Coaches Harry Williams and Steph Nel will have learned little from this run-out at Ravenhill last night.
The three periods of 30 minutes made the game little more than a training spin with extra venom, with Connacht using 25 players and Ulster 26.
Few players really enhanced their reputations in the match - if one can call it that. It was salvaged somewhat by a fine individual try by Ireland winger Tyrone Howe nine minutes into the final period.
In the first period Connacht won far more possession but they still managed to lose it 7-5. They had opened the scoring with only 44 seconds on the clock and without an Ulster player laying a hand on the ball. Impressive flanker Johnny O'Connor made the initial burst upfield before lock Mark McConnell was at the end of a series of rucks to dive over.
Connacht then presented Ulster with their only real chance in the ninth minute when Sheldon Coulter picked up a wild pass 40 metres out to sprint in under the posts with Niall Malone converting.
Elwood restored Connacht's lead at the start of the second period with a straight-forward penalty. It was only then that Ulster began to motor and they forged ahead after an Andy Ward break when hooker Paul Shields twisted over the line for an unconverted try. In the third period we saw that wonderful try by Howe, who fielded a kick by Elwood on the Connacht 10-metre line, twisted away from two defenders and sprinted into the lefthand corner, indicating he has overcome his hamstring problems.
Ulster: G Henderson, S Stewart, J Bell, R Constable, S McDowell, J Topping, G Henderson, J Cunninghm, S Coulter, T Howe, N Malone, S Bell, B Free, J Fitzpatrick, A Clarke, A Ward, D Topping, T McWhirter, R Nelson, C McCarey, A Kearney, P Johns, M Blair, G Longwell, C Boyd, J Campbell, R Weir, P Shields.
Connacht: G Brady, M McConnell, M Swift, C Rigney, E Brennan, G Schoeman, D Rumney, D McFarland, M Smyth, J McVeigh, B Shebourne, M Murphy, J Screene, M Uijs, M Cahill, R Frost, I Dillion, J O'Connor, J Charlie, J Ferris, E Elwood, D Yapp, T Allnutt, S Stephens, P Duignan.
Referee: A Lewis (Leinster).
