Rugby Union: HEAVY TOLL FOR WHITES

WALES pair Scott Gibbs and Kevin Morgan were both carried off on stretchers as Ulster made Swansea pay a heavy price for their first win of the season.

In a bruising match the visitors were also left nursing their wounded.

Both David Humphreys and Paddy Wallace were taken to hospital for checks immediately after the game.

Wallace suffered an ankle injury, as did Gibbs, while Morgan's bruised thigh should not prove too serious.

Ireland fly-half Humphreys may be a doubt for his country's World Cup qualifier in Russia next week.

The Ulster No.10 was the victim of a crude late tackle by Swansea flanker Dean Thomas and left the field with a facial injury. Ulster officials hurried him off to hospital for X-rays and Thomas could find himself the first player to be cited in this season's Celtic League.

The body count distracted from an impressive Swansea display which was crowned with a bonus point when wing Shaun Payne scored their fourth and final try.

Apart from Humphreys' injury there was no real malice in any of the other injuries and it was not a dirty game despite the constant interruptions for replacements.

Swansea's win keeps alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stages, which had been put under threat after they began the season with two defeats.

Ulster's reverse is also their second and they, too, are now in danger of missing out on the quarter-finals if they lose another game.

It had all looked so different for the Irish province when they led 10-6 after half an hour.

But once Gibbs had powered his way through for Swansea's first try Ulster were strictly second best and they failed to register a single point in the remaining 50 minutes.

Morgan, Matthew Robinson and Payne scored the other three touchdowns for the Great Whites who were at their most dangerous when counter-attacking from deep.

All Ulster could muster was a superb early individual try from Lions tourist Tyrone Howe and a conversion and penalty from Humphreys.

Howe's try was the best of the day. Taking a sharp pass from Humphreys he burst through the attempted tackle of Arwel Thomas before outpacing the Swansea cover to run in from 45 yards.

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