Stockdale scores twice on his 150th Ulster appearance to rescue dramatic draw with Munster

Jacob Stockdale celebrated his 150th Ulster appearance in unforgettable fashion, scoring two tries as the province came back from 26-5 down at half-time to draw 26-26 with Munster in Belfast.

The Irish international winger, who made his Ulster debut a decade ago, walked onto the field before kick-off with his two young daughters — a moment he described as deeply personal.

“They are everything to me. They are the biggest thing in my world,” said the 30-year-old. “So just to get to experience that with them and with my wife in the tunnel, it was amazing. It’s something that I’m never going to forget.”

Stockdale, who touched down in each half to fuel the remarkable comeback, already has his sights set on another milestone. “I’ll hopefully get to do it at least once more, at 200, but we’ll see.”

Despite the occasion, Stockdale was candid about Ulster’s recurring habit of making life difficult for themselves. “We are an unbelievably potent team when we get it right, but we can’t keep giving teams that much of an advantage to then try and claw it back,” he said, referencing a second successive draw for the province.

The Player of the Match award went to Munster’s South African hooker Marnus van der Merwe, who acknowledged his side had let the result slip. “We should have controlled it better. But, credit to Ulster, they came out banging in the second half,” he said. “We just need to improve and look at our mistakes. There were a few penalties that cost us.”