Llanelli stormed into the Heineken Cup quarter-finals with a record rout of Ulster in atrocious conditions. The game ended with sheets of torrential rain lashing into the home team's faces, but they had already been blown away by a Scarlets side that has impressively picked up a bonus point in each of their three away games in this group.
This wasn't as dramatic or spectacular as their December comeback in Toulouse, but before yesterday's heaviest home defeat in Europe Ulster had only been beaten once in their Ravenhill fortress in the past six years in the Heineken Cup. So winning well here was another major feather in Llanelli's cap.
Ulster's defeat by Biarritz a year ago was their last loss in any competition at their raucous Belfast base, but yesterday they missed the man who has been the inspiration for so many of their famous victories here, David Humphreys.
The injured Ireland veteran's deputy Paddy Wallace - who was also lost to injury by half time - was on target with a second-minute penalty to draw first blood for the hosts, and Stephen Jones couldn't reply into the wind from a similar spot soon afterwards.
Ulster went further ahead on the quarter-hour when the impressive Rory Best first intercepted a Regan King pass and linked with namesake Neil to take Ulster into Scarlets territory. Possession was turned over, but Best won it back on the ground, and scrum-half Kieran Campbell put in a delightfully delicate chip for powerful winger Tommy Bowe to surge on to. His momentum took him over in spite of the attentions of Mark Jones.
Wallace couldn't convert, but the force was with Ulster. However, they could not translate pressure into points, failing to capitalise either on field position or numerical advantage when Alix Popham was in the sin bin, with two line-out lapses proving particularly costly.
Popham's return was booed by the crowd, but the Ulster players did not appear to have noticed as the No 8 was left free to charge over on the left less than a minute later, Jones adding a fine conversion.
Paul Steinmetz kicked a good penalty in injury time, but only one try and a four-point advantage left Ulster with little cushion turning into the elements. A final flourish that yielded no reward ensured it would be a long second half for the hosts.
Llanelli immediately threatened on the resumption, mixing directness with good running lines, but Bowe touched down for a drop-out to relieve the first period of pressure and then got Ulster on the attack with a good run out of defence, which was followed by an Adam Larkin break and chip ahead.
Battling into torrential rain, the Ulster pack hammered away at the Llanelli line for several minutes before the greasy ball was eventually lost forward and, although they continued to press, nothing came of it.
Finally forced back to their own 22, Ulster pressed the self-destruct button with a couple of suicidal passes, and King picked off a try to which Jones added the extras. The Welsh then struck again six minutes later through rookie full-back Morgan Stoddart. There was only one team in it now and, after Lions scrum-half Dwayne Peel had scampered over in the left corner to secure the bonus point in the 80th minute, there was still time for Gavin Thomas to rub salt in the wounds with Llanelli's fifth try.
One of European rugby's fortresses had well and truly fallen, but with Llanelli on this form, no-one will want to go to Stradey Park in the last eight after the Six Nations.
Ravenhill 12,278
Ulster Bartholomeusz; Bowe, Trimble, Steinmetz (Maggs 59), McKenzie; Wallace (Larkin 38), Campbell; Young (Fitzpatrick 57), R Best (Shields 81), S Best (capt), Harrison (Barker 59), McCullough (Caldwell 75), N Best, Dawson, Wilson
Try Bowe
Pens Wallace, Steinmetz
Llanelli Stoddart; James, King, Gavin Evans, M Jones (Watkins 39); S Jones, Peel; I Thomas (J Davies 67), Rees, Manu, A Jones (Cooper 75), MacLeod, Easterby (capt), G Thomas, Popham (D Jones 73)
Tries Popham, King, Stoddart, Peel, G Thomas Cons S Jones 5
Referee J Jutge (France)
