PRO 12 Aironi 19 Ulster 25:TRIES FROM Ian Whitten, Dan Tuohy and Craig Gilroy plus ten points from the boot of Ian Humphreys secured a second successive league victory for Brian McLaughlin's side in Viadana , but it wasn't a totally convincing display.

Having led 12-3 midway through the first half, Ulster found themselves behind midway through the second, and though they eventually weathered the Italian storm, they failed to cash in on a winning bonus point.

The positives? A superb performance by Humphreys, some excellent counter-attacking from the back three, and a number of fine attacking manoeuvres which should have yielded more points.

Areas of concern? A scrum which buckled throughout, a lineout which faltered at crucial times, some soft defending and a high penalty count (14) which served to keep an understrength Aironi side in a game which should have been well beyond them.

“For the first time in a long time we’ve been in double figures in penalties,” lamented McLaughlin after the final whistle.

“That’s a very disappointing stat for us. We pride ourselves on the way we play in relation to our discipline and the referee.

“Away from home we can’t afford to that. If we do it in Wales, for example, we will be stung, big time.”

Still, McLaughlin was pleased to leave Italy with four points in the bag. It might have been five, but with temperatures soaring above 30 degrees, Ulster ran out of steam.

“When we got the two first-half tries we felt it (the bonus point) was on the cards,” he added.

“But our set piece started to falter a little bit, we turned the ball over stupidly in vital areas and made it very easy for them.”

AIRONI: R Trevisan; R Pavan, R Quartaroli, G Pizarro, G Venditti; N Olivier, T Tebaldi; M Aguero, R Santamaria, F Staibano; J Furno, G Biagi; J Sole; N Cattina, N Williams. Replacements: S Favaro for Williams, F Viijoen for Furno (48 mins), A De Marchi for Aguero (52 mins), L Redolfini for Staibnao (54 mins), A Benettin for Pizarro, G Pizan for Trevisan (62 mins), D Glazzon for Santamaria (70 mins), G Bronzini for Tebaldi (75 mins).

ULSTER: A D'Arcy; C Gilroy, D Cave, N Spence, I Whitten; I Humphreys , P Marshall; P McAllister , A Kyriacou, J Cronin; T Barker, D Tuohy; P Wannenburg, W Faloon, C Henry. Replacements: D Fitzpatrick for McAllister, N Brady for Kyriacou (both 50 mins), L Stevenson for Barker (56 mins), R Diack for Faloon (62 mins), L Marshall for Spence (70 mins), A Macklin for Wannenburg, P Jackson for Humphreys (both 75 mins).

Referee: N Hennessy(Wales).