Craig Gilroy made a triumphant return from long-term injury, inspiring Ulster to a bonus-point win over Ospreys in their Guinness PRO14 opener.

Gilroy, plagued by a back injury for the last 11 months, twice gathered Billy Burns cross-field kicks to dot down as his side opened with a convincing victory.

Ulster were beaten just once on home soil in the Guinness PRO14 last season and while a fast start fuelled optimism, Ospreys couldn’t build on Dan Evans’ early score.

Key Moments

Only Leinster and Munster conceded fewer Guinness PRO14 tries than these two sides last season, but it didn’t take long for Ospreys to make the breakthrough.

Price, increasingly instrumental in the absence of Gareth Anscombe and after the departure of Sam Davies, kicked an early penalty and then slipped Dan Evans in for the full-back to make it 8-0.

Ulster looked rattled and coughed up possession from a rolling maul but Burns took control, taking the ball off the top of a lineout and cross-kicking for Gilroy to run in unchallenged.

Morgan’s sin-binning for offside was the turning point and Ulster plundered two tries in the space of ten minutes, No.8 Greg Jones burrowing over before new signing Matt Faddes extended the lead out wide.

With Price withdrawn after a head injury and centre Cory Allen hobbling off, Ospreys toiled and Burns was at it again, chipping 40 metres across field for Gilroy to do the honours.

The scoreline was made more emphatic with Ulster awarded a penalty try after Morgan nudged a player chasing a grubber kick and was given a second yellow card.

Man of the Match

New lock Sam Carter was mightily impressive in the engine room, but Burns was the master builder behind Ulster’s thumping opening statement.

His half-back partnership with John Cooney was the toast of the Guinness PRO14 last season and Burns dampened Price’s emerging influence with expert use of the boot.

Play of the Day

Price’s booming penalty kick from fully 50 metres with time ticking at the end of the first half was genius.

But it was Burns’ perfectly-judged kick to set up Gilroy for his second try, with the attack threatening to lose direction in the midfield, that got the biggest roar from the Kingspan faithful.