Ulster pride but Bordeaux claim Champions Cup win

Richie Murphy’s side were out-scored by six tries to five but had two tries disallowed by the TMO in a performance that will bode well for the rest of the URC season as the province try to return to Europe’s premier competition next season.

Ulster had a couple of warnings in the opening exchanges before Damian Penaud got the game’s first try on seven minutes.

From a clearance kick out of defence, Joey Carbery launched a counter-attack from deep in his own half, the ball was worked to Romain Buros, the full back switched play to Penuad. The French winger went on a mazy run to go under the posts, making Carbery’s conversion a formality.

If Bordeaux’s first try was a thing of beauty, their second on 15 minutes was brute force. From a lineout the forwards drove close to the Ulster line, the maul was stopped short, the ball was quickly recycled and flanker Mahamadou Diaby showed deft hands to put 150kg Tongan powerhouse prop Ben Tameifuna over as Carbery converted.

Bordeaux struck again six minutes later as, from an overthrow from an Ulster lineout, the Top 14 side went from their own half, Penaud opened the defence up surging into the 22, the ball was quickly moved across the pitch and former Australian lock Adam Coleman touched down from close range. Carbery knocked over the conversion.

Ulster got back in the game on 29 minutes as following their first sustained period of pressure the home side conceded a penalty.

Ulster went quickly, after a few phases Tom O’Toole scrambled over from close range with John Cooney converting.

Ulster stunned the sold-out crowd with a second try on 36 minutes as Nick Timoney had a powerful carry close to the line, he was repelled but backrow colleague Dave McCann picked up and stretched over to ground the ball and Cooney converted.

Bordeaux produced a stunning try with the last play of the first half.

The backs and forwards combined with some great offloads to open up the Ulster defence, scrum half Maxime Lucu spun the ball wide for Buros to dot down. Carbery’s conversion extended Bordeaux’s lead at the interval to 28-14.

Lucus slotted over a 45th-minute penalty for the home side before the fifth try arrived on 50 minutes. Bordeaux kicked a penalty into the 22, from the line-out the forwards set up a powerful maul with hooker Maxime Lamothe controlling the ball at the back and touching down but Matthieu Jalibert failed to convert.

Timoney got Ulster’s third try on 55 minutes, squeezing over in the corner.

Ulster were denied a fourth try as Zac Ward showed his pace to touch down but it was chalked off for a knock-on in the build-up.

Ward did get over three minutes later, finishing off in the corner for an unconverted try following a good offload by Stuart McCloskey.

Bordeaux ended the game as a contest on 70 minutes as replacement Rohan Janse van Rensburg got the home side’s sixth try following a quick tap penalty Jaibert converted.

Ward showed his pace on 75 minutes, racing on to his own kick, to score his second try. Nathan Doak converted and the replacement scrum half was denied a late try for a knock-on.

BORDEAUX-BEGLES: R Buros; D Penaud, Y Moefana, B Tupuai, P Uberti; J Carbery, M Lucu; J Poirot, M Lamothe, B Tameifuna; C Cazeaux, A Coleman; M Diaby, G Petti, P Samu.

Replacements: R Latterrade for Lamothe 61 mins, M Perchaud for Poirot 41 mins, S Falatea for Tameifuna 46 mins, P Bochaton for Coleman 46 mins, B Vergnes-Taillefer for Diaby 55 mins, Y Lesgourgues for Lucu 71 mins, R Janse van Rensburg for Tupuai 61 mins, M Jalibert for Carbery 46 mins

ULSTER: M Lowry; Z Ward, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; J Murphy, J Cooney; A Warwick, R Herring, T O'Toole; A O’Connor, K Treadwell; J McNabney, N Timoney, D McCann.

Replacements: T Stewart for Herring 56 mins, C Reid for Warwick 41 mins, S Wilson for O’Toole 56 mins, M Dalton for O’Connor 56 mins, M Rea for McCann 65 mins, N Doak for Cooney 50 mins, A Morgan for Murphy 61 mins, S Moore for Hume 41 mins

Referee: L Pearce (RFU)