Rating figures appear in bolds before names

7. Jamie Heaslip (capt)

Captain’s role evident, particularly in the contact and over the ball, where he was relentless and technically excellent, but still no ground breaking carries.

8. Craig Gilroy

Swap to left wing seemed important. Exciting natural pace delivered a hat-trick and despite not being seriously tested in defence did more than enough to be trusted ahead of Andrew Trimble.

6. David Kilcoyne

First-half scrums were a mess with Llanelli’s bigger tighthead Deacon Manu providing another valuable lesson. Looks worth the long term investment.

6. Dan Tuohy

Worked the lineout reasonably well but didn’t do enough to match the veteran alongside him, especially in the collisions, as a clear Ireland secondrow pecking order has developed.

5. Mike Ross

Seemed under severe pressure from London Irish loosehead Jerry Yanuyanutawa but the cement hardened after the break. Bent’s arrival from Taranaki means he only needs to thrive for 50 odd minutes.

7. Donncha O’Callaghan

Timely reminder. His physicality will keep Ryan and McCarthy honest, doing enough to warrant a role off the bench in this weeks undoubted brawl against old friends the Pumas.

6. Darren Cave

Reinforced his credentials as a hard running centre without showing the X-factor of fellow Ulster backs to dislodge Keith Earls against Argentina.

6. Paddy Jackson

Durable, despite plenty of punishment, he benefited alongside another first receiver in Marshall but his 60 percent place-kicking return makes it easier for Kidney to persist with Ronan O’Gara.

7. Conor Murray

Still the number one scrumhalf by some distance. What he lacks in snappiness off the deck, he makes up for in authority behind an utterly dominant pack.

6.Iain Henderson

May need a few more kilos to become a permanent option at blindside but his energy in defence and footballing ability makes him a serious prospect as a lock.

6. John Muldoon

With actual openside flankers still ignored by management, Portumna’s finest was a nuisance until badly injured early in the second half, when Henry’s presence was immediately more noticeable.

6. Seán Cronin

It was the usual honesty from the Leinster hooker; plenty of hard yards as he continues to put pressure on Richardt Strauss for both club and country.

6. Denis Hurley

Solid, without ever being tested under difficult aerial probes, and entered the line efficiently without showing the menace to be a real threat to Simon Zebo.

6. Fergus McFadden

As a more natural winger in Gilroy sprinted ahead of him in the pecking order, he forced his way into the contest with an aggressive performance that yielded two tries.

8. Luke Marshall

A real find. Still behind Paddy Wallace in Ulster but his awareness, smooth hands, kicking option and even direct running makes him the first ever genuine challenger to Gordon D’Arcy.

Replacements

Strong argument for Zebo to start. Henry impressive over ball and unlucky to be sin-binned, while Healy and Bent got warm-up before this week’s scrum war.