Their victory means they face a seismic last eight showdown with the 2006 Heineken Cup champions at Kingsholm - a occasion that will be full-on in terms of incendiary attitude, commitment and fervour and Gloucester will need to be at their very best then when the Irish hordes invade.

Here, it was remarkable that given such a free-scoring approach they would end up virtually clinging on but that is exactly what happened thanks to Ulster's care-free attitude, outstanding commitment and attacking threat that took this final pool stages to the wire.

Gloucester appeared a side in alien conditions who have been bogged down in recent weeks because they looked unsure of their touch and tried to force things to happen off the back of a faltering line-out.

Although their scrum operated at maximum temperature, Mike Tindall was as safe as houses and Rory Lawson chivvied, chased and harried, Ulster were very much in the contest until the closing stages when Luke Narraway's try settled the game.

They were considerably more than the sum of their parts. At Ravenhill earlier in the competition they made so many mistakes they were out of the contest before half-time, here they were far more certain, got stuck in and scored three tries of their own.

Gloucester's first try came after 18 minutes and it was a beauty. Although Olivier Azam's throw had a touch of the bends about it, Tindall turned through a midfield tackle brilliantly and set off for the line. He was caught he managed to off-load to Akapusi Qera, who scored.

However, Ulster hit back almost immediately with a try of their own and Gloucester will curse themselves because it was soft. Ryan Caldwell steadied a line-out and the hugely energetic Isaac Boss blasted through a gap and when he wasn't held, sent out a long pass towards Tommy Bowe who had the legs to reach the corner.

That tied the scores at 7-7 and had Paddy Wallace had his kicking boots on the story would have been even better for Ulster.
As it was, Gloucester went back in front before the break. They dominated a series of scrums close to the Ulster line and when Lawson and

Chris Paterson combined, Olivier Azam drove forward and Alasdair Strokosch showed good strength to touch down.

Ulster did enjoy a good period of pressure before the break and were rewarded immediately after the re-start with a brilliant try. There seemed little danger when Bowe fielded a long kick from Iain Balshaw but when he gambled and gathered his own little kick, Justin Harrison and Neil Best combined to sustain the move and Andrew Trimble scored from Best's pass.

Wallace's conversion tied the scores at 14-14 and at this stage Gloucester's grip was looked a little rocky. In the work-rate of Best and the efforts of Matt McCullough, Ulster were right in the hunt - particularly with their ability to play from deep.

Gloucester desperately a way into the game and fount it with 22 minutes remaining. Simpson-Daniel and Anthony Allen both carried well into the teeth of Ulster's defence, Lawson and Azam were also heavily involved and although Bowe made a brilliant tackle on Lesley Vainikolo, Qera grabbed his second try of the match in the corner.

When they played flat and fast they looked a good side. Ryan Lamb was now on at stand-off and when he delivered a beautifully flat pass that missed out both centres but found Simpson-Daniel, Vainikolo carried hard and off-loaded for Balshaw to claim the bonus point try and stretch Gloucester's lead to 24-14.

But that was still not a big enough cushion to prevent more nerve-jangling moments. When Lamb's penalty went dead, Ulster came back for a scrum and Naill O'Connor picked out a lovely cross-field kick into the arms of Mark McCrea and he sent his pass inside for Bowe to score his second try of the game and gut Gloucester's lead three points.

It was nothing more than Ulster deserved given their outstanding efforts and relish for the battle. In Bowe and Trimble they had two excellent attacking threats and it meant Gloucester still needed another try to be absolutely safe.

And that try came in the last minute when Lamb again off-loaded a lovely flat pass towards Narraway, on a break from deep, who beat the last man and dived into score and send Gloucester on their way.