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Pro14: Ulster 52-25 Dragons

Last updated on .From the section Irish Rugbycomments23

Ulster maintain winning start to Pro14 as they hammer dismal Dragons
Pro14: Ulster v Dragons
Ulster (33) 52
Tries: McCloskey, Nelson, Penalty, Timoney 2, Herbst, Stockdale, Shanahan Cons: Nelson 5, Herron
Dragons (13) 25
Tries: Buckley, Blacker, Talbot-Davies Cons: Jones, O'Brien Pens: Jones 2

Ulster maintained their winning start to the Pro14 as they earned a thumping eight-try win over the Dragons.

Bernard Jackman made 13 Dragons changes from the win over Connacht and his side were overwhelmed at Kingspan Stadium.

Tries from Stuart McCloskey, Peter Nelson, Nick Timoney and a penalty try quickly secured Ulster's bonus point.

Timoney, Wiehahn Herbst, Jacob Stockdale and Dave Shanahan added further tries as Rhys Buckley, Dane Blacker and Will Talbot-Davies replied.

Les Kiss happy with Ulster's display in demolition of Dragons

Ulster could have scored several more tries as the second-half touchdowns from replacements Blacker and Talbot-Davies gave the scoreline a better look for the Dragons.

With Leinster surprising losing against the Cheetahs in South Africa, Ulster's win moves them to the top of Conference B in the new-format competition.

Ulster quickly take control at Kingspan

Charles Piutau's strong running helped quickly take the game out of the Dragons' reach as the home side were able to punch holes in the opposition defence with ease.

Rodney Ah You's ferocious appetite for work was also a feature of Ulster's display while former Blackrock College student Timoney's two tries came in only his second appearance for the province.

Dragons: Heavy Ulster defeat part of learning process, says Bernard Jackman

Piutau's burst helped set up McCloskey's third-minute opener and after Dorian Jones' penalty reply, Nelson punished more woeful Dragons defending to increase Ulster's advantage to 12-3 by the 12th minute.

A line-out maul quickly yielded Ulster's penalty try and with Lloyd Fairbrother sin-binned following the third touchdown, another Piutau charge set up Timoney's bonus-point-clinching try by the 26th minute.

With Ah You temporarily off after being cut, his replacement Herbst notched Ulster's fifth try before Buckley replied just before the interval after a Dragons line-out maul.

Thretton Palamo's looked on despair as Jacob Stockdale pounces on his mistake
Dragons debutant Thretton Palamo's mistake gifted Ulster's sixth try to Jacob Stockdale

Palamo howler adds to Dragons woe

A howler by Dragons debutant Thretton Palamo gifted Ulster's sixth try to Stockdale shortly after the resumption as the USA international failed to ground a chip ahead by Tommy Bowe, allowing the young Ireland wing a simple score.

After Timoney notched his second try in the 49th minute, the edge inevitably went off Ulster's display as replacements Blacker and Talbot-Davies scored two of the game's final three touchdowns.

Replacement scrum-half Shanahan completed Ulster's scoring haul as the Irish province moved three points ahead of Leinster in Conference B.

To cap a successful night for Les Kiss' side, British & Irish Lions player Iain Henderson came off the bench late on to make his first appearance of the season.

Ulster: C Piutau; T Bowe, D Cave, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; P Nelson, P Marshall; K McCall, R Herring, R Ah You; R Diack, A O'Connor; C Ross, C Henry (capt), N Timoney. Replacements: J Andrew, A Warwick, W Herbst, I Henderson, M Rea, D Shanahan, B Herron, R Lyttle.

Dragons: C Meyer; A Hughes, T Palamo, P Howard, G Gasson; D Jones, O Leonard; T Davies, G Ellis, L Fairbrother; M Screech, R Landman; M Williams, O Griffiths (capt), R Blake. Replacements: R Buckley, P Price, B Harris, J Davies, L Greggains, D Blacker, A O'Brien, W Talbot-Davies.

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23 comments

  • Comment posted by triplejay, at 22:01 23 Sep 2017

    Dismal Dragons? Has that headline gone now, BBC? Aside from eye catching alliteration, I'm not sure that was the most perceptive analysis of a team that's just started the long hard slog back to respectability...

  • Comment posted by User0341286911, at 16:57 23 Sep 2017

    Plenty of negatives on here. I see improvements in the Dragons so far this season. They don't have the players or the investment coming through just yet but it's improving. I'm a Blues supporter so I know how long it takes to sort things out in South East Wales. Henson is still smooth as silk, even if he's not everyone's favourite he's as good as any other 10 in the South Wales Regions.

  • Comment posted by Jambo, at 04:47 23 Sep 2017

    On a positive note, at least we did score 3 tries........

  • Comment posted by Ponty10, at 06:35 23 Sep 2017

    This wasn't about the result, as Jackman had previously accepted a defeat against an in-form Ulster. The team selection was based on resting first team players for next week fixture against the Lions. Calculated I accept, but understandable in the circumstances. The performance may be the worrying factor though, as Jackman has not been shy in criticising players to date.

  • Comment posted by User0880396183, at 08:35 23 Sep 2017

    Well done Ulster ! Would have beaten the Dragons no matter what team they had out.

  • Comment posted by Zola, at 07:02 23 Sep 2017

    4 wins in 4! Going really well. For all the players we have lost / aren't available, we don't look like we are missing them at all! Fantastic team spirit and the kingspan is a great place to be these days !! Come on Ulster keep it going.

  • Comment posted by Hopalongprop, at 07:55 24 Sep 2017

    @18 - I'm afraid the standard of BBC reporting is pretty dismal. I think they're hacks who didn't quite make it in the tabloid press.
    Hopefully the Dragons will improve over the season - I'm always impressed by the support there.
    @17 agree on Henson & he always appears on these 'wasted talent' lists - x2GS & a Lion (unlucky for him '05) is pretty good. Shame about the reality TV years though

  • Comment posted by AnomanderRake, at 08:52 23 Sep 2017

    Better start to the season for Ulster than I imagined. Much tougher tests to come but nice to see some of the young guns getting a chance and taking them. Timoney was outstanding last night.

  • Comment posted by User0806457474, at 11:13 24 Sep 2017

    @14 . Ulster are a fine team yes, playing well thus far. I just hope they don't hit their usual up and down when it matters. Though after watching a Glasgow side without their big names (so was Munster).. I think this year the Warriors will be the team to beat. imo.

  • Comment posted by calvpup, at 10:03 23 Sep 2017

    Ulster seem to have a real knack of starting well each season. Unfortunately the wheels come off around November, let's hope that pattern isn't repeated this year. Some good young'uns coming through it seems.

  • Comment posted by tomsacold, at 16:54 23 Sep 2017

    Sensible player management by the Dragons coaching staff.

  • Comment posted by nick_tt, at 13:00 23 Sep 2017

    I'm not sure going to two teams is the answer but perhaps wales should be 3, merge the blues/dragons and see what happens.

    Dragons changed 13 but Ulster also changed 9 and had many untested players so it did show a big gap, but a one off game is not goo to judge...the cheetahs hammered Leinster after all, and Trevisso two in a row...sometimes bad games just happen

  • Comment posted by D1710552312165, at 20:09 24 Sep 2017

    To be honest, who doesn't enjoy seeing a Welsh region getting well pumped?

  • Comment posted by Hibbardski, at 08:13 24 Sep 2017

    @18 Wise words.

  • Comment posted by michael sira-parfitt, at 08:05 23 Sep 2017

    The Kingsley jones school of coaching and player management - didn't work last season won't work this.

  • Comment posted by User0576512429, at 09:58 23 Sep 2017

    The Welsh sides are soft and roll over easily when put under pressure. Too many content just to get a regional contract and put their feet up. Dragons are case in point. A glorified premiership team.

  • Comment posted by mundo, at 05:41 23 Sep 2017

    But no idea why jackman made 13 changes to a winning side. Don't deserve success if he thinks that is the way to win

  • Comment posted by jNe, at 13:58 24 Sep 2017

    Still says dismal on my screen so it hasn't been changed by BBC, and why would they?They WERE dismal, but also not helped by their own management. Leinster, Ulster and Munster's second strings will hammer any other second string except each other in the Pro14 because they're set up to be talent factories.Sending a team like that over basically says, 'here, have 5 points, we want you to have them".

  • Comment posted by Steve Duddridge, at 08:00 23 Sep 2017

    BJ hung the players out to dry. He basically told them they weren't good enough to beat Ulster. It was nothing but damage limitation from the off. Yes, I accept we need to be beating the teams around us but a losing bonus or 4 try bonus would've been handy.

  • Comment posted by Amad Ick, at 13:55 23 Sep 2017

    Very under-strength Ulster already looking like the best Pro14 team. Scoring many points and conceding few. I believe they are already the top scoring team in the league and once momentum is in place it is difficult to stop. So long as they can keep without injury they have a very good chance of winning the conference.