Five-Try Ulster Extinguish Dragons’ Fire

Ulster kicked off the 2016/17 GUINNESS PRO12 season in style with a 29-8 bonus point victory over the Dragons at Kingspan Stadium.

Les Kiss’ side outscored the visitors by five tries to one with Queen’s University winger Rob Lyttle grabbing a brace from the bench after coming on as a 12th minute replacement for the injured Craig Gilroy. However, they had to survive an early scare after the Welsh side took an early 8-0 lead.

The Newport Gwent outfit took the lead on six minutes as out-half Nick Macleod slotted over a penalty after Roger Wilson infringed at a ruck.

The Welsh region extended their lead six minutes later. From a turnover ball in midfield, Macleod put in a kick for former Munster winger Pat Howard to race onto and touch down in the corner but the out half failed to convert.

Man of the moment Ruan Pienaar sparked Ulster into life on 21 minutes. Wilson, Stuart McCloskey and debutant Ross Kane cleared a ruck allowing Stuart Olding to release Pienaar, he made a break and carried close to the Dragons’ 22 before putting a kick in behind the defence. Howard failed to deal with it, allowing 19-year-old livewire Lyttle to dot down over the line and the Springbok scrum half converted for 8-7.

Ulster’s second try arrived six minutes later, they patiently worked the ball through a number of phases before winger Jacob Stockdale received the ball in midfield. The Ireland Under-20 star wrong footed the Dragons defence before putting in a kick which he had the pace to win the race to and touch down in the corner, but Pienaar could not convert from a tight angle.

Ulster could have increased their lead when they kicked a penalty to touch, Peter Browne took the lineout and the home forwards drove close to the line but conceded a penalty and had to settle for a 12-8 advantage at the break.

Pienaar raised the roof with Ulster’s third try four minutes after the restart, the South African pinning the Dragons back with a box kick which rolled into touch. From the lineout the visitors were under pressure, full-back Carl Meyer tried to clear from his own 22 but Pienaar charged the kick down and gather in goal to dot but was off target with the conversion.

Lyttle, in his first competitive game for the province, sealed the bonus point on 65 minutes. Franco van der Merwe stole a Dragons lineout in the 22, the forwards worked the ball through a few phased before it was spun wide, Charles Piutau drew the last defender before offloading to put Lyttle acrobatically diving over in the corner. Pienaar missed the conversion at 22-8.

It was left to Ulster skipper Rob Herring to seal a runaway success with a fifth try, some eight minutes from time. The hosts kicked a penalty to touch, the forwards set up a driving maul from the lineout and hooker Herring peeled off the back to dot down and confirm the 21-point winning margin.