Now the mitigation. The breakdown law interpretation is applied so differently by referees that the inconsistency has become a charter for players to cheat and ruin the game, safe in the knowledge that many referees will not act and that they are protected from old-fashioned enforcement by their opposite numbers. If Danny had meant that stamp Ferris would have been taken off to hospital. I'm pretty sure that what he was trying to do was demonstrate his frustration and show menacing intent towards Ferris, whilst actually drawing the referee's attention to what Ferris was doing. He made no contact with his studs and Ferris was not injured. This is very similar to what happened with Matt Banahan earlier in the season.

If referees are not going to show consistency and discipline at the breakdown, and if players aren't allowed to react to foul play and provocation, what you have left is no risk for persistent cheats. That is not how the game should be played.

What Danny's dismissal did yesterday was force Bath to open up and play attacking, catch-up rugby from an essentially hopeless position. This was a two-edged sword. On the one hand the frenetic response of the Bath loose forwards and backs created some of the most attractive open running and handling we have seen at the Rec this season.

Unfortunately it also created panic in the ranks that led to some wild errors, with players forgetting basic skills, throwing speculative passes when they weren't really on, kicking poorly from hand and losing the ball in contact after running away from support.

Ulster were able to capitalise on all this with skill, endeavour and precision. They were the better side and they fully deserved their win. Their supporters, as ever, were passionate and a credit to themselves and to their club. I find it impossible to begrudge them their victory, I'm only sorry that preening, gouging Stade Francais were able to advance instead.

The first quarter of the match saw Bath looking tentative, with some poor tactical kicking a lack of precision, coupled with some unsympathetic refereeing leading to Ulster taking a six point lead via O' Connor's boot.

The try created for Matt Banahan showed what could have been. Superb work from the forwards creating space for the backs, Hape showing great creativity, Maddock timing his pass superbly and Banahan showing superb finishing to pop up on opposite wing and power over in the corner. Surely the team would capitalise on this and go on to win with a convincing display?

The Grewcock sending off halted all momentum and the resultant penalty put Ulster back into a lead that left Bath playing catch-up with a key man down. This was always going to be the toughest of tasks.

The pack actually responded with passion and admirable fortitude, especially the excellent back row, who were all superb in defence. Unfortunately this defensive commitment was not matched by the backs.

The way that Andrew Trimble was able to run in, untouched, from his own 10m line, almost stopping on the 22 in search of an offload before pinning back his ears and running around Joe Maddock was, to be frank, an embarrassment.

That Simon Danielli was able to repeat the feat to set up the absolutely superb Darren Cave, shrugging off powder puff tackles and stepping inside the midfield defence, was an affront. This was a man who left Bath five years ago after never showing anything like enough ability to warrant a position in the team, and yet he made our 2010 backs look like clueless amateurs in defence.

The precision and skill shown by Paddy Wallace, with his pace, tactical kicking and creativity was streets ahead of anything we had to offer. His try at the end was richly deserved. The way that O' Connor ran the game and pulled the strings from fly-half was far in advance of anything our makeshift 10s have shown all season.

And yet, for all that, the backs showed regular glimpses of what they are capapble of. Hape bristled with intent, broke theline on several occasions and showed his offloading skills. Carraro was pacy, muscular and direct in attack, Maddock jinked probed at pace, Banahan always commanded two or three Ulster defenders on the rare occasions he found himself with ball in hand. If only we could cut out the errors. The poor tactical kicking. The Teflon fingers in crucial positions. The uncertainty under the high ball.

I know that some people on here have been quick to point the finger at the Head Coach and I just can't begin to understand this. Even without our most creative players we have a team packed with internationals. Meehan is not responsible for some players failing to display basic skills. How our pack must feel this season when they have consistently won the battle to secure possession only to see backs hand it straight back to opponents with fundamental mistakes, God only knows.

The one recurring fly in the ointment with the forwards that reoccurred in this game came at the lineout, where again we turned over several important throws through inaccuracy. We badly need an experienced lineout Captain to take control of this phase of the game.

With Danny Grewcock now certain to miss a number of games through suspension there is no doubt that Hobson will have to step into the breach. He has a golden opportunity now to secure his future in our desperate quest to get far enough enough up the table to gain another tilt at Heineken Cup rugby next season. Every Bath supporter must hope that he has the talent and mental strength to do so.

Flatman - 7 Customary powerful display in the scrums with plenty of hard work in defence and with ball in hand.

Mears - 5. Fairly quiet display, never able to impose himself with ball in hand and some wayward lineout throwing.

Wilson - 6. Powerful and assured in the scrum and dependable in defence.

Grewcock - 3. Sorry Danny. Looked great before that incident with some thunderous defence and willingness to carry, but should know by now that whatever the rights and wrongs of the situation, you can't get away with putting your boot on a player in modern rugby.

Hooper - 6. Another quiet display. Contributed well in defence but not much evidence of carrying ability. Not able to impose himself on the lineout.

Beattie - 8. All round all-action contribution in defence and with ball in hand.

Salvi - 7. Not quite the heights of recent displays. Gave away a couple of hurtful penalties, which probably was more down to the ref's interpretations than his own shortcomings. Very sound defensively.

Watson - 8. Clearly the best Bath player on the pitch, seemed inspired by the dismissal of Grewcock. Turned up all over the pitch in attack and defence, carried powerfully, supplied good ball to the backs and showed very obvious leadership skills.

Claassens - 4. A sub-stnadard display from Michael with some wayward passing and kicking and very little evidence of his sniping runs.

Little - 5. Threw himself into defence but created very little and missed some crucial attempts at goal.

Banahan - 7. Superb execution for his try, powerful in defence. Not given enough opportunity with ball in hand and well martialled by a wary Ulster defence.

Hape - 7. Some great surging runs and sublime offloads and strong defensive hits but seemed to go missing from the defensive line on a couple of occasions and shelled a couple of vital attacks when running into contact.

Carraro - 6. Some powerful contributions in attack and defence but no real golden moments.

Stephenson - 7. Probably our most threatening back and committed in defence. Either our most improved player of the season so far or somebody who has finally seized the opportunity to show what he has been capable of all along?

Maddock - 6 Curate's egg performance from Joe. Seemed strong, assured and pacy in attack and sometimes indecisive and slow off the mark in defence.

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