Celtic League/Newport Dragons - 19 Ulster - 22: After 18 months of waiting for a win in Wales, all of a sudden Ulster have managed two in quick succession, Saturday's victory following the 25-22 win over the Cardiff Blues in the Arms Park two weeks ago.
Indeed the northern province couldn't buy a win anywhere on the road last season, and while it is too early to be carried away by their lofty position in the Celtic League, Mark McCall's side look an entirely more convincing outfit in the second year of his tenure.
It is no exaggeration to say this thrilling defeat of Newport Gwent Dragons, at a ground where Ulster had never previously come out on top, was the most impressive of McCall's tenure. The coach himself declared it the most satisfying result since he replaced Alan Solomons in the Ravenhill hot seat.
Given the context and the manner of the performance, it was easy to see why.
With talisman David Humphreys ruled out on the morning of the game by an ankle injury in the week that Paul Steinmetz had been ruled out for six weeks with a broken jaw, Ulster's backline had to endure major surgery at short notice.
Adam Larkin, without much rugby to speak of this season, stepped in at outhalf for Humphreys while Andrew Trimble joined Kevin Maggs in a new-look midfield and James Topping came on to the left wing.
One could almost hear the sighs of relief from the home supporters as the changes were announced just before kick-off.
Yet the most significant aspect of Ulster's opening victories at Cardiff and against Edinburgh in Belfast last week was a mental toughness that enabled them to overturn first a six-point and then a 10-point deficit with impressive second-half displays.
And on Saturday night they had to survive an even more severe test as they found themselves trailing by 16 points at the start of the second half at a ground where they had been royally tanked by 30 points in a pre-season friendly last year and against a side seeking a fourth successive win over them.
The Dragons had accumulated their lead through the boot of Craig Warlow, who knocked over a drop-goal and two penalties largely against the run of play in the first half, and a try under the posts by lock Ian Gough, who delivered what seemed the killer blow when finishing off a midfield burst by Hal Luscombe.
The visitors responded in a fashion that suggests a serious challenge for the Celtic League is in the offing, with a brace of tries in a six-minute spell to bring the contest alive.
Ulster's hugely impressive young backs Tommy Bowe and Andrew Trimble combined for the first, Trimble racing over after Bowe's midfield surge.
Then after going close with a driving maul from a lineout, flanker Neil Best showed good pace to finish off a massive overlap, Paddy Wallace adding a superb conversion.
Warlow and Wallace then swapped penalties only for Ulster to seize the moment five minutes from time with a second touchdown for Best from a front peel off a lineout.
With their noses in front for the first time in the match, all that was left was for Ulster to repel the inevitable kitchen sink from the Dragons and it took a highly discipline finish to close out their second victory on the road.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 4 mins: C Warlow drop-goal, 3-0; 22: Warlow pen, 6-0; 33: Warlow pen, 9-0; 47: I Gough try, Warlow con, 16-0; 48: A Trimble try, P Wallace con, 16-7; 54: N Best try, Wallace con, 16-14; 58: Warlow pen, 19-14; 61: Wallace pen, 19-17; 69: N Best try, 19-22.
NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS: K Morgan; G Wyatt, H Luscombe, J Bryant, L Hinton; C Warlow, G Baber; A Black, S Jones, R Thomas, I Gough, L Charteris, J Ringer, J Forster, R Bryan. Replacements: A Brown for Jones (40 mins); P Sidoli for Gough (66 mins); S Tuipulotu for Hinton (67 mins)
ULSTER: P Wallace; T Bowe, A Trimble, K Maggs, J Topping; A Larkin, K Campbell; J Fitzpatrick, R Best, S Best, J Harrison, M McCullough, N Best, N McMillan, R Wilson. Replacements: T Howe for Topping (63 mins); B Young for Fitzpatrick (74 mins)
Referee: M Changleng (SRU).
