Leaking seven tries, Connacht were left trailing in Ulster’s wake at Ravenhill on Friday as Matt Williams’ men claimed their third straight win in the Magners League to move into the business end of the table.
These provincial foes came into this game with just three points separating them at the lower end of the Magners League table.
But there was no doubting who was the better side on the night as Ulster cut loose, particularly in the second half when they outscored Connacht 33-3.
It was a night to remember for Ian Humphreys, the younger brother of Ulster legend David. The former Leicester clubman crowned his man-of-the-match display with some excellent place-kicking.
He converted six of the hosts’ seven tries and landed two penalties for an 18-point return.
Connacht, winless in Belfast since November 1960, were hoping to really put it up to their northern rivals after an encouraging friendly win over Portugal.
But without injured captain John Muldoon, Michael Bradley’s men leaked tries at crucial stages and the first two they conceded came from turnovers.
Ulster suffered a setback in the first minute when centre Paddy Wallace had an accidental clash of heads with Ryan Caldwell and had to be stretchered off, with former All Black Paul Steinmetz taking his place.
Steinmetz won a seventh-minute penalty from which Humphreys kicked Ulster into a 3-0 lead.
Then Connacht failed to clear their lines, with winger Fionn Carr letting a loose ball squeeze from his grasp.
Big flanker Stephen Ferris, fresh from Ireland duty, was able to gobble it up and gallop his way over for the game’s first try.
Humphreys’ conversion was cancelled out by an Ian Keatley penalty at the other end, but Ulster were soon crossing the whitewash again.
Keatley was caught in possession as having taken down an up-and-under from Humphreys, the Connacht out-half lost his way and was hit hard by a combination of Steinmetz and Darren Cave.
With Connacht scrambling back, Ulster seized the opportunity. A quick turnover and pass from Ferris saw Fijian winger Timoci Nagusa take a lovely line into the attack and spear through a gap to cross for his third try in two league games.
Humphreys’ conversion moved Ulster 17-3 ahead but Connacht enjoyed a confidence-building spell coming up to the interval.
Keatley watched a penalty shot bounce back off a post, yet the westerners, with Frank Murphy lively at scrum half, get themselves back in the hunt with a try four minutes before half-time.
A mix-up between Bryn Cunningham and Nagusa handed turnover ball to Connacht and they ran it back with interest.
Pacy hooker Sean Cronin made good ground, into the Ulster 22, and the space was exploited on the left for Carr to jet in at the corner.
Keatley converted and while Ulster lost Nagusa to a hamstring injury, they still ended the half on a positive note with Humphreys’ second successful penalty.
From 20-10 down, Connacht managed to reduce the arrears by a further three points with a Keatley penalty early into the second half.
But Ulster’s clinical finishing dominated the game for the remainder. Afterwards, Ulster coach Matt Williams said that his side had not played well but that they did not need to when their ‘off the cuff rugby’ was so good.
The Ulster players and fans showed their delight when Nagusa’s replacement Simon Danielli, back after a lengthy injury lay-off, linked with Humphreys before crashing over to the left of the posts.
Humphreys converted and another seven-pointer, the bonus point score, arrived just three minutes later when Justin Fitzpatrick helped the Ulster eight win a scrum ball against the head and with Connacht’s defence caught napping, the ball was swung wide for winger Mark McCrea to touch down on the left.
Scotland international Danielli then helped himself to a second try as he outpaced Connacht’s stand-in skipper Gavin Duffy for the right corner.
And with the competitiveness gone out of the game, the half-century was passed when Cave and Cunningham finished off late raids down the left.
The result leaves Connacht bottom of the table and moves Ulster temporarily up to fourth.
Notably, this is the first time since October-November 2006 that Ulster have won three league games on the trot, and they have also now won their last four interprovincial encounters.
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