This was a story of Connacht rather than the European champions Ulster. Beaten into a state near humiliation thus far, it may not have been a match the visitors to Ravenhill were ever going to win. But it had become an exercise in restoring some honour to the western province.
Before the match the talk was of nine tries going in against them, as Leinster had managed in their last outing. That wicked thought was dismissed out of hand. But, as it happened, Ulster were mighty close to inflicting the same torture before Connacht changed the complexion of the match to register a small but significant step towards rehabilitation.
The front eight can take a bow. In fairness to the vanquished, who were largely overwhelmed in the first 60 minutes, they did produce a 12-minute phase at the end of the first half where their efforts were unfortunate not to be rewarded.
Settled on the Ulster line and opting to run the ball rather than roll up kicker Eric Elwood, Ulster were forced to combine infringements with ferocious defending to get out of it.
In the end, referee Bertie Smith blew for the end of the half, adding little or no injury time, leaving many in the crowd feeling he might have let the ball go dead first - or wait until Ulster conceded a penalty try, which is where they were heading.
But, in effect, Smith's whistle for the break signalled the end of the contest, not just the first half, as Ulster went in 23-3 ahead. Had the teams turned 23-10 it might have let in a little light for Connacht.
Two more tries in the opening exchanges took Ulster to 37-3, and was cushion enough for a relaxed finish. Yes, Ulster did sit back while Connacht made good, but as the scores crept up to 3722 and, just that little closer, Ulster again turned the screw with their sixth try of the match.
Ulster's strength came from their open play, and with left wing Spencer Bromley in such athletic form, they were as attractive as effective.
Bromley went over twice in the first half, with a Mark Blair try sandwiched a try in between. He shuffled free from a rolling maul which had made the hard yards on the left to the Connacht line. It was then just 21 minutes into the match and nine tries looked a possibility.
Tony McWhirter added another before Jan Cunningham finished off another Bromley gallop down the left flank for the fifth.
Cunningham's score sparked the revival. Controlled but on the back foot, Ulster conceded ground and scores.
Tries from number eight Martyn Steffert and centre Matt Mostyn, and a penalty try, took the visitors to within respectable range, before Ulster and Irish backrow Andy Ward horsed over on the whistle to secure Ulster's qualification for next year's European Cup.
Scoring sequence: 7 mins: S Bromley try 5-0; 15: E Elwood pen 5-3; 16: S Mason pen 8-3; 20: M Blair try 13-3; 21: Bromley try, Mason con 20-3; 32: Mason pen 23-3. 49: T McWhirter try, Mason con 30-3; 50: J Cunningham try, Mason con 37-3; 54: M Steffert try 37-8; 59: M Mostyn try, E Elwood con 37-15; 77: penalty try, con E Elwood 37-22; 82: A Ward try, Mason con 44-22.
ULSTER: S Mason; J Topping, J Cunningham, J Bell, S Bromley; D Humphreys (capt), S Bell; J Fitzpatrick, A Clarke, S Best, P Johns, M Blair, E Miller, A Ward, T McWhirter. Replacements: S McKinty for E Miller (40 mins); G Longwell for M Blair (62 mins); N Malone for D Humphreys (66 mins).
CONNACHT: S Allnut; P Duignan, M Mostyn, N Deane, N Carolan; E Elwood, S McIvor; J Maher, S McDonald, M Cahill, G Webster, M McConnell, C Rigney, E Brennan, M Steffert. Replacements: B Gavin for C Rigney (50 mins); D Mescal for S McIvor (79 mins).
Referee: B Smith (Munster).
