Ulster inflicted Benetton's first league defeat of the season and maintained their perfect start with a third straight bonus-point win.

Rob Herring celebrated his 200th appearance for Ulster with a first-half try after Craig Gilroy grabbed the hosts' first.

Ratuva Tayuvara crossed for Benetton's only try after the break.

The Italian side, entering the season with renewed vigour following their Rainbow Cup triumph last spring, had won their opening two matches but offered little by way of sustained attacking pressure in Belfast.

Their best spell came in the opening 20 minutes of the second period, but by that stage they had let Ulster open up an 18-point lead that had put the hosts out of sight.

Herring marks double century amid shining youth

In his ninth season with Ulster, Herring took the field before his team-mates to mark a double century of appearances.

The South Africa-born Ireland international has built his reputation on reliability, a strong set-piece and game awareness that has seen him flourish for both club and country.

He nearly scored the game's first try, peeling off the back of a stagnant maul to dive over the line only for the score to be disallowed with David McCann ruled offside as Herring broke free.

Ulster did not have to wait much longer to get on the board as they found a way past an initially stubborn visiting defence. Billy Burns' low kick bounced kindly for Gilroy, who steamed in to gather ahead of Rhyno Smith.

Benetton, victorious in their opening two games, showed little in attack and struggled to contain the hosts while down to 14 men following prop Ivan Nemer's sin-binning for deliberate obstruction.

Academy graduates Doak and McCann combined beautifully allowing the scrum-half away for his second try of the season and further enamour himself to the home crowd.

As Benetton struggled to find a foothold in the contest, Ulster pulled away, with Herring crossing again from the back of a maul, this time with no infringement, to claim an individual moment to remember in marking his milestone.

More to follow.

Ulster: Addison, Gilroy, Hume; Moore, McIlroy; Burns, Doak; Warwick, Herring, O'Toole; O'Connor, Carter (captain) Rea, Timoney, McCann.

Replacements: Roberts, Reid, Kane, Kearney, Reidy, Shanahan, Lowry, Moxham.

Benetton: Smith; Tavuyara, Zanon, Benvenuti, Sperandio; Marin, Braley; Zani, Els, Nemer; Irné Herbst, Ruzza; Pettinelli, Lamaro (capt), Steyn.

Replacements: Baravalle, Traoré, Pasquali, Lazzaroni, Negri, Cannone, Petrozzi, Morisi.