Ulster thump the Stormers

Stormers head coach John Dobson had for some time spoken of this fixture as one that loomed large for the defending United Rugby Championship (URC) champions.

And so it proved for the visitors to Ravenhill Stadium who suffered a chastening 35-5 drubbing at the hands of Ulster who showed more energy and urgency throughout.

One could almost make the argument this defeat was well in the making and perhaps had less to do with the second string look Dobson had opted for in this clash.

The manner in which Ulster lost both matches against the Stormers last season rankled long in Belfast. In the first match crucial decisions from the match officials went against Ulster in Cape Town and when they returned for their semifinal clash they were denied by a last-gasp converted try.

Men on a mission

They started this match like a team on a mission, desperate to strike the first blow and set the tone for the match.

The Stormers, who showed nine changes from the side that beat Clermont Auvergne last weekend, found themselves on the back foot from the outset.

To be fair the portents weren't great from very early on.

They lost hooker JJ Kotze in the second minute and No8 Evan Roos in the 22nd to injury but it was a match in which they appeared a yard or two off the pace throughout.

Lock Ben Jason Dixon's banishment to the bin hardly helped their cause. As things stood they were struggling to plug all the gaps and soon enough Ulster added to their already considerable advantage.

It was often a scrappy affair in the first 20 minutes though with both teams guilty of imprecision, especially with their handling.

Putting in the hard yards

It was the hosts however who made the hard yards. Spurred on by a typically enthusiastic home crowd, Ulster's forwards brought the harder edge to the collisions and that gradually took its toll on the visitors.

It knocked the Stormers out of their stride and the tourists battled for rhythm and fluidity.

Some of the Stormers looked jittery which stood in stark contrast to several Ulstermen who played with fist-thumping assurance.

The big battle between Duane Vermeulen and Roos didn't really materialise. Roos left the field shortly after Ben Moxham scored Ulster's second try. The Springbok looked in discomfort almost immediately after Moxham touched down and he soon after departed the scene.

Ulster went into halftime with a 21-0 lead but not after flank Dan Davis was awarded a dubious try. How referee Mike Adamson saw a clear grounding will remain a mystery.

Support lines

There was no doubt about Ulster's dominance when tighthead prop Jeff Toomaga-Allen crossed for a try in the 48th minute. He ran a good support line to centre Stewart Moore who had again breached the first line of defence.

That bonus-point try shot the hosts into a 28-0 lead and the Stormers' wide defenders found themselves in no-man’s-land as Ulster surged up the left flank in the 57th minute allowing Mike Lowry to touch down.

Scorers:

Ulster (35) — Tries: Nathan Doak, Ben Moxham, Dan Davis, Jeff Toomaga-Allen, Mike Lowry. Conversions: Doak (4), John Cooney.

Stormers (5) — Try: Marcel Theunissen.

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