Leinster must have read the script that Sale was sending a shadow squad to Dublin because it took them a long time to wake up before making it two wins in a row in the Champions Cup on Saturday.
After the magnificence of their victory against La Rochelle the previous week, they landed back to earth with a thud as the Sharks showed they could bite and were worthy leaders at half time by 13-11 with a game full of power, pace and an attitude which refused to take a backward step.
Josh van der Flier got the vital try just before half time while Ciarán Frawley, who missed the conversion, hit two earlier penalties to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
To their credit, Leinster saw the hurdle they had to surmount and did so in the second half though they won’t be happy with the leakage of two late tries which pulled their opponents back to within 10 points.
It took to the 44th minute for the winners to take the lead, thanks to Jamison Gibson-Park's try, and further touchdowns from Robbie Henshaw, Ryan Baird and the evergreen Cian Healy gave the hosts a 24-point advantage into the final 10 minutes.
Two late tries took the mean look off the scoreboard for the visitors who showed they will be a handful in the reverse fixture.
Cool-hand Head Coach Leo Cullen was inclined to take the performance in his stride afterwards and instead praised his charges for the way they recovered from a very ropey start.
"It's a win, and it's a bonus-point win, and there’s plenty to work on, but it’s still early days. It was tough going in the first half, wasn't it? The guys responded much better at the start of the second half and exerted a good bit more dominance in terms of how we carried and dealt with some of the contact area.
"Parts of the first half were frustrating but a lot of credit has to go to Sale because they were frustrating us. They got in amongst us at different stages. They played well, they came with a plan.
"We know they have a strong kicking game, that leads to the first try they score, and they made life difficult for us. I thought the guys showed good composure, and we were much better at the start of the second half.
"We spoke before the game, it’s some tough northern guys in there, and a mix of South African guys they have in their group and it worked well for them. They bring a real physical edge to the way they play, and it was hard work. That’s what you expect at this stage of the competition,” he emphasized.
Ulster’s best showing of season
Ulster 31; Racing 92 15
Ulster Head Coach Dan McFarland wore a smile of contentment across his face on Saturday after his side had too much power and invention for their French visitors.
With four tries and a bonus winning point in the bag, McFarland quipped: "Definitely our best for a while.”
He explained: "We changed the shape that we were playing and it took a period of time but I thought in that first 40 minutes it looked much more like what we were trying to achieve. The foundations are there but we’re certainly not the complete article. To deny them the bonus point was one of the most pleasing things we did."
Former Leinster Assistant Head Coach Stuart Lancaster was unhappy with his team’s showing which saw them lose for the second time in a week.
"Frustrating really, we knew there was going to be a strong reaction from Ulster on the back of the Bath game and I’ve been here enough times to know what that looks and feels like," said the former Leinster senior coach, who is in his first year at the Paris club.
"There was a big swing when our disallowed try led to their [second] try and we’re 14 down. I thought we stayed in the fight well...the reality is we gave away too much possession and didn’t take our opportunities and then allowed them to build pressure and score points and we’re chasing the game from then on," he pointed out.
In the other games, Munster let a 24-13 lead slip in the second half to lose 32-24 against Exeter while Connacht, despite an early Bundee Aki touchdown, were taught a lesson by Saracens in their 55-36 defeat at the StoneX Stadium on Saturday.
For more rugby pictures and full sports coverage, go to Wednesday's digital/print edition of the Irish Echo.
