ULSTER 28 OSPREYS 6

A powerhouse display from Stuart McCloskey - including a try and eight points from the boot - stood out tonight at Kingspan Stadium as Ulster clinically dispatched the Ospreys in a heartening four-try opening to the 2015/16 campaign. Rob Herring, Wiehahn Herbst and Luke Marshall all joined McCloskey on the scoresheet as Steve Tandy's visitors - third-placed finishers last season - failed to penetrate the Ulster defensive line and had to settle for two penalties from out-half Sam Davies. While deprived of eight first-team regulars away on World Cup duty, temporary captain Herring nonetheless led out a strong Ulster XV featuring just as many internationals. Louis Ludik started at full-back with Andrew Trimble and Craig Gilroy, both released from Joe Schmidt's original extended Ireland squad, on the wings. Marshall and McCloskey partnered up in midfield, with Paul Marshall at scrum-half and the versatile Peter Nelson wearing 10 for the first time in his Ulster career, with Ian Humphreys and recent arrival Sam Windsor both sidelined through injury. Up front, Andrew Warwick and Herbst propped either side of Herring, supported by a second row of Dan Tuohy and Franco van der Merwe, and a back three of Roger Wilson at blindside, the returning Willie Faloon at openside, and Nick Williams, available to play after serving his suspension from the tail end of the 2014/15 campaign, at Number Eight. As the teams settled into the new season, Nelson kicked a fifth-minute penalty on half-way to touch and, while the Ospreys initially looked to have contained the surge from the lineout, a smart offload from Williams to Faloon brought play to five metres from the line, where Paul Marshall picked out his skipper for the first try of the campaign. Nominated goal-kicker McCloskey's conversion attempt missed, but he split the posts with a central penalty moments later, before Davies' long-range effort soared kite-like over the crossbar - via an upright - to open the Ospreys' account on 20 minutes. Ulster failed to capitalise on an overthrow at the Ospreys' lineout five minutes later but Trimble, watching the trajectory of Davies' hurried clearance like a hawk, collected to scythe his way through the Welsh midfield as far as just shy of the '22'. Rapid passing found McCloskey on the right wing, and with plenty of work still to do, the centre used all his trademark power to shrug off four tacklers and ground by the flag for a fine individual try. McCloskey converted his own score from wide and, although Davies kicked a second penalty with five minutes of the half remaining, gutsy defending from the home side ensured they ran off at the break nine points to the good. Half-Time Score Ulster 15 Ospreys 6 Davies opened the second period with an errant penalty from wide on the 10-metre line, before McCloskey earned a shot at goal himself as the Ospreys infringed in their own '22', after the youngster had made a good 30 metres with another piledriving run. The kick dispatched, Ulster pressed again on 50 minutes, a well-marshalled rolling maul earning another penalty five metres from home. Possession secured from the lineout, muscular carrying from Williams created the space for Herbst to stretch over for the score. McCloskey's conversion missed, and with Williams soon hobbling off to be replaced by Clive Ross, the game lapsed into a temporary lull until Ospreys flanker Joe Bearman saw yellow for a tip-tackle on Luke Marshall on the hour mark. With Ulster now circling like vultures to kill off the contest and secure the bonus point, a lapse in concentration saw a quickly-taken tap penalty almost let the Ospreys in for the try, only prevented by good covering from wise owl Trimble as scrum-half Tom Habberfield kicked invitingly over the try-line for his runners. Once Trimble had exited to a rapturous ovation on 70 minutes, making way for David Shanahan, Ulster weathered the final Ospreys storm, and it was a pacy ...