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John Andrew scored a hat-trick as Ulster pulled off a spirited comeback from Edinburgh to claim an emphatic victory in seven attempts at BT Murrayfield.
The visitors were 19 points up in 24 minutes, but Edinburgh thought they had leveled when Jamie Farndale crossed in dramatic circumstances after Jack Blain’s first two career attempts.
However, Farndale was eventually called offside and Ulster broke free in the fourth quarter.
The return of Edinburgh striker Bill Mata was interrupted by a spell in the sin bin just after Jordi Murphy crossed through Ulster.
John Cooney claimed his second attempt and Andrew completed his hat-trick in the final seconds when Ulster sealed a Guinness Pro14 victory 43-14.
Ulster’s eighth trot victory sent them to the top of Conference A.
Dan McFarland’s team reversed a 12-point deficit to snatch a last-gasp win from BT Murrayfield in last season’s semi-finals in September, but the home team’s expectations were tempered by the unavailability of 23 players per injury and international duty.
Ulster took the lead after two minutes when Stewart Moore crossed after a good job by Andrew and Cooney, the top of Ireland.
Andrew overcame himself in the 18th minute after a starting line and scrum-half Cooney got his first five minutes off a mannequin near the try line after another maul.
The Edinburgh pack was struggling, but it prevailed as Richard Cockerill’s side began a major shift in momentum.
The hosts pressed near the try line and Lee-Roy Atalifo was somehow stopped after throwing himself over a pile of bodies. But scrum-half Henry Pyrgos changed tack and let the forwards have a chance, with Blain crossing in the 34th minute.
Edinburgh began to impress at the scrum and Blain finished again four minutes into the second half after Eroni Sau brought him close to the line.
Mata came off the bench after 10 weeks out with an ankle injury and the hosts thought they had drawn under extraordinary circumstances.
Nathan Chamberlain hit a post from a 40-meter penalty, but Farndale picked up the rebound and went over.
However, the full-back was belatedly called offside following a video review after running a meter ahead of Chamberlain when the penalty was taken.
The game turned again in the 59th minute when Murphy went over after another maul at the line-out and Mata’s yellow card for a line-out infraction put Edinburgh against him.
Cooney ran away for his second try after Ian Madigan shocks and Sam Carter and Ulster set out to ruthlessly boost his account.
Andrew scored after another series of lineouts before completing his hat-trick in the closing seconds.
Full match details
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