Ulster - 46 Borders - 6 Ulster easily registered their seventh Celtic League win to stay top of the table when crushing The Borders at Ravenhill last evening.
The home side scored six tries as Borders fell to their seventh league defeat and stand-in out-half Paddy Wallace scored 16 points from five conversions and two penalties.
The game was over as a contest before half-time, by which time Ulster had already scored a bonus point from crossing the visitors' line four times.
After turning round 32-0 in front, Ulster continued to dominate throughout the second half - though they could only manage two further tries.
Ulster, playing with the elements at their back, struck first with a well-worked try from full back Bryn Cunningham.
Paddy Wallace, recently returned from the World Cup and standing in following the late withdrawal of Adam Larkin, kicked the conversion to give Ulster a 7-0 lead after seven minutes.
Two well-struck Wallace penalties followed before Ulster struck again with a 25th-minute score from the prolific Ryan Constable which was again converted by Wallace to make it 20-0 and by now the table-toppers were cruising.
Ulster further stretched their lead when skipper and back-row forward Andy Ward smashed over for an unconverted try three minutes after the half hour.
And just before half-time the home side made sure of their bonus point when Constable got over for his second touchdown.
Wallace added the conversion and Ulster led 32-0 at the break.
The excellent Ward crossed for his second try 17 minutes after the restart which Wallace again converted to take the score out to 39-0.
The Borders finally managed to get on the scoreboard thanks to a late breakaway consolation try from wing Nikki Walker which full back Tanner Vili failed to convert.
Ulster, though, resumed normal service and finished the night with an injury-time score from replacement hooker Paul Shields.
Wallace landed his fifth conversion to complete the scoring.
SCORERS
ULSTER - Tries: Cunningham, Constable 2, Ward 2, Shields. Conversions: Wallace 5. Penalties: Wallace 2. BORDERS - Tries: Walker.
ULSTER: Cunningham; Topping, Constable, Steinmetz, Howe; Wallace, Doak; S Best, Sexton, Moore, Mustchin, Frost, Ward, N Best, Wilson.
BORDERS: Vili; N Walker, Morton, Utterson, Murray; Laidlaw, Cusiter; Todd, Ford, Douglas, MacLeod, Stewart, Rennick, Feather, Sititi.
Referee: N Owens (Wales).
