Rugby: Ulster stretch lead after Borders demolition job

Ulster 46 Borders 5

The pace-setters made light of the heavy rain which preceded the game and they completely demolished a poor Borders side in the tight, and tore them apart out wide, particularly in the first half.

However, with the strong wind at their backs, Borders came more into the game on the resumption.

Ulster went into the game with their third-choice fly-half after David Humphreys and his replacement Adam Larkin were late withdrawals through leaving Paddy Wallace to deputise with a fine performance.

Wallace was a pert as ever in landing seven kicks out of eight attempts and ran his three-quarter line with great aplomb.

It was Wallace who engineered his side into a first quarter lead with a brace of penalties and adding the points to a well-executed try by Bryn Cunningham after Ryan Constable had scythed through the Borders defence.

Ulster went further ahead in the 26th minute when the very impressive Kiwi Paul Steinmetz set up Ryan Constable for try number two after a neat jink that flat-footed the Borders defence.

Tyrone Howe was just short of another effort before a neat flick by scrum-half Neil Doak in the 32nd minute set up skipper Andy Ward.

On the stroke of half-time Ulster logged their bonus point when Constable grabbed his second try after Borders’ full-back Tanner Vili made a mess of a chip through by Steinmetz. The Borders stopped the flow on the resumption, but they still lacked any real penetration despite playing with the strong wind at their tails.

ULSTER: B Cunningham, J Topping, R Constable, P Steinmetz, T Howe, P Wallace, N Doak; S Best, M Sexton, R Moore, M Mustchin, R Frost, A Ward, N Best, R Wilson. Replacements: P Shields for Sexton (40), R Kempson for Moore (45), G Longwell for Mustchin (45), T McWhirter for Best (71), S Stewart for Constable (49), S Young for Steinmetz (71).

BORDERS: T Vili; N Walker, G Morton, K Utterson (capt), C Murray; C Laidlaw; C Cusiter; K Todd, R Ford, B Douglas, S MacLeod, C Stewart, A Rennick, C Feather, S Sititi. Replacements: M Landels for Ford (70), G Cross for Todd (73), D Weir for Stewart (52), I Fairley for Cusiter (70), J Stuart for Laidlaw (71), C Moir for Murray (45).

Referee: N. Owens (WRU).

Celtic League results: Celtic Warriors 19 Edinburgh 30; Glasgow 18 Llanelli Scarlets 31