Ulster put a lacklustre first period behind them this evening at the Stadio Monigo to run four second-half tries past Benetton Treviso and force their way back towards the Guinness Pro12 top four.
Treviso, winless in 25 matches, did well to contain Ulster and marginally edge the first half, but were overwhelmed by scores from Sean Reidy, Darren Cave, Rory Scholes and Stuart Olding after the break as Ulster plucked a bonus point from thin air to move up to fifth in the standings, level with Edinburgh on 37 points.
Deprived of six first-choice players away with the Ireland Six Nations squad, Les Kiss’ side were buoyed by the return of Olding after an absence of 10 months, the 22-year-old slotting into the centre alongside Cave.
Louis Ludik started at full-back, with Scholes and Craig Gilroy on the wings, and Ian Humphreys teaming with Paul Marshall in the half-backs.
Rob Herring captained the side from hooker, with Callum Black and Ricky Lutton either side, and the tandem of Alan O’Connor and Franco van der Merwe behind in the second row. The back row of Clive Ross, Reidy and Roger Wilson completed the lineup.
At a wet and dismal Stadio Monigo Ulster kept play in Treviso territory for the first 10 minutes, Humphreys kicking over the first points from a central penalty after the Italians had strayed offside. Treviso opted to play their first penalty moments later, enjoying five minutes’ possession but crucially not breaking through a strong Ulster line.
A similar tactic just on the half-hour mark did, however, pay dividends, as the Italians built well from their lineout and eventually forced the infringement from Black right in front of the posts, allowing Jayden Hayward to slot home.
Poor concentration from Ulster at a successive scrum and lineout did little to improve the match as a spectacle as half-time approached, but another offside as Treviso defended gave Humphreys a simple kick to send his side in ahead at the break.
Half-Time Score Benetton Treviso 3 Ulster 6
Treviso made the brighter start to the second half, forcing an early penalty at scrum-time and probing well from the lineout until van der Merwe got himself offside in the ‘22’ to gift Hayward the penalty which restored parity.
The concession seemed to spur Ulster into life, as two successive lineouts culminated in a 53rd-minute try off the driving maul for Reidy – his second score in as many matches.
Humphreys added the conversion, and as the visitors began to seize control, a fantastic diagonal run from Cave got the centre over from Marshall’s short pass on 56 minutes after more good work from Reidy.
The third try, just after the hour, was gift-wrapped with a loose pass from Sam Christie on the half-way line falling right into Scholes’ hands, with the winger outstripping the opposing out-half in his otherwise unopposed race for the line.
Olding, taking over kicking duties in the final quarter after Luke Marshall replaced Humphreys, dispatched the conversion and with the prospect of a bonus point suddenly a distinct possibility, a 70th-minute drive from the Ulster forwards created the space for the youngster to slide over the whitewash despite the attentions of Simone Ragusi.
A late consolation try from replacement flanker Braam Steyn, converted by Hayward, did little to take the sheen off the four-try victory, and indeed Ulster, with new faces Lorcan Dow and Jacob Stockdale impressing in the final minutes, closed out the game in search of a fifth.
Next up for Ulster are three consecutive home clashes with the Dragons, Glasgow and the Scarlets, where victories would see Ulster stake a serious claim for a top-four finish.
Full-Time Score Benetton Treviso 13 Ulster 32
Benetton Treviso (15 – 9) Jayden Hayward; Ludovico Nitoglia, Enrico Bacchin, Alberto Sgarbi (c), Tommaso Iannone; Sam Christie, Alberto Lucchese
(1 – 8) Alberto De Marchi, Roberto Santamaria, Simone Ferrari, Filo Paulo, Tom Palmer, Andrea De Marchi, Marco Lazzaroni, Robert Barbieri
Replacements (16 – 23) Luca Bigi, Cherif Traore, Filippo Fillippeto, Jean-Francis Montauriol, Braam Steyn, James Ambrosini, Simone Ragusi, Andrea Pratichetti
Ulster (15 – 9) Louis Ludik; Rory Scholes, Darren Cave, Stuart Olding, Craig Gilroy; Ian Humphreys, Paul Marshall
(1 – 8) Callum Black, Rob Herring (c), Ricky Lutton, Alan O’Connor, Franco van der Merwe, Clive Ross, Sean Reidy, Roger Wilson
Replacements (16 – 23) John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Bronson Ross, Pete Browne, Lorcan Dow, David Shanahan, Luke Marshall, Jacob Stockdale
Treviso, winless in 25 matches, did well to contain Ulster and marginally edge the first half, but were overwhelmed by scores from Sean Reidy, Darren Cave, Rory Scholes and Stuart Olding after the break as Ulster plucked a bonus point from thin air to move up to fifth in the standings, level with Edinburgh on 37 points.
Deprived of six first-choice players away with the Ireland Six Nations squad, Les Kiss’ side were buoyed by the return of Olding after an absence of 10 months, the 22-year-old slotting into the centre alongside Cave.
Louis Ludik started at full-back, with Scholes and Craig Gilroy on the wings, and Ian Humphreys teaming with Paul Marshall in the half-backs.
Rob Herring captained the side from hooker, with Callum Black and Ricky Lutton either side, and the tandem of Alan O’Connor and Franco van der Merwe behind in the second row. The back row of Clive Ross, Reidy and Roger Wilson completed the lineup.
At a wet and dismal Stadio Monigo Ulster kept play in Treviso territory for the first 10 minutes, Humphreys kicking over the first points from a central penalty after the Italians had strayed offside. Treviso opted to play their first penalty moments later, enjoying five minutes’ possession but crucially not breaking through a strong Ulster line.
A similar tactic just on the half-hour mark did, however, pay dividends, as the Italians built well from their lineout and eventually forced the infringement from Black right in front of the posts, allowing Jayden Hayward to slot home.
Poor concentration from Ulster at a successive scrum and lineout did little to improve the match as a spectacle as half-time approached, but another offside as Treviso defended gave Humphreys a simple kick to send his side in ahead at the break.
Half-Time Score Benetton Treviso 3 Ulster 6
Treviso made the brighter start to the second half, forcing an early penalty at scrum-time and probing well from the lineout until van der Merwe got himself offside in the ‘22’ to gift Hayward the penalty which restored parity.
The concession seemed to spur Ulster into life, as two successive lineouts culminated in a 53rd-minute try off the driving maul for Reidy – his second score in as many matches.
Humphreys added the conversion, and as the visitors began to seize control, a fantastic diagonal run from Cave got the centre over from Marshall’s short pass on 56 minutes after more good work from Reidy.
The third try, just after the hour, was gift-wrapped with a loose pass from Sam Christie on the half-way line falling right into Scholes’ hands, with the winger outstripping the opposing out-half in his otherwise unopposed race for the line.
Olding, taking over kicking duties in the final quarter after Luke Marshall replaced Humphreys, dispatched the conversion and with the prospect of a bonus point suddenly a distinct possibility, a 70th-minute drive from the Ulster forwards created the space for the youngster to slide over the whitewash despite the attentions of Simone Ragusi.
A late consolation try from replacement flanker Braam Steyn, converted by Hayward, did little to take the sheen off the four-try victory, and indeed Ulster, with new faces Lorcan Dow and Jacob Stockdale impressing in the final minutes, closed out the game in search of a fifth.
Next up for Ulster are three consecutive home clashes with the Dragons, Glasgow and the Scarlets, where victories would see Ulster stake a serious claim for a top-four finish.
Full-Time Score Benetton Treviso 13 Ulster 32
Benetton Treviso (15 – 9) Jayden Hayward; Ludovico Nitoglia, Enrico Bacchin, Alberto Sgarbi (c), Tommaso Iannone; Sam Christie, Alberto Lucchese
(1 – 8) Alberto De Marchi, Roberto Santamaria, Simone Ferrari, Filo Paulo, Tom Palmer, Andrea De Marchi, Marco Lazzaroni, Robert Barbieri
Replacements (16 – 23) Luca Bigi, Cherif Traore, Filippo Fillippeto, Jean-Francis Montauriol, Braam Steyn, James Ambrosini, Simone Ragusi, Andrea Pratichetti
Ulster (15 – 9) Louis Ludik; Rory Scholes, Darren Cave, Stuart Olding, Craig Gilroy; Ian Humphreys, Paul Marshall
(1 – 8) Callum Black, Rob Herring (c), Ricky Lutton, Alan O’Connor, Franco van der Merwe, Clive Ross, Sean Reidy, Roger Wilson
Replacements (16 – 23) John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Bronson Ross, Pete Browne, Lorcan Dow, David Shanahan, Luke Marshall, Jacob Stockdale