Ulster treated their Ravenhill faithful to a six-try bonanza against Aironi as the province’s 12th victory of the campaign – and their seventh bonus point success – lifted them, temporarily at least, above the Ospreys and into the RaboDirect PRO12 play-off zone.
Tries from Paddy Wallace, Rory Best, Tom Court, Darren Cave and Pedrie Wannenburg, along with a penalty try, sealed an Ulster win which also saw a 100% kicking record of six conversions and one penalty from place-kickers Ruan Pienaar and Ian Humphreys.
Brian McLaughlin’s men have moved up to fourth in the table on 55 points, although, with the Ospreys yet to play in round 19, they could see themselves back in fifth by the end of the weekend.
Ulster made the marginally brighter opening, with an early highlight the sight of Craig Gilroy in full flight, tearing down the left wing in pursuit of a Stefan Terblanche kick.
Aironi dealt with the danger competently at the first time of asking however, and indeed almost fashioned a try of their own after nine minutes, some slick passing bringing them well inside the Ulster 22 before a slight knock on undid their progress.
Ulster’s first score arrived in the 13th minute, a try grounded at the posts by Wallace after Aironi had ceded possession cheaply at the lineout deep in their own territory.
Pienaar, whose half-back partner Humphreys had been instrumental in Wallace’s try with his patient timing of the final pass, converted to make it 7-0 to the hosts.
Pienaar then kicked an 18th minute penalty into the corner and after a well-worked Ulster lineout and repeated infringements at subsequent scrums from the Italians, referee Neil Paterson had no option but to award a penalty try.
Pienaar added the extras once again and keen to build on the lead without delay, fine interplay between the South African and Cave in Ulster’s very next attack only narrowly failed to unlock the Aironi defence for a third time.
Terblanche had Ravenhill on its feet just before the half hour mark with a blistering crossfield dash that left half of the Italian side in his wake before he was eventually bullied out of possession on the right wing.
But, to their credit, the visitors showed admirable grit and determination as the threat of a whitewash loomed, and they were rewarded by a 34th minute try from scrum half Tito Tibaldi after some Ulster hesitation at a lineout.
Naas Olivier converted to reduce the deficit to seven points, but this remained the case for less than a minute as Pienaar slotted over a penalty from the 22 to leave it 17-7 to the Ulstermen.
Despite losing Ferris to injury moments before the concession of the try, Ulster’s confidence proved unaffected, and try number three was registered just prior to the break.
After the award of a penalty and the showing of a yellow card to Italian full-back Giulio Toniolatti for repeated infringements, a strong rolling maul from the lineout saw hooker Best go over for a timely try and Pienaar converted with the last kick of the half for 24-7.
A patchy opening to the second half was soon smoothed out by the bonus point try after 45 minutes, Ulster’s centre partnership teaming up to good effect as Wallace set up try scorer Cave with the killer pass.
Pienaar’s conversion maintained his 100% scoring record for the night, and the try tally could have risen to five only moments later had the Springbok’s final pass to Gilroy not fallen slightly behind the speedy winger.
A 15-minute period of Aironi pressure then ensued, but they failed to trouble the scoreboard and clinical Ulster showed their superiority in the 62nd minute as Court stretched over the line to score the fifth try.
Humphreys, taking over kicking duties from the recently departed Pienaar, curled over his conversion to perfection. With the match won, the bonus point secured and 10 minutes remaining, Ulster began to turn on the style.
Humphreys’ sweet reverse pass and moments later his probing kick to the corner in search of Andrew Trimble delighted the home crowd.
However, when try number six came in the 73rd minute through Wannenburg on the occasion of his 50th cap, it was more the product of good, old-fashioned graft from the forwards along with a measure of brute force from the number 8 as he bludgeoned his way over the line.
With Humphreys’ conversion true once again, the gap was pushed out to 38 points and 45-7 was the final score despite Ulster’s valiant efforts to snatch a late seventh try.
Aside from the worrying injury to flanker Ferris, who is due to have a scan on his ankle in the coming days), Ulster now head into their Easter Sunday Heineken Cup quarter-final showdown with Munster full of confidence.
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