Guinness PRO12: Robert Lyttle double downs Dragons in PRO12 opener

Rob Lyttle dives on a loose ball to score his first try of the night

Two tries from 19-year-old Robert Lyttle handed Ulster a 29-8 win over Newport Gwent Dragons in the opening weekend of the new Guinness PRO12 season.

Replacement Lyttle crossed either side of the break as the Irish province opened their campaign with a comfortable win after taking a 12-8 lead into half-time.

Springbok scrum-half Ruan Pienaar, who has been forced to leave Ulster at the end of the season due to the IRFU's succession policy, also crossed the whitewash in a man-of-the-match performance in front of a vocal home crowd.

The Welsh side's only try came from winger Pat Howard as they failed to fire in their first competitive outing of the season.

Dragons Fly-half Nick McLeod opened the scoring with a penalty, before Howard touched down for the first try of the game.

Ulster's Brett Herron threw a loose pass in midfield which was claimed by Dragons' Sam Beard. Beard was tackled but from the recycled ball scrum-half Sarel Pretorius threw the ball to Nick Macleod who put in a crossfield kick for Howard to chase. The South African-born winger raced down the left touchline to beat Clive Ross to the ball and dot down in the corner for an 8-0 lead following the missed conversion.

Ruan Pienaar shows his appreciation to the Ulster supporters after scoring

Ulster hit back at the beginning of the second quarter when a breakdown turnover saw the ball spun wide where Pienaar ghosted through the defence before chipping ahead for Lyttle to chase. Dragons' Howard was first to the ball as he looked to have covered the threat, but the winger failed to grab the ball cleanly and Lyttle pounced on the loose offering to bring his side to within a point following Pienaar's conversion.

Jacob Stockdale then gave the home side the lead for the first time in the game when he latched onto his own grubber ahead for a try in the corner and a 12-8 advantage which Ulster took into the break.

Pienaar furthered his side's lead early in the second half when he charged down Carl Meyer's clearance kick and gathered for a try, though he was unable to convert it.

The South Africa international sent another conversion attempt wide when Lyttle took a pass off Piutau to dive for the corner and score in the 65th minute, but converted the last try of the night when Rob Herring found himself on the back of a driving maul to wrestle his way over near the left touchline for a five-try victory in the opening weekend.