
Pen: Weir (3)
Drop: Weir
Report[30] Pen: Humphreys (3)
Attendance: 3,940
Referee: Stefano Penne
Ulster lineup:

1. Tom Court, 2. Andi Kyriacou, 3. Declan Fitzpatrick,
4. Johann Muller, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Robbie Diack, 7. Willie Faloon, 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Paul Marshall, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Simon Danielli, 12. Nevin Spence, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Andrew Trimble,
15. Adam D'Arcy.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady (for Kyriacou 70'), 17. Callum Black, 18. Adam Macklin (for Fitzpatrick 63),
19. Tim Barker (for Tuohy 70'), 20. Mike McComish,
21. Ian Porter, 22. Paddy Jackson, 23. Ian Whitten (for Danielli 57').

2 December 2011 Ulster Ireland 24 – 17 Wales Scarlets (1 BP) Ravenhill, Belfast  
19:05 Try: Ferris (2)
Con: Humphreys
Pen: Humphreys (4)
Report[31] Try: Lamont
Longi
Murphy
Con: Jones
Attendance: 8,117
Referee: Alain Rolland
Ulster lineup:

1. Tom Court, 2. Rory Best, 3. John Afoa,
4. Johann Muller, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Stephen Ferris, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Paul Marshall, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Craig Gilroy, 12. Nevin Spence, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Andrew Trimble,
15. Adam D'Arcy.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady (for Best 70'), 17. Paddy McAllister (for Court 54'), 18. Adam Macklin (for Afoa 70'),
19. Lewis Stevenson (for Tuohy 54'), 20. Robbie Diack (for Henry 70'),
21. Ruan Pienaar (for P. Marshall 63'), 22. Paddy Jackson (for Humphreys 70'), 23. Ian Whitten.

26 December 2011 (1 BP) Leinster Ireland 42 – 13 Ireland Ulster RDS Arena, Dublin  
17:30 Try: Carr
Cronin
Auva'a
Penalty try
Madigan
Hagan
Con: McFadden (6)
Report[32] Try: Cochrane
Con: McKinney
Pen: McKinney (2)
Attendance: 18,500
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon
Ulster lineup:

1. Callum Black, 2. Nigel Brady, 3. Adam Macklin,
4. Tim Barker, 5. Lewis Stevenson,
6. Neil McComb, 7. Ali Birch, 8. Robbie Diack,
9. Paul Marshall, 10. James McKinney,
11. Conor Gaston, 12. Chris Farrell, 13. Michael Allen, 14. Chris Cochrane,
15. Peter Nelson.
Replacements:
16. Niall Annett (for Brady 74'), 17. Jerry Cronin (for Black 68'), 18. Tom Court (for Macklin 40'),
19. James Simpson (for Joyce 74'), 20. Conor Joyce (for Barker 21'),
21. Ian Porter (for P. Marshall 68'), 22. Stuart Olding (for McKinney 68'), 23. Ricky Andrew.

30 December 2011 (1 BP) Ulster Ireland 33 – 17 Ireland Munster Ravenhill, Belfast  
19:05 Try: Terblanche
Afoa
Humphreys
Pienaar
Con: Humphreys (2)
Pen: Humphreys (2)
Pienaar
Report[33] Try: O'Dea
Murphy
Con: Keatley (2)
Pen: Keatley
Attendance: 11,379
Referee: Alain Rolland
Ulster lineup:

1. Paddy McAllister, 2. Andi Kyriacou, 3. John Afoa,
4. Johann Muller, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Chris Henry, 7. Willie Faloon, 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Ruan Pienaar, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Stefan Terblanche, 12. Ian Whitten, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Craig Gilroy,
15. Adam D'Arcy.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady (for Kyriacou 58'), 17. Callum Black (for McAllister 63'), 18. Adam Macklin (for Afoa 75'),
19. Lewis Stevenson (for Tuohy 63'), 20. Ali Birch (for Faloon 73'),
21. Paul Marshall (for Humphreys 68'), 22. Chris Farrell (for Cave 64'), 23. Peter Nelson (for D'Arcy 73').

6 January 2012 Edinburgh Scotland 20 – 42 Ireland Ulster (1 BP) Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh  
19:30 Try: De Luca
Walker
Con: Laidlaw (2)
Pen: Laidlaw (2)
Report[34] Try: Best
Tuohy
Trimble
Cave
Con: Pienaar (2)
Pen: Humphreys (2)
Pienaar (4)
Attendance: 3,792
Referee: George Clancy
Ulster lineup:

1. Tom Court, 2. Rory Best, 3. John Afoa,
4. Johann Muller, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Stephen Ferris, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Ruan Pienaar, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Craig Gilroy, 12. Ian Whitten, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Andrew Trimble,
15. Stefan Terblanche.
Replacements:
16. Andi Kyriacou (for Best 70'), 17. Callum Black (for Court 77'), 18. Adam Macklin (for Afoa 77'),
19. Lewis Stevenson (for Tuohy 70'), 20. Willie Faloon (for Wannenburg 11'),
21. Paul Marshall (for Humphreys 21'), 22. Paddy Wallace (for Whitten 60'), 23. Adam D'Arcy (for Gilroy 75').

10 February 2012 (1 BP) Ulster Ireland 30 – 12 Wales Newport Gwent Dragons Ravenhill, Belfast  
19:05 Try: Diack
Pienaar
Gilroy
Terblanche
Con: Pienaar (2)
Pen: Pienaar (2)
Report[35] Pen: Tovey (4)
Attendance: 7,435
Referee: Carlo Damasco
Ulster lineup:

1. Callum Black, 2. Andi Kyriacou, 3. John Afoa,
4. Lewis Stevenson, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Mike McComish, 7. Willie Faloon, 8. Robbie Diack,
9. Ruan Pienaar, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Stefan Terblanche, 12. Nevin Spence, 13. Ian Whitten, 14. Craig Gilroy,
15. Adam D'Arcy.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady (for Kyriacou 55'), 17. Paddy McAllister (for Black 48'), 18. Adam Macklin,
19. Tim Barker (for Stevenson 73'), 20. Ali Birch (for Faloon 64'),
21. Paul Marshall (for Humphreys 64'), 22. Michael Allen, 23. Simon Danielli (for D'Arcy 57').

17 February 2012 Cardiff Blues Wales 21 – 14 Ireland Ulster (1 BP) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff  
19:05 Try: Parks
James
Con: Parks
Pen: Parks (3)
Report[36] Try: Diack
Pen: Pienaar (3)
Attendance: 9,154
Referee: George Clancy
Ulster lineup:[37]

1. Tom Court, 2. Nigel Brady, 3. John Afoa,
4. Lewis Stevenson, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Chris Henry, 7. Robbie Diack, 8. Willie Faloon,
9. Ruan Pienaar, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Ian Whitten, 12. Paddy Wallace, 13. Nevin Spence, 14. Craig Gilroy,
15. Stefan Terblanche.
Replacements:
16. Andi Kyriacou (for Brady 66'), 17. Paddy McAllister (for Court 53'), 18. Adam Macklin,
19. Tim Barker, 20. Mike McComish (for Diack 75'),
21. Paul Marshall (for Humphreys 75'), 22. Simon Danielli, 23. Adam D'Arcy (for Terblanche 61').

24 February 2012 Ulster Ireland 15 – 14 Wales Ospreys (1 BP) Ravenhill, Belfast  
19:05 Try: Penalty try
Wallace
Con: Pienaar
Pen: Pienaar
Report[38] Try: Bearman
Walker
Con: Biggar
Attendance: 8,131
Referee: Neil Hennessy
Ulster lineup:

1. Paddy McAllister, 2. Andi Kyriacou, 3. John Afoa,
4. Lewis Stevenson, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Chris Henry, 7. Willie Faloon, 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Paul Marshall, 10. Ruan Pienaar,
11. Ian Whitten, 12. Paddy Wallace, 13. Nevin Spence, 14. Craig Gilroy,
15. Stefan Terblanche.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady (for Kyriacou 72'), 17. Callum Black (for McAllister 72'), 18. Adam Macklin,
19. Tim Barker (for Stevenson 70'), 20. Robbie Diack (for Wannenburg 53'),
21. Ian Humphreys, 22. Simon Danielli (for Gilroy 63'), 23. Adam D'Arcy (for Danielli 73').

2 March 2012 (1 BP) Ulster Ireland 38 – 16 Scotland Edinburgh Ravenhill, Belfast  
19:05 Try: Marshall
Terblanche
D'Arcy
Penalty try
Cochrane
Humphreys
Con: Pienaar (4)
Report[39] Try: S. Visser
T. Visser
Pen: Godman (2)
Attendance: 8,044
Referee: Nigel Owens
Ulster lineup:

1. Paddy McAllister, 2. Andi Kyriacou, 3. John Afoa,
4. Lewis Stevenson, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Pedrie Wannenburg, 7. Willie Faloon, 8. Robbie Diack,
9. Paul Marshall, 10. Ruan Pienaar,
11. Stefan Terblanche, 12. Paddy Wallace, 13. Ian Whitten, 14. Craig Gilroy,
15. Adam D'Arcy.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady (for Kyriacou 52'), 17. Callum Black (for McAllister 51'), 18. Adam Macklin (for Afoa 64'),
19. Neil McComb (for McComish 46'), 20. Mike McComish (for Wannenburg 12'),
21. Ian Humphreys (for P. Marshall 52'), 22. Luke Marshall (for Whitten 70'), 23. Chris Cochrane (for D'Arcy 60').

24 March 2012 (1 BP) Benetton Treviso Italy 23 – 27 Ireland Ulster Stadio Comunale di Monigo, Treviso  
16:15 Try: Ceccato
Di Bernardo
Con: Burton (2)
Pen: Burton
Drop: Burton
Report[40] Try: Henry
Wallace
D'Arcy
Con: Pienaar (3)
Pen: Pienaar
Attendance: 4,200
Referee: Leighton Hodges
Ulster lineup:

1. Tom Court, 2. Andi Kyriacou, 3. John Afoa,
4. Johann Muller, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Chris Henry, 7. Willie Faloon, 8. Robbie Diack,
9. Ruan Pienaar, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Stefan Terblanche, 12. Paddy Wallace, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Craig Gilroy,
15. Adam D'Arcy.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady (for Kyriacou 51'), 17. Paddy McAllister (for Court 60'), 18. Adam Macklin,
19. Lewis Stevenson (for Muller 58'), 20. Neil McComb,
21. Paul Marshall, 22. Ian Whitten (for Cave 61'), 23. Nevin Spence (for Stevenson 61').

30 March 2012 (1 BP) Ulster Ireland 45 – 7 Italy Aironi Ravenhill, Belfast  
19:05 Try: Wallace
Penalty try
Best
Cave
Court
Wannenburg
Con: Pienaar (4)
Humphreys (2)
Pen: Pienaar
Report[41] Try: Tibaldi
Con: Olivier
Attendance: 10,125
Referee: Neil Paterson
Ulster lineup:

1. Tom Court, 2. Rory Best, 3. John Afoa,
4. Johann Muller, 5. Lewis Stevenson,
6. Stephen Ferris, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Ruan Pienaar, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Craig Gilroy, 12. Paddy Wallace, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Andrew Trimble,
15. Stefan Terblanche.
Replacements:
16. Nigel Brady (for Best 64'), 17. Paddy McAllister (for Afoa 54'), 18. Adam Macklin (for Court 72'),
19. Dan Tuohy (for Stevenson 54'), 20. Willie Faloon,
21. Paul Marshall, 22. Ian Whitten (for Cave 60'), 23. Adam D'Arcy (for Wallace 64').

14 April 2012 Connacht Ireland 26 – 21 Ireland Ulster (1 BP) Galway Sportsgrounds, Galway  
17:15 Try: Nikora
Duffy
Tiernan O'Halloran
Con: Nikora
Pen: Nikora (3)
Report[42] Try: Marshall
Jackson
Con: Jackson
Pen: Jackson (3)
Attendance: 5,017
Referee: Dudley Phillips
Ulster lineup:

1. Paddy McAllister, 2. Nigel Brady, 3. Adam Macklin,
4. Lewis Stevenson, 5. Neil McComb,
6. Mike McComish, 7. Willie Faloon, 8. Robbie Diack,
9. Paul Marshall, 10. Ian Humphreys,
11. Adam D'Arcy, 12. Paddy Jackson, 13. Nevin Spence, 14. Ian Whitten,
15. Stefan Terblanche.
Replacements:
16. Andi Kyriacou (for Brady 68'), 17. Callum Black (for McAllister 68'), 18. Adam Macklin (for Court 56'),
19. Iain Henderson (for McComb 74'), 20. Ali Birch (for Diack 55' Yellow card 72'),
21. Ruan Pienaar (for P. Marshall 37'), 22. Michael Allen, 23. Craig Gilroy (for Humphreys 56').

20 April 2012 Ulster Ireland 8 – 16 Ireland Leinster Ravenhill, Belfast  
19:05 Try: Laughlin
Con: Sexton
Pen: Sexton
Drop: Sexton
Report[43] Try: Muller
Pen: Pienaar
Attendance: 10,500
Referee: John Lacey
Ulster lineup:

1. Tom Court, 2. Nigel Brady, 3. Declan Fitzpatrick,
4. Johann Muller, 5. Lewis Stevenson,
6. Chris Henry, 7. Willie Faloon, 8. Pedrie Wannenburg,
9. Ruan Pienaar, 10. Paddy Jackson,
11. Craig Gilroy, 12. Paddy Wallace, 13. Darren Cave, 14. Andrew Trimble,
15. Stefan Terblanche.
Replacements:
16. Andi Kyriacou (for Brady 60'), 17. Paddy McAllister (for Court 60'), 18. Adam Macklin (for Fitzpatrick 55'),
19. Neil McComb (for Wannenburg 49'), 20. Robbie Diack (for Henry 17'),
21. Ian Porter (for Pienaar 67'), 22. Ian Humphreys (for Trimble 75'), 23. Adam D'Arcy (for Wallace 33').

5 May 2012 (1 BP) Munster Ireland 36 – 8 Ireland Ulster Thomond Park, Limerick  
19:30 Try: Zebo
O'Mahony
Sherry
Archer
O'Donnell
Con: Deasy (2)
Cusack
Pen: Deasy
Report[44] Try: Henderson
Pen: Jackson
Attendance: 19,362
Referee: Alain Rolland
Ulster lineup:

1. Paddy McAllister, 2. Nigel Brady, 3. Declan Fitzpatrick,
4. Lewis Stevenson, 5. Dan Tuohy,
6. Iain Henderson, 7. Willie Faloon, 8. Robbie Diack,
9. Paul Marshall, 10. Paddy Jackson,
11. Chris Cochrane, 12. Ian Whitten, 13. Nevin Spence, 14. Andrew Trimble,
15. Adam D'Arcy.
Replacements:
16. Niall Annett (for Brady 65'), 17. Callum Black (for Fitzpatrick 55'), 18. Tom Court (for McAllister 12'),
19. Mike McComish (for Diack 55'), 20. Ali Birch (for Faloon 48'),
21. Blane McIlroy (for P. Marshall 60'), 22. Ian Humphreys (for Trimble 51'), 23. Craig Gilroy (for D'Arcy 64').

End-of-season awards

2011–2012 Dream Team[45]

Pos Player Team
SH 9 South Africa Ruan Pienaar Ulster
LL 4 Ireland Dan Tuohy Ulster
TP 3 South Africa BJ Botha Ulster

Ulster Ravens

British and Irish Cup

Pool C

Pool 6
Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TB LB Pts
Ireland Ulster Ravens 4 4 0 0 115 60 55 14 2 0 18
England Nottingham 4 4 0 0 98 79 19 10 1 0 17
England Leeds Carnegie 4 2 0 2 77 61 16 12 1 1 10
Wales Swansea 4 1 0 3 64 106 -42 6 0 1 5
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

[46][47]

11 November 2011 Ulster Ravens Ireland 39 – 7 England Doncaster Deramore Park  
19:30 Stats
18 November 2011 Currie Scotland 13 – 28 Ireland Ulster Ravens Malleny Park  
19:30 Stats Attendance: 652
10 December 2011 Ulster Ravens Ireland 17 – 16 Wales Pontypridd Deramore Park  
14:30 Stats
17 December 2011 Rotherham England 24 – 31 Ireland Ulster Ravens Clifton Lane  
13:30 Stats Attendance: 581

Home attendance

Domestic League European Cup Total
League Fixtures Average Attendance Highest Lowest League Fixtures Average Attendance Highest Lowest Total Attendance Average Attendance
2011–12 Pro12 11 8,258 11,379 6,296 2011–12 Heineken Cup 3 9,593 11,900 7,494 119,620 8,544

Ulster Rugby Awards

The Ulster Rugby Awards ceremony was held at the Culloden Hotel on 10 May 2012.[48] Winners were:[49]

References

  1. ^ "Top dog: Kearney named Players' Player of the Year", The 42, 10 May 2012
  2. ^ "It's Grim Up North - Ulster's Malaise", Digging Like a Demented Mole, 4 March 2018
  3. ^ "Team Management", Ulster Rugby, archived 9 October 2011
  4. ^ "Ulster Sign All-Black Prop John Afoa". Ulster Rugby. 16 March 2011.
  5. ^ "Ulster announce two new signings". The Irish Times. 7 March 2011.
  6. ^ "Payne signs with Ulster". The Blues. 1 April 2011.
  7. ^ "Ulster snap up Stevenson". Sky Sports. 18 February 2011.
  8. ^ "Connacht sign Anderson from Ulster", The Irish Times, 7 March 2011
  9. ^ "Connacht sign Ulster duo as Naoupu returns". RTÉ Sport. 7 January 2011.
  10. ^ Appearances and scoring stats from ItsRugby.co.uk
  11. ^ "Ulster Rugby Academy", Ulster Rugby, archived 14 January 2012
  12. ^ "Humphreys the hero for Ulster", Sky Sports, 12 November 2011
  13. ^ "Tigers grind out victory", Sky Sports, 19 November 2011
  14. ^ "Efficient Ulster get it done", Sky Sports, 9 December 2011
  15. ^ "Rampant Ulster top Pool", Sky Sports, 17 December 2011
  16. ^ "Tigers hopes crushed at Ravenhill", Sky Sports, 13 January 2012
  17. ^ "Clermont win to top pool", Sky Sport, 21 January 2012
  18. ^ "Munster suffer Ulster upset", Sky Sports, 8 April 2012
  19. ^ "Pienaar ends Edinburgh hopes", Sky Sports, 28 April 2012
  20. ^ "Leinster lord it up again", Sky Sports, 19 May 2012
  21. ^ Competition Rule 3.5 "Summary of Key Rules". Pro12. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  22. ^ "Ulster off the mark", Sky Sports, 2 September 2011
  23. ^ "Ulster complete Italian job", Sky Sports, 10 September 2011
  24. ^ "Pro 12: Ulster 20-3 Cardiff Blues", BBC Sport, 16 September 2023
  25. ^ "RaboDirect Pro 12: Ospreys 32-14 Ulster", BBC Sport, 25 September 2011
  26. ^ "Dragons send Ulster packing", Sky Sports, 30 September 2011
  27. ^ "Ulster left soundly beaten", Sky Sports, 7 October 2011
  28. ^ "RaboDirect PRO12: Ulster 24-17 Scarlets", BBC Sport, 29 October 2024
  29. ^ "RaboDirect Pro 12: Ulster 22-3 Connacht", BBC Sport, 5 November 2011
  30. ^ "Pro12: Glasgow Warriors 17-9 Ulster", BBC Sport, 25 November 2011
  31. ^ "Ferris stars in Ulster win", Sky Sports, 2 December 2011
  32. ^ "Leinster move clear at top", Sky Sports, 26 December 2011
  33. ^ "Bonus boost for Ulster", Sky Sports, 30 December 2011
  34. ^ "Bonus night for Ulster", Sky Sports, 6 January 2012
  35. ^ "Bonus win for Ulster", Sky Sports, 10 February 2012
  36. ^ "RaboDirect Pro12: Cardiff punish Ulster", Belfast Telegraph, 18 February 2012
  37. ^ lineups, Sky Sports, 17 February 2012
  38. ^ "Ulster hang on", Sky Sports, 24 February 2012
  39. ^ "Ulster on a roll", Sky Sports, 2 March 2012
  40. ^ "Ulster grab late win", Sky Sports, 24 March 2012
  41. ^ "Ulster closing on play-offs", Sky Sports, 30 March 2012
  42. ^ "Connacht edge out Ulster", Sky Sports, 14 April 2012
  43. ^ "Ulster look set to miss out", Sky Sports, 20 April 2012
  44. ^ "Five star Munster coast home", Sky Sports, 5 May 2012
  45. ^ "2012 RaboDirect PRO12 Dream Team 2011/12". The Rugby Blog. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  46. ^ "Ulster Rugby". Archived from the original on 8 April 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  47. ^ "British & Irish Cup Tables". BBC. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  48. ^ Niall Crozier, "Ulster's big winners to be unveiled at glitzy awards night", Belfast Telegraph, 10 May 2012
  49. ^ "Ferris lost for words as he scoops top Ulster award", News Letter, 12 May 2012
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