Ulster Blow Scarlets Away With Four-Try First Half

Ulster cruised to an emphatic five-try 29-5 defeat of the Scarlets at Kingspan Stadium, killing off their opponents within half-and-hour to reduce the gap behind GUINNESS PRO14 Conference A leaders Leinster to four points.

Maintaining the fine run of form that earned them back-to-back wins in Europe, Dan McFarland’s side blew away the visitors with first half tries from Matt Faddes, John Cooney, Matthew Rea and Robert Baloucoune, before Faddes added a second right at the death.

Seasonal debutant Baloucoune was sensational in both attack and defence, earning the man-of-the-match award, and with Louis Ludik also celebrating his 100th cap for the province, there was plenty for the Ulster faithful to cheer about.

The Ulstermen showed that they meant business straight from the off. Stuart McCloskey, Marcell Coetzee and Kieran Treadwell all bludgeoned through tackles in the opening moments before a Sean Reidy steal at a Scarlets scrum set the gears in motion inside the visitors’ 22.

Winger Baloucoune heralded his return with a pacy break down the right, and when the ball was moved infield to McCloskey, the centre showed a deft touch with his left boot, kicking into the path of the onrushing Faddes who touched down just before the end line.

Cooney, who missed the conversion, had little time to wait before getting his name on the scoresheet, landing his third try in as many games in the eighth minute after more good work from Baloucoune – and showing great strength to fend off the final tackler just long enough to touch down right in the corner.

This time the conversion went straight over, and with Ulster now threatening to put the game to bed as a contest before the end of the first quarter, try number three came via route one – an Alan O’Connor lineout take, a powerful rolling maul and a muscular touchdown from Rea.

Conversion dispatched once again, Ulster soaked up five minutes’ worth of fairly benign Scarlets pressure before Faddes was touching down again – only for play to be brought back for an Ulster penalty as the Kiwi centre’s foot had strayed into touch in the build-up.

Ulster soon mauled towards the line, and although stern Scarlets defence resisted the initial onslaught, luck proved to be on the hosts’ side when McCloskey’s looped – and somewhat risky – pass just evaded Steff Evans and fell for Baloucoune whose athletic leap over the line secured the bonus point at 24-0.

Ten minutes in the sin-bin for Uzair Cassiem did little to help the Scarlets’ cause, but although the returning Craig Gilroy looked to have added the fifth try just before the break, a forward pass from Ludik in the build-up ensured the visitors ran off at half-time with no further concessions.

After a good ten minutes of plodding possession from the Scarlets, McFarland mixed things up by replacing Coetzee, Rob Herring and Cooney with Nick Timoney, Adam McBurney and David Shanahan, who earned his 50th cap for the province.

The changes did little to increase the pace of the second period, which remained sluggish until the clock passed the hour mark. Another protracted spell of Scarlets pressure eventually broke down without posing the scoreboard any threat.

Back in possession, Ulster injected a touch more vigour going forward, but once Ludik, their latest centurion, had exited to a stirring ovation and been replaced by Angus Kernohan, the Scarlets began to establish a late foothold in the game.

With Gilroy sin-binned for a high tackle on Ryan Lamb, the Scarlets should have broken their duck wide on the right, only for Corey Baldwin to knock on metres from the line. They came again, however, with Jac Morgan adjudged to have grounded his 74th minute try just before Shanahan bundled him into touch.

There was still time, however, for Faddes to add his second of the night in the left hand corner, seeing Ulster off 24 points to the good – a margin which their performance, in the first half certainly, had fully deserved.