Bonus Point Start For Ulster

Andrew Trimble, Ian Humphreys, Simon Danielli and Ruan Pienaar were Ulster’s try scorers as they opened their Heineken Cup campaign with a bonus point 30-6 victory over Italian side Aironi Rugby.

A 7,777-strong crowd watched Ulster pick up an encouraging five points in their quest to make the quarter-finals for the first time since 1999.

Winger Andrew Trimble struck for the opening try, midway through the first half, and his back-line colleagues Ian Humphreys, Simon Danielli and Ruan Pienaar grabbed the other tries after 45, 61 and 68 minutes respectively.

Humphreys and Heineken Cup debutant Pienaar kicked the rest of the points for the home side, with French out-half Ludovic Mercier accounting for Aironi’s six-point tally.

A superior scrum, allied to a solid night’s work at the breakdown, were the main positives for Ulster on a night when they left a number of tries behind them.

A break off the side of a ruck from Pienaar drew a third minute penalty, from which the South African kicked Ulster ahead. Mercier was quick to level for the Italians, but missed a second penalty opportunity shortly afterwards.

Ulster showed plenty of enterprise, with out-half Humphreys, in his first start of the season, looking to spread the ball wide and run the visitors ragged.

His half-back partner hit the post with his second penalty attempt, before Mercier’s 17th-minute penalty sent the Magners League’s basement side in front for the first and only time.

But a powerful scrum from Ulster forced a turnover and quick reactions from number 8 Robbie Diack, who picked from the base, and Pienaar, whose superb flicked pass did the trick, opened it up for Trimble to score to the right of the posts.

Ulster created further scoring opportunities while Aironi lock Marco Bortolami was in the sin-bin for killing the ball. Full-back Jamie Smith and Danielli threatened to open up the visitors’ defence, with some good angles of running.

However, Brian McLaughlin’s men lacked a clinical edge and a late penalty from Pienaar was all they could muster, making it 11-6 for half-time.

The second half was only five minutes’ old when some hesistant defending from Aironi allowed the onrushing Humphreys to follow up on his own kick to the left corner and snipe in for an opportunist try.

Pienaar missed the conversion and Ulster had to be patient in pursuit of their tries, as a number of moves broke down or committed defence from Aironi kept them out of scoring range.

On the hour mark, the third try duly arrived. The wheels were set in motion by a surge down the right involving Johann Muller, Chris Henry and Rory Best.

With the Aironi defence stretchered, the ball was moved ou to the left where Danielli did well to hold onto Trimble’s pass and cross the whitewash, with Humphreys adding the extras from the touchline.

Man-of-the-match Diack fumbled the ball as he looked to garner Ulster’s bonus point try, which would have been a well-deserved score for the big South African.

Nonetheless, he was involved in the build-up to Pienaar’s subsequent score, using set piece ball to break to the right before the scrum half found a gap to touch down close to the posts. Humphreys’ successful conversion left Ulster home and hosed at 30-6.

Despite some valiant late attacks from the Italians, the scoreboard remained the same. Ulster’s 24-point victory extended their unbeaten run this season to six matches. But the acid test of their progress will be next week’s trip to Biarritz Olympique.

Speaking after the pool opener, Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin said: “The way to describe it was we got a great win but we can still play better.

“We are chuffed with the result but we never mentioned the bonus point. We knew though that going into to Europe it would be very important for us to get maximum points.

“At half-time we talked about maintaining tempo and intensity which had been lacking in previous games while we also talked about accuracy, but that sort of let us down tonight.

“In the second half we got there in the end, but we still made a few mistakes. Thankfully we got there.”

He added: “Aironi are a very tough, physical pack and it’s going to be no different in Biarritz, but we have to deal with that and make sure we match Biarritz’s physicality.

“We’re going to go there with a lot of confidence and we must make sure we take our opportunities when they arise.

“We’re very happy with where we are, we’re in a good place but we know we can still do better.”