Reds edge Ulster in 11-try friendly thriller

Ulster fell to a 38-31 defeat to Queensland Reds in a mid-season friendly match at Kingspan Stadium.

In a game that saw former Ulster director of rugby Les Kiss welcomed back to Belfast as boss of the visitors, the northern province had Irish international trio Jacob Stockdale, James Hume and Stuart McCloskey all make their returns from injury.

Stockdale and Hume would both get on the scoresheet in a game that featured 11 tries, six for the Reds and five for the hosts.

Visiting hooker Matt Faessler was the first to dot down when he got over off the back of a rolling maul.

The hosts were held up over the line twice in quick succession as they sought a response before they finally got the ball down after 19 minutes when Stockdale was set free by a wide pass from Aidan Morgan who then added the extras.

The game was end-to-end with Australia captain Harry Wilson going over from close range for a seven-pointer before Ulster answered back just before the half-hour mark when scrum half Conor McKee nipped over after linking up well with Stuart McCloskey.

However, Kiss' side would lead at the break when Wilson broke the line and popped off to scrum half Tate McDermott to canter over under the posts.

Harry McLaughlin-Phillips added the conversion to give his side a 19-14 lead at half-time.

With Stockdale and McCloskey replaced at the break, it was another returning international in James Hume who went over in the corner before Stockdale's replacement Mike Lowry capitalised on a loose pass in their own half from the Reds to go over in the corner and erase the five-point deficit ten minutes after the break.

The game flipped again when Heremaia Murray bounced off white shirts and put opposite wing Tim Ryan over for a converted score to nudge his side ahead again.

The game had loosened by the final quarter and Ryan went over again, this time after nice work from full back Campbell and Tom Lynagh added another difficult conversion.

With a large number of replacements used, the game got scrappier which suited the Australians and Murray got a score of his own in the corner.

Richie Murphy's men kept plugging away and Stewart Moore barged over for a try, converted by James Humphreys, to set up a grandstand finish but Ulster could not force their way over from close range in the final moments.