Ulster feel heat of Dragon’s breath
In their last outing before the start of the Celtic League, Ulster were comprehensively beaten 30-7 by the Gwent Dragons.
Gwent Dragons may have accomodated Ulster at short notice in arranging this fixture, but the accomodation stopped at that.
The Dragons scored 18 unanswered points in the first half, effectively sealing the result. Ulster did manage to score a try through winger Andrew Maxwell, converted by Paddy Wallace, in the second half, but the Dragons tacked on a further 12 points to run out emphatic winners by four tries to one.
This was the first win of the season for new Dragons coach Chris Anderson, an Australian who arrived when Declan Kidney was lured by Leinster, after they had lost previously to Northampton.
Nonetheless, with the four remaining Welsh outfits bolstered by their choice of players from the now-defunct Celtic Warriors, this may be a signal that the Welsh teams are set to prove even more difficult to beat in the Celtic League.
Ulster:
15 Bryn Cunningham, 14 James Topping, 13 Shane Stewart, 12 Jonny Bell, 11 Tommy Bowe, 10 Paddy Wallace, 9 Neil Doak, 1 Ronan McCormack, 2 Paul Shields, 3 Rod Moore, 4 Matt Mustchin, 5 Rowan Frost, 6 Neil Best, 7 Neil McMillan (Cpt), 8 Andy Ward.
Replacements: Kieran Campbell, Paul Steinmetz, Seamus Mallon, Andrew Maxwell, Bryan Young, Nigel Brady, Simon Shawe, Tim Barker, Campbell Feather.
Gwent Dragons
K Morgan, G Wyatt, H Luscombe (B Breeze), J Bryant (S Winn), N Brew, C Sweeney (D Griffiths), G Baber (R Jones), A Black (R Snow), S Jones (J Richards), C Anthony (R Thomas), I Gough, M Owen (P Sidoli), J Ringer (R Beattie), J Forster, R Bryan (R Oakley).