It was another blistering performance from the home side as they made it three successive wins over Irish opposition and bagged their fourth bonus point in six games.
Despite the return of Irish Rugby World Cup squad members Isaac Boss, Paddy Wallace and Bryan Young at the start, and then Rory Best at the start of the second half, Ulster slumped to their third successive league defeat to remain rooted to the bottom of the table.
Stradey Park has never been a happy hunting ground for the Irish side and they had to concede 76% of the territory and 56% of the possession in a first-half in which the home side conjured up three great tries.
Ulster began brightly, charging down a nervous Rhys Priestland clearance in the opening minute before taking the lead with a 12th minute penalty from Paddy Wallace after Vernon Cooper had been caught not rolling away in the tackle.
The combination of Young and Tom Court in the front row caused some early difficulties for the home pack but, after Priestland had levelled the scores after 16 minutes with a penalty of his own, it became almost one-way traffic.
A long, cut-out pass by Priestland sent Matthew Watkins racing clear on the overlap for his league record breaking 29th try, overtaking Leinster’s Denis Hickie – and then Tommy Bowe’s break out score was quickly eclipsed.
A long throw over the top of a line-out deep in the Ulster half dropped into Seamus Mallon’s hands and his inside pass sent Bowe racing 60 metres to score. That was the one highlight of an otherwise grim half for the visitors.
Two minutes later back row man Jon Edwards raced clear for his third league try in two games and, moments after Neil McMillan had been sent to the sin-bin for not rolling away in the tackle, the Scarlets’ pack drove prop Deacon Manu over for their third try.
The red raiders bagged another try, and their fourth bonus point of the season, just before McMillan re-emerged 10 minutes into the second half. After stretching the Ulster defence to the limit for five minutes, Wales wing Mark Jones eased his way past Young in the shadow of the posts to cross for a try that Priestland again converted.
The only other points of a half in which Ulster at least gained some composure came from Priestland’s boot to earn him the Man of the Match award in front of the on-looking Wales Caretaker Coach Nigel Davies.
Scarlets:
Tries: M Watkins, J Edwards, D Manu, M Jones
Cons: R Priestland (3)
Pen: R Priestland (2)
Ulster:
Try: T Bowe
Pen: P Wallace
Scarlets: Morgan Stoddart (Ceiron Thomas 75); Nathan Brew (Mark Jones 31), Regan King, Gavin Evans, Matthew Watkins; Rhys Priestland, Liam Davies (Gavin Cattle 75); Iestyn Thomas, Ken Owens, Deacon Manu (Bruce Douglas 64), Vernon Cooper, Adam Eustace (Lou Reed 71), James Bater (Capt), Jonathan Edwards, Nathan Thomas (Dafydd Jones 64)
Ulster: Bryn Cunningham; Mark Bartholomeusz, Tommy Bowe, Seamus Mallon (Niall O’Connor 56), Simon Danielli (Mark McCrea 69); Paddy Wallace, Isaac Boss (captain); Bryan Young, Nigel Brady (Rory Best 41), Tom Court (Justin Fitzpatrick 49), Justin Harrison, Carlo Del Fava (Tim Barker 64), Matt McCullough, Neil McMillan, Stephen Ferris (Roger Wilson 49).
Yellow Card: Neil McMillan 39
Referee: Malcolm Changleng (Scotland)
