Ulster 38 Edinburgh 16:THERE was an inevitably about this outcome even before a ball was kicked as Michael Bradley's shadow side – shorn of nine internationals – never looked like halting Ulster's robust home record.
An so Brian McLaughlin’s team continue in the direction of the play-offs thanks to another bonus-point win.
Edinburgh weren’t meant to spoil things by scoring first but that’s what happened when Sep Visser was worked clear down the right wing for a fourth-minute try in the corner which Phil Godman failed to convert.
Ulster needed to respond and even though Ruan Pienaar was wide with a penalty he was instrumental in the home side’s opening score when his pass released Adam D’Arcy. The South African then took the return and fed Paul Marshall, who scored at the posts.
Pienaar converted the try and Ulster were up and running, with Stefan Terblanche then scoring an effort on the quarter of an hour mark, awarded by the television monitor official, which was also converted by Pienaar.
More followed when, just after half an hour, a Marshall breakout helped set Pienaar up to throw an inside pass for D’Arcy to cross. Pienaar added the extras.
Godman kicked a penalty on the break but Ulster went in leading 21-8.
Godman then slotted another penalty straight after the restart to cut Ulster’s lead to 10 points but the game was then halted for five minutes as Ulster’s Michael McComish was stretchered off.
From the restart, though, Ulster were awarded a penalty try after several scrums under Edinburgh’s posts and the bonus point score was also converted by Pienaar.
Chris Cochrane got over for the home side’s fifth try then Edinburgh’s Tim Visser made it over in the left corner.
But Ulster had the final say as Ian Humphreys got over, with Pienaar’s conversion hitting the post and staying out.
ULSTER: D’Arcy; Gilroy, Whitten, Wallace, Terblanche; Pienaar, Marshall; McAllister, Kyriacou, Afoa, Stevenson, Tuohy, Wannenburg, Faloon, Diack. Replacements: McComish for Wannenburg (12 mins), McComb for McComish (46 mins), C Black for McCallister (50 mins), I Humphreys for P Marshall (52 mins), N Brady for Kyriacou (54 mins), C Cochrane for D’Arcy (60 mins), A Macklin for Afoa (63 mins), L Marshall for Whitten (69 mins).
EDINBURGH: T Brown; S Visser , M Scott, J Houston, T Visser; P Godman, C Leck; K Traynor, A Kelly, U Gamboa, G Gilchrist, S Cox, S McInally, R Grant (capt), N Talei. Replacements: H Watson for McInally (17 mins), R Hislop for Gamboa (half-time), R McAlpine for Gilchrist (half-time), A Walker for Kelly (52 mins), J Gilding for Traynor (60 mins), A Black for for Leck (60 mins), H Leonard for Houston (60 mins), C Paterson for Brown (69 mins).
Referee: N Owens (Wales).
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