Classy Ulster make the most of their good start
ULSTER produced the perfect response after the sacking of their head coach Dan McFarland as they shredded Dragons at Kingspan Stadium.
Ulster had the bonus point in the bag by the 33rd minute and were full value for their 28-7 interval lead after producing some top class rugby.
Ulster knew the value of a good start and they duly delivered with a Billy Burns grubber sitting up perfectly for Will Addison to collect and score. John Cooney slotted the conversion from the right wing and the tone for the night was set.
But Dragons sustained the next few attacks and then countered for hooker James Benjamin to drill over after several surges, with Will Reed converting to tie the game after 13 minutes.
However, prospects of a tight game soon disappeared as Ulster turned the screw. Addison and David McCann combined and Mike Lowry, revelling on the wing, did the rest to race in and score another converted try.
Dragons went into the contest with 20 players unavailable and suffered a further blow when flanker Harry Taylor went off injured midway through the first half.
Their plight got worse nine minutes later when lock Harry Sheridan got the try after a sustained bout of pressure, and the bonus point was secured seven minutes from the break despite there being a hint of a forward pass from Jude Postlethwaite as he put Lowry through for his second. Cooney landed his fourth conversion.
Matthew Screech gave Dragons a glimmer of hope when he finished off a sustained barrage with a try under the posts but Reed somehow hit the woodwork with the conversion.
Both sides emptied their benches and the game became disrupted but David McCann scored out wide after Ulster worked the ball through the hands well to lead 35-12 going into the final quarter.
Replacement hooker Brodie Coghlan gave Dragons hope of securing a try bonus point when he scored his first try in 15 appearances for them with 15 minutes left on the clock.
Ulster hit back with Nick Timoney finishing off a fine move before McCann got his second, and Dragons snatched a bonus point with a late penalty try which saw Timoney yellow carded.