Ulster's season over as Toulouse dominate in France

The four-time European champions outscored Dan McFarland’s side by five tries to one in a comprehensive victory that leaves Ulster still waiting to end their 14 year silverware drought.

Ulster were without influential No8 Marcell Coetzee with a hamstring injury, Tom O’Toole had to pull out of the starting line up with a calf strain and out-half Billy Burns departed with only 15 minutes gone.

It took Toulouse just two and half minutes to unlock the Ulster defence.

Cheslin Kolbe, Yoann Huget and Romain Ntamack made probing runs into the Ulster 22, the forwards then had a couple of pick and goes before scrum half Antoine Dupon threw a looping pass wide, Kolbe received it and the South African World Cup winning winger side-stepped Jacob Stockdale to touch down.

Full back Thomas Ramos failed to convert.

Ulster then infringed at the maul and Ramos landed the resulting penalty to extend the home side’s lead on 13 minutes.

Ulster had a lucky escape on 21 minutes as Ramos missed an easy penalty after Jack McGrath was punished at the break down.

Scrum-half John Cooney opened Ulster’s account with a penalty on 25 minutes after the French side were guilty of not coming through the gate at the breakdown.

Ramos was off target with another penalty on 33 minutes.

Ulster’s best chance of a try came from a line break by Michael Lowry, he went from his own half to deep into Toulouse territory but had no support.

The first half ended how it started with a try from Kolbe as Toulouse finally started to make their passes stick and injected pace into their attack.

Hooker Peato Mauvaka carried before offloading to Kolbe, he showed Stockdale the outside before cutting back inside to wrong foot the Irish winger and the South African had the pace to dart over.

Ramos' conversion gave Toulouse a 15-3 lead at the break.

Ulster wasted a chance at the start of the second half, from a lineout maul as McCloskey burst through, the ball was recycled but Sean Reidy conceded a penalty on the ground in the shadow of the Toulouse posts.

Toulouse scored their third try on 50 minutes as Rob Lyttle launched an aimless kick out of defence. Yoann Huget ran the ball back into midfield, Sofiane Guitoune broke two weak tackles and had time to pull his shorts up before popping the ball to Dupon, and the scrum half went under the posts making Ramos conversion a formality.

Former Connacht centre Pita Ahki got Toulouse’s fourth try on 62 minutes.

Lowry tried a cross field kick from his own 22, Huget beat Lyttle in the air to start a counter attack, he fed Ahki, the centre put a kick behind the Ulster and the centre had the pace to gather and touch down with Ramos converting.

Toulouse punished Ulster for turning the ball over on 67 minutes, Matty Rea lost it in the home side’s 22, following a swift counter attack Ntamack put Guitoune through a hole and he had Ramos on his shoulder, the full back went under the posts converting his own try.

Teams

Toulouse: T Ramos, Y Huget, S Guitoune, P Ahki, C Kolbe, R Ntamack, A Dupon, C Baille, P Mauvaka, C Faumuina; R Arnold, J Tekori, J Kaino, F Cros, S Tolofua

Replacements: J Marchand for Mauvaka 43 mins, R Neti for Baille 51 mins, D Aldegheri for Faumuina 43 mins, E Meafou for Tekori 57 mins, A Placines for Arnold 63 mins, Z Holmes for Ahki 68 mins, A Bales for Dupon 65 mins, M Lebel for Kolbe 63 mins

Ulster: M Lowry, R Lyttle, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale, B Burns, J Cooney, J McGrath, R Herring, M Moore, A O’Connor, I Henderson, S Reidy, J Murphy, N Timoney.

Replacements: J Andrew for Herring 63 mins, E O’Sullivan for McGrath 46 mins, R Kane, S Carter for O’Connor 46 mins, K Treadwell for Henderson 57 mins, A Mathewson for McCloskey 57 mins, M Faddes for Burns 15 mins, M Rea for Timoney 42 mins

Ref W Barnes (RFU)

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