The home side routed bottom placed Borders, who fell to their seventh league defeat with stand-in outside -half Paddy Wallace scoring 16 points from five conversions and two penalties.

The game was over as a contest before half time by which time Ulster had already scored a bonus point from crossing the visitors’ line four times.

After turning round 32-0 in front, Ulster could only manage two further tries in a second half which they continued to dominate.

Ulster, playing with the elements, struck first with a well-worked try from Bryn Cunningham. Paddy Wallace, standing in following the late withdrawal of Adam Larkin, kicked the conversion to give Ulster a 7-0 lead after seven minutes.

Two well-struck Wallace penalties followed before Ulster struck again with a 25th-minute score from Ryan Constable which was again converted by Wallace to make it 20-0 to the home side.

Ulster further stretched their lead when skipper Andy Ward smashed over for an unconverted try three minutes after the half hour and on half-time the home side registered their bonus point when Constable got over for his second. Wallace converted and Ulster led 32-0 at the break.

Ward crossed for his second 17 minutes after the restart which Wallace again converted to take it to 39-0.

The Borders did get on the scoreboard with a late breakaway consolation try from Nikki Walker which Tanner Vili failed to convert.

Ulster, though, finished the night with an injury-time score from replacement hooker Paul Shields. Wallace landed his fifth conversion to complete the scoring.