The disparity on the scoreboard does scant justice to Connacht's bravery, particularly in the second half when they enjoyed a significantly greater share of the ball. What it does illustrate is that when a team fails to translate possession into points their vulnerability becomes pronounced.
Connacht huffed, puffed, ran out of steam and subsequently made a plethora of errors, usually in sight of the Connacht posts. Searing breaks by the excellent Conor McGuinness, Mervyn Murphy and James Duffy inevitably culminated in a Connacht player prone in not-so-splendid isolation.
The western province's version of catch-up rugby tinged with desperation facilitated Ulster's two second-half tries, the first of which guaranteed an extra point and with it second place in the Guinness Interprovincial Championship.
Ulster started in rip-roaring fashion and produced passages of sustained excellence, epitomised by vision, powerful running and creation of clever angles. None epitomised these values more than international flanker Andy Ward, who enjoyed an immense evening.
His ability to fend off tacklers and link with the supporting runners created space for others as well as conjuring a brilliant try of his own, the opening salvo in the match. Eric Miller's debut was an auspicious one, appearing remarkably sharp for one who previously languished in Leicester limbo.
Ulster's pack, to a man, relished the encounter while in Stephen Bell the province enjoyed a feisty presence at scrum-half. Connacht targeted out-half David Humphreys, but the Ulster captain never flinched in the tackle, indeed bringing off two try-saving hits on Simon Allnut and Ian Dillon.
Humphreys' willingness to move the ball wide brought the strong-running Clinton van Rensburg and the peerless Jonathan Bell into the match: however, neither managed to carve out definitive breaks.
Bell's contest with Pat Duignan was keenly contested with honours probably even, but only Willie Ruane and Nigel Carolan should be satisfied with their contributions behind the scrum.
The Connacht pack secured plenty of primary possession, through the hardworking Jimmy Duffy, but despite reasonably good phases of continuity, they lacked the dynamism and control to finish off fine approach work. A tendency to turn over possession, albeit by dint of some positive defence on Ulster's part, provided an even greater handicap.
Ulster coach, Harry Williams, was somewhat bemused in victory, delighting in the win and its return in championship terms, but conceding that the match had been punctuated by errors. "We were very loose at times, as were Connacht and there were a great deal of turnovers.
"I impressed upon the players the need to cut out the loose stuff. That was not the gameplan. We wanted to concentrate on re-cycling ball up front and tie them down. At half-time I told the players no to panic, to stick with the pattern and it would come. It's great to win."
Ulster began positively and only a fine tackle by Alan Reddan on Jonathan Bell prevented a certain try. It merely forestalled the inevitable. On seven minutes Stephen Bell broke from a scrum inside his own half, made 20 metres before feeding Ward. The New Zealandborn flanker turned the Connacht rearguard one way then another before forcing his way over.
Mason kicked the conversion and added a penalty on 12 minutes. Connacht replied with an 18-metre penalty from Allnutt. The latter's loose punting was allowing Ulster to run the ball back dangerously, other than on the occasions when Mason lazily kicked away possession.
Mervyn Murphy was stopped by the vigilant van Rensburg, Duignan knocked on when running a cutback inside the Ulster 22 as Connacht rallied. Allnutt's second penalty proved a meagre reward as the home side grabbed two tries in six minutes. Stephen McKinty profited from a well-controlled driving maul to fall over the line after Gary Longwell had won a lineout five metres out.
Ward's powerful surge, bouncing two tacklers, set up a ruck close to the line and Stephen Bell fed James Topping on the short side to cross unopposed, Mason converted the second of the brace. Ulster's over anxiousness and their opponents' stubborn resistance provided an open if errorstrewn brand of rugby and it was not until the 70th minute and hooker Allen Clarke's try, Ulster's fourth, that euphoria gripped the 7,000-strong Ravenhill crowd.
Mason posted the conversion, as he was to do again four minutes from time, when he crossed after Miller and Tony McWhirter had taken play to within a metre of the Connacht line.
Ulster began to showboat, assured of victory and the position of runners-up in the championship, as news filtered through from Donnybrook.
Scoring Sequence 7 mins: Ward try, Mason conversion, 7-0; 10: Allnutt penalty, 7-3; 12: Mason penalty, 10-3; 27: Allnutt penalty, 10-6; 31: McKinty try, 15-6; 36: Topping try, Mason conversion 22-6. Half- time: 22-6. 70: Clarke try, Mason conversion 296; Mason try, conversion 36-6.
ULSTER: S Mason; J Topping, J Bell, C van Rensburg, J Cunningham; D Humphreys (capt), S Bell; J Fitzpatrick, A Clarke, R Irwin, M Blair, G Longwell, S McKinty, E Miller, A Ward. Replacements: G Leslie for Irwin, 53 mins; T McWhirter for McKinty, 61 mins; R Weir for Clarke, 71 mins; S Coulter for Cunningham, 83 mins.
CONNACHT: W Ruane; N Carolan, P Duignan, M Murphy (capt), A Reddan; S Allnutt, C McGuinness; J Screene, B Mulcahy, M Cahill, J Duffy, G Heaslip, J Charlie, B Gavin, I Dillon. Replacements: J Maher for Cahill, 46 mins; J Casserley for Charlie, 67 mins; N Culliton for Dillon, 76 mins.
Referee: D McHugh (Munster).
