Ulster 38 Dragons 13: The beaming smile on the face of Matt Williams at the final whistle said it all. After all the gloom of Ulster's annus horribilis, Ravenhill was rocking like days of old last night as Williams's tenure opened with a six-try rout of the Dragons to move the province off the bottom of the Magners League.
The bonus-point victory, only Ulster's third win from 16 games in all competitions, moves Williams's side one point clear of Connacht, who travel to the Neath-Swansea Ospreys tonight.
The Dragons will look to the red card for Adam Black for a head-butt in the 48th minute when Ulster were only 7-6 in front thanks to a converted try by Ryan Caldwell to two penalties by Ceri Sweeney.
But from that point on the Dragons' effort collapsed. Further touchdowns by Rory Best, Bryn Cunningham, Isaac Boss, Simon Danielli and Paddy Wallace completed the rout, while the impressive Niall O'Connor slotted four conversions.
The Dragons finished the scoring spree with a try by Phillip Dollman but it did not spoil the Ravenhill party.
Ulster spent most of the first 10 minutes camped in their own half, putting out fires across the pitch as the Dragons probed the wide channels. But the visitors failed to apply the pressure on the scoreboard. First wing Richard Fussell knocked on just five metres out as the Ulster defence looked stretched.
An even better chance was wasted as lock Adam Jones failed to ground the ball over the line following a sharp break by scrumhalf Andrew Williams, who raced through a gaping hole in the home side's lineout.
As it was, the Dragons could muster only a penalty by Sweeney in the 10th minute for their efforts, and Ulster soon made their opponents pay.
O'Connor, the 20-year-old outhalf, almost squeezed over in the corner from a blindside raid. And although the TMO ruled no try, Ulster soon had the lead. A chip and chase by Danielli sent Cunningham clear before an offload by Tommy Bowe put Caldwell over in the 26th minute, with O'Connor converting.
Yet despite Ulster's purple patch, in which Danielli was a constant danger, the Dragons went into the break just a point behind after a second Sweeney penalty on the stroke of half-time.
The Dragons made their task all the more difficult when prop Adam Black was sent off for dangerous play just eight minutes in the second half. Ulster turned the screw. O'Connor kicked a penalty to the corner and a clever move saw Kieron Dawson swoop to the blindside and Rory Best charge over in the corner for Ulster's second try in the 54th minute.
Ulster were now in their pomp and another strong midfield burst by Bowe and superb hands by Wallace put Cunningham over in the 62nd minute, O'Connor again converting.
Boss clinched the bonus point in the 69th minute, picking up Steinmetz's loose pass after Wallace's break up the right to dive under the posts.
Danielli then capped a fine display by racing over for Ulster's fifth try in the 75th minute. Wallace finished off a superb solo try, and the injury-time touchdown by Phillip Dollman for the Dragons, which was converted by Aled Thomas, mattered little.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 10 mins:C Sweeney pen, 3-0; 26:R Caldwell try, N O'Connor con, 7-3; 39:Sweeney pen, 7-6; 54:R Best try, O'Connor con, 14-6; 62:B Cunningham try, O'Connor con, 21-6; 69:I Boss try, O'Connor con, 28-6; 75:S Danielli try, 33-6; 79:P Wallace try, 38-6; 80:P Dollman try, A Thomas con, 38-13.
ULSTER:B Cunningham; M McCrea, T Bowe, P Steinmetz, S Danielli; N O'Connor, I Boss; B Young, N Brady, D Fitzpatrick; J Harrison, R Caldwell; N Best, K Dawson, S Ferris. Replacements:R Best for Brady (40 mins); P Wallace for McCrea (42 mins); J Fitzpatrick for D Fitzpatrick (66 mins); P Marshall for Boss, C Del Fava for J Harrison, M McCullough for Best (all 70 mins).
NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS:M Thomas; G Wyatt, P Emerick, A Smith, R Fussell; C Sweeney, A Williams; A Black, B Daly, L Harrison; A Jones, P Sidoli; A Hall, R Parks, M Owen. Replacements:G Robinson for A Jones (50 mins); S Jones for Daly (55 mins); P Dollman for Fussell, A Thomas for Sweeney (both 67 mins). Red card: A Black (48 mins)
Referee: N Owens(WRU)
