Ulster thrashed by Toulouse in Champions Cup opener

Richie Murphy chose to keep some of his more experienced players on the bench but Ulster conceded a point a minute in the first half and the game was well beyond the province by the time he deployed the replacements.

It took the European Champions just 90 seconds to cut the Ulster defence open. Antoine Dupont launched an attack from the base of a ruck, the scrum half’s mazy run created space, the ball was moved quickly through the hands to Matthis Lebel and the winger dotted down in the corner. However, Thomas Ramos failed to convert.

Toulouse’s second try on eight minutes was more route one. The French champions won a penalty and launched it into the corner, the forwards rumbled forward from the lineout maul before Dupont put his half back partner Romain Ntamack through a gap to touch down. Ramos converted.

Ulster opened their account with a try on 12 minutes. The visitors were awarded a penalty under the Toulouse posts, the forwards took a quick tap and Scott Wilson drove for the line where he was stopped, but hooker James McCormick picked up and squeezed over. Nathan Doak added the conversion.

Toulouse’s response was instant as their forwards bludgeoned at the Ulster defence before huge lock Emmanuel Meafou reached out to touchdown, with Ramos slotting over the conversion.

Ntamack had a try disallowed on 20 minutes for being offside.

The bonus point try did arrive on 27 minutes. From a scrum free kick, Toulouse moved the ball wide quickly, Lebel offloaded inside to fellow winger Ange Capuozzo for an easy run and Ramos added the extras.

Dupont struck two minutes later. Ulster lost the ball at the ruck, the scrum half broke, Lebel got stopped short, but the pivot was on hand to dive over from close range. Ramos was successful of the tee.

Ulster got a second try five minutes before half time. The pack battered at the line, sucking in the home defenders before Aidan Morgan flung a pass to Stewart Moore to go under the posts, making Doak’s conversion a formality.

The half finished as it started with a Toulouse try. Again the forwards punched at the Ulster line and Meafou got over from close range, Ramos’ conversion gave the home side a 40-14 lead the interval.

It took Toulouse 10 minutes to breach the Ulster defence after the restart, but it was worth the wait.

Ulster lost a lineout in the Toulouse half, the home side put pace and width on the ball, cutting open the defence, and Santiago Chocobares had the simple task of finishing off the sweeping move. Ramos converted.

Dupont created another piece of magic for the home side’s eighth try. tTe mercurial scrum half put in an inch-perfect cross field kick for Capuozzo to gather and slide over, Ramos converted.

Skipper Iain Henderson got Ulster’s third try on 67 minutes, going over from close range after a series of pick-and-goes on the line, Doak converted.

The match finished with a penalty try for the hosts. The Toulouse forwards were driving for the line when Ulster illegally pulled the maul down. The referee awarded a seven-pointer and issued a yellow card to Harry Sheridan.

Toulouse:

T Ramos; A Capuozzo, P-L Barassi, S Chocobares, M Lebel; R Ntamack, A Dupont (capt);

D Ainu’u, P Mauvaka, D Aldegheri; T Flament, E Meafou; J Willis, L Banos, A Roumat.

Replacements: J Marchand for Mauvaka 44 mins, R Neti for Aniu’u 48 mins, J Merkler for Aldegheri 48 mins, J Brennan for Meafou 58 mins, T Ntamack for Willis 58 mins, P Graou for Dupont 59 mins, P Costes for R Ntamack, J C Mallia for Ramos 70 mins

Ulster:

Moore; W Kok, B Carson, S McCloskey, M Lowry; A Morgan, N Doak;

A Warwick, J McCormick, S Wilson; A O’Connor (capt), H Sheridan; Matty Rea, Marcus Rea, J McNabney.

Replacements:

R Herring for McCormick 41 mins, E O’Sullivan for Warwick 58 mins, T O’Toole for Wilson 41 mins, I Henderson for O’Connor 58 mins, C Izuchukwu for Matty Rea 50 mins, D Shanahan for Morgan 58 mins, J Postlethwaite for Carson 22 mins, N Timoney for McNanbey 50 mins

Ref: Ada Leal (England)