Ulster 48 Treviso 7
Ulster really needed this one after their debacle at the Scarlets and on the night when Andrew Trimble made his 190th appearance to become their most capped player they delivered with some aplomb.
Seven tries to one were scored with Craig Gilroy bagging two and crossing for the score of the night in typical style.
Trimble failed to get on the scoresheet, and lasted an hour on his special night, but his team-mates certainly delivered with their other tries being delivered by Dan Tuohy, Sean Reidy, Paul Marshall, Peter Browne and Lewis Stevenson.
Ulster were just too powerful up front for Treviso to live with and this platform, allied to the Italians poor discipline - they were down to 13 men at the end of the first half - meant that there was never really much doubt about the outcome.
The first half was clearly one-way traffic and Treviso losing both Rupert Harden and Robert Barbieri to the bin in quick succession around the half hour mark always meant that Ulster were going to put their foot to the pedal.
Prior to that Dan Tuohy and Sean Reidy had got over and against 13-men, Paul Marshall and Craig Gilroy - the latter weaving his way through four defenders - crossed with the winger’s score racking up the bonus point just before the sides ran off at half-time.
Leading 27-0 - it might have been more had Stuart McCloskey been more accurate - at half-time, Treviso did get a try from Sam Christie early in the second half, but after that it was all Ulster.
Browne, Gilroy for his second, and Lewis Stevenson all crossed the Treviso line as Ulster moved up to third in the table overnight.
Scorers:
Ulster: Tries: C Gilroy 2, D Tuohy, S Reidy, P Marshall, P Browne, L Stevenson Cons: S McCloskey 3, P Nelson 2 Pens: S McCloskey
Treviso: Tries: S Christie Con: J Hayward
Ulster: L Ludik, A Trimble, L Marshall, S McCloskey, C Gilroy, P Nelson, P Marshall; A Warwick, R Herring (capt), W Herbst, P Browne, D Tuohy, R Diack, S Reidy, R Wilson
Replacements: C Black for A Warwick 55mins; L Stevenson for Browne 58mins; R Scholes for Trimble 61mins; D Shanahan for P Marshall 63mins; B Ross for Herbst, 65mins; Sam Arnold for McCloskey, 66mins C Ross for Diack, 68mins; P Jackson for Herring
Benetton Treviso: J Hayward, L Nitoglia, T Iannone, A Pratichetti, S Ragusi, S Christie, C Smylie; M Zanusso, R Santamaria, R Harden; D Naude, T Palmer, M Barbini, D Budd, R Barbieri
Replacements: J Montauriol for N Duncan 48mins, A De Marchi for M Zanusso and A De Marchi for M Barbini both 53mins; J Ambrosini for I Tommaso, 65mins; A Steyn for T Palmer 66mins
Yellow card: R Harden 29mins, R Barbieri 34mins
Ref: L Linton (SRU)
