Scarlets are destroyed by first half onslaught
WHEN the PRO14 fixtures were released, Scarlets must have envisaged a tough trip to the Kingspan with the game being played on the same weekend as a Welsh international match.
Those fears came to fruition as their weakened side were blown away by a breathtaking first half performance from Ulster.
Ulster head coach Dan McFarland said: “We were clinical in the first 30 minutes and physically dominant so we knocked them off kilter.
“It's frustrating that our performance slipped off as the game became a turgid mess and died so I'm glad we scored at the end as it made me feel a bit better.”
Fresh from two impressive wins in Europe, the hosts were able to rest internationals, Jacob Stockdale, Jordi Murphy and Iain Henderson, and did not miss them one iota as they had star performers almost everywhere.
All their first half starters deserved a mention but suffice to say, Marcell Coetzee and Kieran Treadwell were the leading lights up front with threequarters Stuart McCloskey and Robert Baloucoune huge threats to the visitors' defence.
New Welsh coach Wayne Pivac had done his former region a favour by releasing Steff Evans, Ryan Elias and Samson Lee from his squad, but it made no difference for if one picked a composite fifteen from the players on show, there would not be one Scarlet threatening selection.
Ulster had three tries on the board before Scarlets got out of their own half. First a strong run from Baloucoune and a welljudged kick from McCloskey set up a try for Matt Faddes.
Then a clever cross-fielded kick from Bill Johnston saw Baloucoune collect andmake ground with John Cooney on hand to dart over before Matthew Rea finished off a line-out drive.
MATCH STATS…
Scarlets stemmed the tide for all of ten minutes before McCloskey sent Baloucoune in for the bonus point with Uzair Cassiem simultaneously yellow carded for his side's persistent infringing.
Remarkably, Scarlets didn't concede in the absence of their flanker and their performance steadily improved as their opponents withdrew some of the leading lights and became careless.
With ten minutes remaining, Craig Gilroy was yellow carded for a high tackle for Scarlets to get their reward for a spirited second half effort with a try from replacement, Jac Morgan.
But Ulster had the final say with a second try for Faddes.
Star man
Kieran Treadwell – Ulster
TEAMS
ULSTER: Ludik 8 (Kernohan 65, 6), Baloucoune 9, Faddes 8, McCloskey 9, Gilroy 8, Johnston 7 (Curtis 71, 6), Cooney 8 (Shanahan 50, 6), Sullivan 7 (Warwick 65, 6), Herring (c) 8 (McBurney 50, 6), Moore 7 (O'Toole 58, 6,) A O'Connor 7, Treadwell 9, Rea 8 (D'O'Connor 71, 6), Coetzee 9 (Timoney 50, 6), Reidy 8
SCARLETS: S.Evans 6, Baldwin 4, Hughes (c) 5, Asquith 4, Williams 4 (Conibeer 61, 6), D Jones 4 (Lamb 40, 5), Hardy 5 (J Evans 47, 6), Price 5 (D Evans 50, 6), Elias 6, Lee 6 (Kruger 58, 6), Rawlins 5 (Cummings 34, 6), Lousi 5, Cassiem 5 (M Jones 65, 6), Macleod 6 (Morgan 61, 6), Thomson 5
REFEREE: Sam Grove-White (Sco)
ATTENDANCE: 12,319
