IT WAS VIRTUALLY one-way traffic tonight at the Kingspan Stadium as Ulster cruised to a seven-try demolition of Benetton Treviso, with Craig Gilroy’s virtuoso score an absolute scorcher.
Andrew Trimble had made all the pre-match headlines as he prepared to run out for a record-breaking 190th cap, but it was his fellow wing Gilroy – author of two tries, one a stunning solo effort – who stole the show.
Scrum-half Paul Marshall added a characteristically inventive try, and scoring forwards Dan Tuohy, Sean Reidy, Peter Browne and Lewis Stevenson all chipped in with muscular illustrations of the power of their side’s maul.
Trimble was in action as early as the second minute, kicking and chasing toward the right-hand corner flag, then forcing full-back Jayden Hayward into touch as he recuperated the ball under pressure.
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Presseye / Darren Kidd/INPHO
Presseye / Darren Kidd/INPHO / Darren Kidd/INPHO
Ulster kicked a subsequent penalty to touch and persistence from their forwards along the five-metre line – with virtually everyone from one to eight getting hands on ball as play spread left to right – saw Tuohy touch down on seven minutes, converted by Stuart McCloskey.
The hosts’ makeshift kicker added a penalty to his tally moments later, and as Hayward fluffed his lines with a chance for three points on the quarter-hour mark, Luke Marshall acrobatically vaulted a lunging tackle on the right touchline to set up the next Ulster attack.
It came to naught as McCloskey screwed an eventual penalty wide, but a pacy burst from Peter Nelson and well-drilled rolling maul soon got Reidy in for his first try in provincial colours.
McCloskey again added the extras before yet another driving lineout took Ulster close to the line, only for tighthead Rupert Harden to infringe and book himself ten minutes in the bin – soon to be joined by number eight Roberto Barbieri as the Italians repeatedly resorted to foul means to obstruct the Ulster progress.
The inevitable third try came once Treviso eventually allowed the set-piece to proceed, Paul Marshall fishing out of the back of the scrum and exposing the two-man gap to scamper over himself.
Gilroy provided the coup de grâce just before the break, picking up from Trimble on his own 10-metre line and scything his way through six would-be tacklers to secure the bonus point and treat the Kingspan Stadium to one of the finest individual tries seen in recent years.
Treviso responded brightly as the second half opened, out-half Sam Christie capping a good five-minute spell of pressure to stretch over for his side’s first points, converted by Hayward.
The try proved just the wake-up call Ulster needed, as yet another lineout push on 55 minutes made the space for Browne to pick up from Roger Wilson, halted by the tackle two metres from home, and dive between the posts.
Gilroy added the sixth just after the hour mark off McCloskey’s diagonal run and short pass and, after Nelson this time had converted off the upright, a new-look Ulster with all eight replacements onfield powered their way to another mauling try – Stevenson’s very first in his five seasons with the province.
Ulster scorers:
Tries: Craig Gilroy (2), Dan Touhy, Sean Reidy, Paul Marshall, Peter Browne, Lewis Stevenson (1 each)
Conversions: Stuart McCloskey (3), Peter Nelson (2)
Penalties: Stuart McCloskey (1)
Treviso scorers:
Tries: Sam Christie (1)
Conversions: Jayden Hayward (1)
Ulster: Louis Ludik; Andrew Trimble, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Craig Gilroy; Peter Nelson, Paul Marshall; Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring (capt), Wiehahn Herbst; Petr Browne, Dan Tuohy; Robbie Diack, Sean Reidy, Roger Wilson.
Replacements: Paul Jackson, Callum Black, Bronson Ross, Lewis Stevenson, Clive Ross, David Shanahan, Sam Arnold, Rory Scholes.
Benetton Treviso: Jayden Hayward; Ludovico Nitoglia, Tommaso Iannone, Andrea Pratichetti, Simone Ragusi; Sam Christie, Chris Smylie; Matteo Zanusso, Roberto Santamaria, Rupert Harden, Duncan Naude, Tom Palmer, Marco Barbini, Dean Budd, Robert Barbieri.
Replacements: Luca Bigi, Alberto de Marchi, Simone Ferrari, Jeff Montauriol, Andrea de Marchi, Abraham Steyn, Alberto Lucchese, James Ambrosini.
Ulster hammer Treviso on a special night for record breaker Trimble
Ulster 48
Treviso 7
Neil Carnduff at the Kingspan Stadium
IT WAS VIRTUALLY one-way traffic tonight at the Kingspan Stadium as Ulster cruised to a seven-try demolition of Benetton Treviso, with Craig Gilroy’s virtuoso score an absolute scorcher.
Andrew Trimble had made all the pre-match headlines as he prepared to run out for a record-breaking 190th cap, but it was his fellow wing Gilroy – author of two tries, one a stunning solo effort – who stole the show.
Scrum-half Paul Marshall added a characteristically inventive try, and scoring forwards Dan Tuohy, Sean Reidy, Peter Browne and Lewis Stevenson all chipped in with muscular illustrations of the power of their side’s maul.
Trimble was in action as early as the second minute, kicking and chasing toward the right-hand corner flag, then forcing full-back Jayden Hayward into touch as he recuperated the ball under pressure.
Ulster kicked a subsequent penalty to touch and persistence from their forwards along the five-metre line – with virtually everyone from one to eight getting hands on ball as play spread left to right – saw Tuohy touch down on seven minutes, converted by Stuart McCloskey.
The hosts’ makeshift kicker added a penalty to his tally moments later, and as Hayward fluffed his lines with a chance for three points on the quarter-hour mark, Luke Marshall acrobatically vaulted a lunging tackle on the right touchline to set up the next Ulster attack.
It came to naught as McCloskey screwed an eventual penalty wide, but a pacy burst from Peter Nelson and well-drilled rolling maul soon got Reidy in for his first try in provincial colours.
McCloskey again added the extras before yet another driving lineout took Ulster close to the line, only for tighthead Rupert Harden to infringe and book himself ten minutes in the bin – soon to be joined by number eight Roberto Barbieri as the Italians repeatedly resorted to foul means to obstruct the Ulster progress.
The inevitable third try came once Treviso eventually allowed the set-piece to proceed, Paul Marshall fishing out of the back of the scrum and exposing the two-man gap to scamper over himself.
Gilroy provided the coup de grâce just before the break, picking up from Trimble on his own 10-metre line and scything his way through six would-be tacklers to secure the bonus point and treat the Kingspan Stadium to one of the finest individual tries seen in recent years.
Treviso responded brightly as the second half opened, out-half Sam Christie capping a good five-minute spell of pressure to stretch over for his side’s first points, converted by Hayward.
The try proved just the wake-up call Ulster needed, as yet another lineout push on 55 minutes made the space for Browne to pick up from Roger Wilson, halted by the tackle two metres from home, and dive between the posts.
Gilroy added the sixth just after the hour mark off McCloskey’s diagonal run and short pass and, after Nelson this time had converted off the upright, a new-look Ulster with all eight replacements onfield powered their way to another mauling try – Stevenson’s very first in his five seasons with the province.
Ulster: Louis Ludik; Andrew Trimble, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Craig Gilroy; Peter Nelson, Paul Marshall; Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring (capt), Wiehahn Herbst; Petr Browne, Dan Tuohy; Robbie Diack, Sean Reidy, Roger Wilson.
Replacements: Paul Jackson, Callum Black, Bronson Ross, Lewis Stevenson, Clive Ross, David Shanahan, Sam Arnold, Rory Scholes.
Benetton Treviso: Jayden Hayward; Ludovico Nitoglia, Tommaso Iannone, Andrea Pratichetti, Simone Ragusi; Sam Christie, Chris Smylie; Matteo Zanusso, Roberto Santamaria, Rupert Harden, Duncan Naude, Tom Palmer, Marco Barbini, Dean Budd, Robert Barbieri.
Replacements: Luca Bigi, Alberto de Marchi, Simone Ferrari, Jeff Montauriol, Andrea de Marchi, Abraham Steyn, Alberto Lucchese, James Ambrosini.
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