Comfortable opening night for Ulster on night of Nevin Spence tributes

Ulster 36 Connacht 10

Ulster’s season is up and running with an anticipated bonus point win over Connacht at their Kingspan Stadium fortress. Dominant virtually from first minute to last save for a few minor interruptions, the scoreline scarcely reflected the control of territory and possession.

This being the first of three home games in their opening four outings, Ulster turned looked to have plenty of try-scoring potential from the off through their potent backline but after turning around 14-0 ahead, they turned the screw with their lineout maul. In his first start, hooker Tom Stewart scored a try and was man-of-the-match.

On a poignant night in the Kingspan Stadium, Ulster players, staff and supporters alike honoured the memory of former player Nevin Spence, who passed away in an accident along with his father, Noel, and brother, Graham, on September 15th, 2012.

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Fittingly, it was his one-time midfield partner Luke Marshall who opened the scoring following a sumptuous offload by Stuart McCloskey and his deft pirouette and offload also put fullback Stewart Moore over for the bonus point try in the 64th minute. Throw in three clean breaks and by rights he could have been man-of-the-match.

After a pre-match video tribute to Spence on the large screen, a group of children from his former club Ballynahinch formed a guard of honour before kick-off. The Ulster team also wore black armbands embroidered with ‘Nevin, Graham and Noel’ and the front cover of the programme featured a painting of Spence by his sister Emma. Connacht also presented a jersey in Spence’s honour before kick-off before there was a minute’s silence in honour of Queen Elizabeth II.

Behind the home side’s dominant pack, Nathan Doak and Billy Burns pulled the strings effortlessly although in truth, the game’s dominant personality was referee Eoghan Cross. The former Young Munster winger, in just his second URC game, pinged Connacht off the park with a 15-7 penalty count, also binning Paul Boyle in the final quarter.

Andy Friend’s squad must now regroup in Dublin for two nights before heading to South Africa for their next two assignments in an altogether tougher start.

For all their inconsistencies last season, one Connacht constant were their inventive and well-executed strike plays, Stephen Fitzgerald tipping on Tom Daly’s pull back to launch new signing Byron Ralston, who looked threatening on slim rations, over the gain line with their first of the competitive season.

But little else fired for them, and an overthrow and a crooked throw from their only two attacking footholds prevented them from generating any pressure.

By contrast, although they initially struggled to apply their finishing touches, a potent Ulster backline looked more threatening especially when they worked the ball wide. Stewart Moore and the lively Jacob Stockdale looking particularly dangerous in tandem even though the former’s skip pass asked too much of the latter before the fullback also knocked on. A poach by Paul Boyle after a thumping 50-22 by Stockdale and a counter-ruck by Josh Murphy, who looks a good signing, also stymied Ulster.

Luke Marshall made one big break before his ensuing pass five phases later was picked off by Fitzgerald in possibly preventing a try but when Ulster finally broke the deadlock after 28 minutes it was a beauty if surprisingly simple in execution.

Amid a swathe of penalties, Ulster went to the corner and from the catch-and-drive McCloskey charged at Fitzgerald and also drew in Tom Daly before extending his arm forwards and upward to slam dunk a one-handed offload down to the supporting Marshall.

Marshall, who had only started four games over the previous injury ravaged two seasons, looked almost surprised as he delayed his touchdown under the posts after scoring untouched. Perhaps he feared the McCloskey offload might be judged forward - it looked flat - or maybe his surprise emanated from this being his first try at home since a win over Cardiff here in October 2019.

Their supremacy was more accurately reflected in the scoreline ten minutes later after another gallop by Stockdale earned an attacking penalty. This time hooker Tom Stewart peeled off the maul a good ten metres out, veering inside Conor Oliver and taking the tackle of Kieran Marmion to score, Doak again converting.

Although Fitzgerald opened Connacht’s with the last kick off the first half after another launch play earned a penalty against Marcus Rea, Connacht’s discipline deserted them upon the resumption.

Doak landed a penalty with the first of six quick-fire penalties against Connacht - an ensuing late charge by John Porch into Doak was particularly ill-advised in giving Ulster another easy exit, the home side went to the corner with the sixth.

Although Stewart was held up short by the debutant David Hawkshaw after again peeling off, Doak followed up to burrow over and convert for a 24-3 lead.

All hope of an unlikely Connacht comeback evaporated when a sequence of close-in charges off an attacking line-out ended with an effective Ulster counter-ruck by the Rea brothers and Marty Moore.

Instead, the penalties mounted, Paul Boyle was sin-binned for a marginal offside but also his side’s repetitive infringements and form the ensuing tap penalty, Marcus Rea, Callum Reid and Marty Moore charged at the line before Burns moved the ball to Marshall whose pirouette and offload put Stewart Moore over for the bonus point try.

To their credit, Connacht never rolled over and had their bellies tickled. Transitioning off a turnover inside his own half, Niall Murray skilfully popped the ball to Porch and from the recycle Hawkshaw passed wide to Alex Wootton and supported on the outside to put Caolin Blade over with a long inside pass in arguably the try of the night.

But, adhering to the game’s dog-eared script, Ulster went to the corner with one more penalty and pummelled the Connacht line for Reid to burrow over, thus more accurately reflecting 63 per cent possession and a whopping 71 per cent territory.

Scoring sequence: 28 mins Marshall try, Doak con 7-0; 38 mins Stewart try, Doak con 14-0; 40 (+2) mins Fitzgerald pen 14-3; (half-time 14-3); 45 mins Doak pen 17-3; 51 mins Doak try and con 24-3; 64 mins S Moore try 29-3; 71 mins Blade try, Hawkshaw con 29-10; 76 mins Reid try, Doak con 36-10.

Ulster: Stewart Moore, Rob Baloucoune, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, Nathan Doak; Eric O’Sullivan, Tom Stewart, Marty Moore, Alan O’Connor (capt), Sam Carter, Matty Rea, Marcus Rea, David McCann.

Replacements: Angus Curtis for McCloskey (55 mins), Callum Reid for O’Sullivan, Cormac Izuchukwu for Carter, Jordi Murphy for McCann (all 59 mins), John Andrew for Stewart (60 mins), Jeff Toomaga-Allen for M Moore, David Shanahan for Burns (both 65 mins), Aaron Sexton for Baloucoune (78 mins).

Connacht: Tiernan O’Halloran, Byron Ralston, Tom Farrell, Tom Daly, John Porch, Conor Fitzgerald, Kieran Marmion, Peter Dooley, Dave Heffernan, Jack Aungier, Gavin Thornbury (CAPT), Leva Fifita, Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, Paul Boyle.

Replacements: Alex Wootton for Farrell (35-40 mins) and for O’Halloran (66 mins), Shamus Hurley-Langton for Oliver (half-time), David Hawkshaw for Fitzgerald (49 mins), Sam Illo for Aungier (57 mins),  Dylan Tierney-Martin for Heffernan, Denis Buckley for Dooley, Caolin Blade for Marmion (all 51 mins), Niall Murray for Fifita (61 mins).

Sinbinned: Boyle (63-73 mins),

Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)