Jono Gibbes' first match in charge at the Kingspan Stadium ended in a nine-try haul against a weak Southern Kings side, with prolific wingers Craig Gilroy and Rob Lyttle grabbing three and two scores respectively.
Seven conversions from John Cooney topped up further tries from Stuart McCloskey, Johnny McPhillips, Kieran Treadwell and Darren Cave as Ulster’s performance, while not perfect, showed better cohesion and illustrated a potent firepower.
The province remain in third place in Conference B of the Guinness Pro14 on 45 points, eight behind Leinster and three ahead of Edinburgh.
Ulster’s matchday 23 numbered no fewer than 10 full Ireland internationals despite absences due to the Six Nations and injury, among them centre Luke Marshall, making his first start since injuring his Achilles in October.
Marshall was joined in the backline by full-back Charles Piutau, wings Gilroy – recovered from a broken cheekbone – and Lyttle, centre McCloskey, and the half-back pairing of McPhillips, lining up for his first senior start, and Cooney.
Andrew Warwick, John Andrew and Wiehahn Herbst made up the front row, with tonight’s captain Alan O’Connor teaming with Treadwell in the second row, and a back row of flankers Matthew Rea and Sean Reidy either side of Number Eight Nick Timoney.
The first half found the Ulstermen dominant if not rampant against the markedly inferior South Africans, Gilroy the key man as he scored two tries and made another.
It was all Ulster straight from the off, Cooney and McPhillips putting the Kings’ backs under pressure with high balls, with Gilroy the first to go over on seven minutes off a fine pass from his scrum-half.
The Kings soon settled into the game after an uneasy first 10 minutes had seen their penalty count rise to four, full-back Masixole Banda kicking their first points on 15; but Ulster’s next attack proved even more lucrative, McCloskey brushing off two tackles to ground after Gilroy cut in from his wing to good effect.
Louis Ludik joined the fray at the start of the second quarter, taking over at full-back from Piutau, the recipient of a heavy blow in the tackle, before yet another injury saw Reidy limp off, replaced by Chris Henry.
Undeterred, Ulster closed out the half with their third try, Gilroy again the author after some more pinpoint passing from Cooney off the back of a rolling maul.
Half-Time Score Ulster 21 Southern Kings 3
A mere three minutes of the second period were needed for Ulster to secure the bonus point, McPhillips capping an assured performance with a try after Gilroy and Marshall combined at pace down the right wing.
McCloskey’s strength almost carried him over for his second moments later, but as the floodgates opened in the very next attack the centre’s long pass found Lyttle hugging the left touchline, and the winger did exceptionally well to stay in play as he resisted three tackles in his dive for the corner.
Try number six was all about the pace of McPhillips and Gilroy; the former starting the move deep in his own ‘22’ and weaving his way to half-way, and the latter sprinting to the corner from Cooney’s pass for the hat-trick.
Not to be outdone, Lyttle ran half the length of the field on the hour mark to claim his brace after an Ulster interception, but the moment proved bittersweet as the youngster appeared to suffer a strain in his final surge for the line, and limped off as Cooney shaped to strike the conversion.
Kings grabbed an intercept try of their own with 10 minutes to play, replacement Harlon Klaasen finishing off the breakaway move, but Ulster still had enough in the tank for another two: Treadwell sliding into the corner on 74 minutes before replacement Cave wove between the posts with three minutes remaining.
Next up for Ulster is the all-important third-versus-fourth clash with Edinburgh at the Kingspan on Friday 16 February.
Full-Time Score Ulster 59 Southern Kings 10
Ulster (15 – 9) Charles Piutau; Craig Gilroy, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Rob Lyttle; Johnny McPhillips, John Cooney
(1 – 8) Andrew Warwick, John Andrew, WIehahn Herbst, Alan O’Connor (c), Kieran Treadwell, Matthew Rea, Sean Reidy, Nick Timoney
Replacements (16 – 23) Rob Herring, Kyle McCall, Rodney Ah You, Matthew Dalton, Chris Henry, Jonny Stewart, Darren Cave, Louis Ludik
Southern Kings (15 – 9) Masixole Banda; Yaw Penxe, Berton Klassen, Luzuko Vulindlu, Anthony Volmink; Martin Du Toit, Rowan Gouws
(1 – 8) Schalk Ferreira, Mike Willemse (c), Pieter Scholtz, Stephan Greeff, Bobby De Wee, Anidisa Ntsila, Martinus Burger, Ruan Lerm
Replacements (16 – 23) Stephan Coetzee, Johan Smith, Dayan van der Westhuizen, Jurie van Vuuren, Eital Bredenkamp, Godlen Masimla, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Harlon Klassen
Seven conversions from John Cooney topped up further tries from Stuart McCloskey, Johnny McPhillips, Kieran Treadwell and Darren Cave as Ulster’s performance, while not perfect, showed better cohesion and illustrated a potent firepower.
The province remain in third place in Conference B of the Guinness Pro14 on 45 points, eight behind Leinster and three ahead of Edinburgh.
Ulster’s matchday 23 numbered no fewer than 10 full Ireland internationals despite absences due to the Six Nations and injury, among them centre Luke Marshall, making his first start since injuring his Achilles in October.
Marshall was joined in the backline by full-back Charles Piutau, wings Gilroy – recovered from a broken cheekbone – and Lyttle, centre McCloskey, and the half-back pairing of McPhillips, lining up for his first senior start, and Cooney.
Andrew Warwick, John Andrew and Wiehahn Herbst made up the front row, with tonight’s captain Alan O’Connor teaming with Treadwell in the second row, and a back row of flankers Matthew Rea and Sean Reidy either side of Number Eight Nick Timoney.
The first half found the Ulstermen dominant if not rampant against the markedly inferior South Africans, Gilroy the key man as he scored two tries and made another.
It was all Ulster straight from the off, Cooney and McPhillips putting the Kings’ backs under pressure with high balls, with Gilroy the first to go over on seven minutes off a fine pass from his scrum-half.
The Kings soon settled into the game after an uneasy first 10 minutes had seen their penalty count rise to four, full-back Masixole Banda kicking their first points on 15; but Ulster’s next attack proved even more lucrative, McCloskey brushing off two tackles to ground after Gilroy cut in from his wing to good effect.
Louis Ludik joined the fray at the start of the second quarter, taking over at full-back from Piutau, the recipient of a heavy blow in the tackle, before yet another injury saw Reidy limp off, replaced by Chris Henry.
Undeterred, Ulster closed out the half with their third try, Gilroy again the author after some more pinpoint passing from Cooney off the back of a rolling maul.
Half-Time Score Ulster 21 Southern Kings 3
A mere three minutes of the second period were needed for Ulster to secure the bonus point, McPhillips capping an assured performance with a try after Gilroy and Marshall combined at pace down the right wing.
McCloskey’s strength almost carried him over for his second moments later, but as the floodgates opened in the very next attack the centre’s long pass found Lyttle hugging the left touchline, and the winger did exceptionally well to stay in play as he resisted three tackles in his dive for the corner.
Try number six was all about the pace of McPhillips and Gilroy; the former starting the move deep in his own ‘22’ and weaving his way to half-way, and the latter sprinting to the corner from Cooney’s pass for the hat-trick.
Not to be outdone, Lyttle ran half the length of the field on the hour mark to claim his brace after an Ulster interception, but the moment proved bittersweet as the youngster appeared to suffer a strain in his final surge for the line, and limped off as Cooney shaped to strike the conversion.
Kings grabbed an intercept try of their own with 10 minutes to play, replacement Harlon Klaasen finishing off the breakaway move, but Ulster still had enough in the tank for another two: Treadwell sliding into the corner on 74 minutes before replacement Cave wove between the posts with three minutes remaining.
Next up for Ulster is the all-important third-versus-fourth clash with Edinburgh at the Kingspan on Friday 16 February.
Full-Time Score Ulster 59 Southern Kings 10
Ulster (15 – 9) Charles Piutau; Craig Gilroy, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Rob Lyttle; Johnny McPhillips, John Cooney
(1 – 8) Andrew Warwick, John Andrew, WIehahn Herbst, Alan O’Connor (c), Kieran Treadwell, Matthew Rea, Sean Reidy, Nick Timoney
Replacements (16 – 23) Rob Herring, Kyle McCall, Rodney Ah You, Matthew Dalton, Chris Henry, Jonny Stewart, Darren Cave, Louis Ludik
Southern Kings (15 – 9) Masixole Banda; Yaw Penxe, Berton Klassen, Luzuko Vulindlu, Anthony Volmink; Martin Du Toit, Rowan Gouws
(1 – 8) Schalk Ferreira, Mike Willemse (c), Pieter Scholtz, Stephan Greeff, Bobby De Wee, Anidisa Ntsila, Martinus Burger, Ruan Lerm
Replacements (16 – 23) Stephan Coetzee, Johan Smith, Dayan van der Westhuizen, Jurie van Vuuren, Eital Bredenkamp, Godlen Masimla, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Harlon Klassen