Six-try Connacht are in cruise control as they thrash miserable Ulster
CONNACHT ran riot to score their biggest win over Ulster to get their busy festive season off to the most perfect start in front of a crowd of 7,629 at the Sportsground.
The delirious Connacht fans spent the final quarter singing Christmas carols as they outscored Ulster by six tries to two for a deserved bonus point win.
Kieran Keane’s men knew they needed to hit Ulster early and they made a perfect start, racing into a 12-0 lead after just 13 minutes despite playing into the strong wind on a wet night at the Sportsground.
Connacht, starting with nine Irish internationals in their side to Ulster’s eight, showed ambition from the outset and were rewarded when they went to the left corner with a penalty, with John Muldoon’s take being followed by a superb maul which finished with flanker Eoghan Masterson peeling away to score after just three minutes.
That early score gave the hosts a huge boost and it was no surprise when they extended the lead ten minutes later when an initial run from Tiernan O’Halloran set up the field position from which scrum-half Kieran Marmion sniped through the Ulster cover to send Bundee Aki through for his first try of the season and his tenth in 70 appearances for the province.
Jack Carty added the conversion in front of the posts, leaving Ulster with an uphill battle on their hands as they tried to follow up their excellent Champions Cup wins over Harlequins.
But they struggled to break down an impressive home defence, although former Connacht scrum-half John Cooney got them off the mark with a penalty from 25 metres on the left after 23 minutes.
However, Keane’s men hit back immediately, with winger Matt Healy collecting the restart to set up an attack which allowed Aki turn provider this time, sending O’Halloran through and the full-back crowned a week in which he extended his contract at the Sportsground for another two years by making it to the line to open up a 17-3 lead.
Carty was unable to add the difficult conversion but the three tries had the large vocal crowd getting their Christmas celebrations off to a great start. Cooney pulled back another penalty for Ulster seven minutes from the break and after Connacht initially opted for a scrum with a penalty in front of the posts, they opted to kick the next opportunity directly afterwards with Carty’s kick leaving them 20-6 in front at the interval.
Ulster, who lost flanker Sean Reidy to injury before the break, needed a big start to the second half if they were to carve out a tenth win in 15 visits to the Sportsground.
The hosts took control from the restart and extended their lead when Carty tapped over a penalty in front of the posts when Ulster loosehead Andrew Warwick was binned for not rolling away, moments after Keane’s men had won a penalty on an Ulster scrum outside the 22.
The visitors, forced into a late change before the game when lock Matt Dalton cried off through illness, struggled to get out of their own half as Connacht came in search of the bonus point.
It arrived when Ulster were briefly down to 13 men when centre Louis Ludik was binned for a deliberate knock-on as Connacht piled on the pressure.
Connacht, unsurprisingly, went to the corner and again got the drive, with Ultan Dillane supplying the finishing touch and Carty adding the conversion to make it 30-6 after 55 minutes.
Connacht wouldn’t relent and they crossed for a fifth on the hour when Jarrad Butler marked his return from injury by scoring his first try since his summer move from Australia, with Carty’s conversion pushing it out to 37-6.
Craig Gilroy pulled back a try after 65 minutes for Ulster but the end couldn’t come quick enough for them.
Debutant Johnny McPhillips was denied a try after breaking from his own 22 when O’Halloran caught him, although the Connacht full-back did pick up a yellow card.
And then Eoin Griffin intercepted from inside his own 22 to sprint half the pitch before feeding Darragh Leader and in turn he sent Dillane over for his second try to complete a glorious night for Connacht who face Leinster on New Year’s Day.