Ulster consolidate their table top position

Ulster's thumping five-try bonus point 32-12 win over the Cardiff Blues was a double reason to celebrate for coach Mark McCall.

A perfect prelude to Saturday's Heineken Cup opener with Toulouse at Ravenhill, it also copper-fastened a five points lead over Llanelli at the top of the Magners League.

Tries from Paddy Wallace, Neil Best and Bryn Cunningham, plus a brace from Andrew Trimble, left Cardiff, who had come into this game with eight changes from the side which defeated Saracens in the EDF Cup last weekend, bewildered and demoralised.

Dai Young's men had little chance of recording their first ever win at Ravenhill by having three players sin-binned, one of whom was sub Martyn Williams, in what proved to be a shambolic display ahead of their Heineken Cup trip to Bourgoin on Saturday.

Ulster, after a shaky start, ground their opponents down and a second half which saw them score 29 points sent an albeit weakened Blues packing.

With Ulster looking a bit stale, and David Humphreys having difficulty finding touch, it was hardly surprising that the Blues took an early lead.

From a long drop out, in the seventh minute, Lewis crashed through some non-existent Ulster tackling and then finished the move he had begun by wriggling over the line.

Nicky Robinson, as with his fourth-minute penalty attempt, was unable to bisect the posts.

Ulster needed to steady the ship and Humphreys landed an immediate penalty from the restart but the home side were soon in trouble again.

Only the speed of Andrew Maxwell saved the situation after Ed Fairhurst broke with ease from a scrum and chipped the struggling Ulster cover.

However, Maxwell then set off from under the posts and nearly gifted Jamie Robinson the softest of tries with a wild attempted pass to Paddy Wallace.

A missed touch from Nicky Robinson, four minutes before the half-hour, gave Ulster their chance and Andrew Trimble's strong running saw him brush off substitute Tom Shanklin with ease to begin a sweeping move which ended with Wallace getting the try.

Humphreys ended up pole-axed in giving the scoring pass and Wallace then failed to add the points while Humphreys was eventually hauled to his feet.

Still, Ulster now led 8-5 and 32 minutes in, with Cardiff being increasingly penalised, Ulster's pack took charge at a lineout near the Blues' line to maul their way over.

Neil Best got the score in the mayhem, which saw Matt McCullough forced to leave the field for attention to a head wound and Justin Harrison square up to James Goode.

Humphreys missed the two points and his team mates then failed to build on their 13-5 lead for the remainder of the half against a Blues outfit reduced to 14 men after 38 minutes due to the binning of prop John Yapp for persistently killing the ball.

The second half was all about Ulster turning the screw.

With the Blues barely restored to 15, Scott Morgan was binned after a sizeable brawl.