Ulster thrilled a large Ravenhill crowd with a crushing victory over European champions Munster last night.

Ulster, bottom of the Magners League and 15 points adrift of table topping Munster, desperately needed a good start, but it was the league leaders who drew fist blood with a Paul Warwick penalty.

Ian Humphreys — on for the injured Niall O’Connor — then levelled the match before Ulster’s Fijian wing Timoci Nagusa brought Ravenhill alive with a brilliant try after taking Wallace’s inside pass at speed.

Ulster were looking good and the large crowd were warming to their task.

Humphreys converted and suddenly Ulster had moved up a gear with both Andrew Trimble and Darren Cave posing all sorts of problems for the European kingpins before some indisciple by Ulster second row Ryan Caldwell saw him yellow carded.

A second Munster penalty by Caldwell cut the deficit to four points before Paddy Wallace was held up just short of the corner flag.

But it was only a temporary reprieve for the visitors, who else but that man Nagusa doing the damage with a brilliant solo try.

Munster were quick to retaliate and five minutes into added time in the first half only superb covering by full back Bryn Cunningham denied Anthony Horgan a try.

It was a warning shot that Ulster would do well to heed against quality opposition.

The home side led 15-6 at the break — a big enough advantage to boost confidence but Ulster could be in no doubt that there was no room for complacency.

But as it turned out, there was no way back for Munster after the re-start as Ulster piled on the pressure.

A probing kick by Humphreys saw Cave and Trimble combine just short of the opposition line.

But 15 minutes from time Ulster were rewarded with their third try of the evening. It came from replacement scrum half Isaac Boss, a brilliant solo effort close to the corner flag.

Humpheys added a difficult conversion and at 22-6 Ulster could start breathing just that little bit easier.

ULSTER: Cunningham, Nagusa, Cave, Wallace, Trimble, O’Connor, Willis, J. Fitzpatrick, Best, Botha, O’Donoghue, Caldwell, Ferris, Pollock, Diack. Replacements: Brady, Court, Del Fava, Anderson, Boss, Humphreys, McCrea.

MUNSTER: D. Hurley, Horgan, Murphy, Mafi, Dowling, Warwick, Stringer, Pucciariello, Fogarty, Lewis, O’Driscoll, Ryan, Quinlan, O’Sullivan, Melck. Replacements: Flannery, D. Hurley, Melbourne, Coughlan, Prendergast, Manning, Buckley.

Referee: A Rolland (Ireland).