Ulster too strong for Reivers
Belfast
August 19, 2000

Two tries apiece from newcomers Shane Stewart and Brad Free set up Ulster for a confidence-boosting victory over Edinburgh Reivers at Ravenhill.

Kiwi-born Stewart showed glimpses of class and will mean the injured international Jonathan Bell is going to have some fight to regain his place when he makes his expected return next week.

Ulster were superior in every department, and what was particularly pleasing was the tightness up front, an area which caused a lot of concern last season.

Ulster took a 20-8 half-time lead, with Free opening the scoring after a cheeky break around the blindside following a line-out drive.

Skipper David Humphreys weighed in with a penalty and then converted Stewart's opening try to push his side 15-0 ahead.

Reivers, outmanoeuvred for most of the half, managed a try by flanker Tom Weir and a penalty by Scotland's Duncan Hodge, but Free's second effort put Ulster into a comfortable lead.

Reivers put up some resistance at the start of the second half with Hodge landing his second penalty, but Ulster scored three excellent tries from James Topping, South African flanker Russell Nelson and Stewart, Humphreys converting the latter.

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