WITH THE SUN beaming down on Stade Chaban Delmas, Ulster certainly got into the spirit of this Champions Cup round of 16 clash but they didn’t have enough to shock Bordeaux on their home patch.
Victory for Union Bordeaux Bègles means they will host Munster at this venue next Saturday in what should be a cracking quarter-final.
Richie Murphy’s Ulster played their part in an entertaining and engaging clash in front of 32,215 people in Bordeaux this afternoon, showing plenty of character and class after going 21-0 down in the first half.
They fought back to 21-14 only to concede again on the stroke of half time, yet there was more grit in the second half as they refused to let this glamorous Bordeaux side run away with victory, two further Ulster scores bringing them back to 36-24 with 15 minutes left.
Yet Yannick Bru’s side always had the required quality to land heavy blows, scoring six tries even after they rested wing sensation Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
Rob Herring tackles Yoram Moefana. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
His partner in crime, Damian Penaud, opened the scoring for UBB with a brilliant try and they put together some scintillating attacking passages in front of their truly impressive support. The chanting and singing rarely let up.
Former Munster out-half Joey Carbery had an excellent 47-minute shift at out-half before being replaced by Matthieu Jalibert, having taken a heavy hit. The Irish playmaker threw some clever passes and kicked well. Now he will hope to help Bordeaux beat his former province next weekend.
The pockets of Ulster fans did have their moments to make noise as they scored five tries through Tom O’Toole, David McCann, and Nick Timoney, while Zac Ward added a brace.
Timoney was explosive throughout, right wing Ward showed again that he has real promise, while left wing Jacob Stockdale was brilliant and 22-year-old back row James McNabney had a big, powerful outing in the number six shirt.
Those were among the bright sparks for Ulster as they now turn full focus onto securing a URC play-off.
Meanwhile, Munster will need to quickly shake off the effects of yesterday’s bruising win over La Rochelle as they go back on the road in France again next weekend. The southern province will undoubtedly take heart from the damage Ulster were able to do today.
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Damian Penaud opens the scoring for UBB. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
With the temperature tipping above 20°C, it surely didn’t help Ulster’s cause that they arrived at the stadium 20 minutes later than planned as their bus was delayed en route. They had to rush their pre-match routines and UBB proceeded to give them a torrid opening 20 minutes.
Penaud crossed for the hosts’ opening try, which was cleverly sparked by fullback Romain Buros on kick return as he sent centre Yoram Moefana, who Penaud switched inside off.
The France wing took the ball just inside his own half, swerved inside Nick Timoney and then slalomed inside last defender Mike Lowry to finish just to the left of the posts.
Carbery converted and also added the extras after the Bordeaux pack powered up in the 16th minute, marching 20 metres up the left in the maul before tighthead prop Ben Tameifuna smashed over from close range.
Ulster were having their moments – Stockdale standing out – but couldn’t make things stick, with Jack Murphy’s cross-kick to the wide open Zac Ward clearing the right wing and instead flying into touch in the Bordeaux 22.
UBB’s third was a beauty of a flowing score as Moefana’s brilliant catch-pass allowed Penaud to make ground on the right before Carbery threaded a slick pass for hooker Maxime Lamothe to make more ground in midfield. They then swung the ball wide left and on the way back, lock Adam Coleman stretched out to dot down.
Jacob Stockdale breaks for Ulster. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Carbery’s conversion had them 21-0 up and Ulster fans might have been fearing a hammering but Murphy’s men showed grit to come back into the tie as Bordeaux became sloppier.
Ulster broke out from deep all the way into the UBB 22 in the 30th minute and when they won a penalty, Stuart McCloskey quick-tapped before tighthead Tom O’Toole burrowed over.
Seven minutes later, following another slick attack that saw the increasingly prominent James McNabney surge down the left and offloading before Ward made big metres in contact on the other side, Ulster earned another close-range penalty.
They opted for a scrum off which McNabney carried well before a bullocking surge from Timoney put the third Ulster back row, David McCann, into position to edge over the line for a try John Cooney again converted.
It seemed Ulster might get to the break trailing by only seven but a loose James Hume kick was punished in scintillating style as Buros offloaded for Carbery to initiate the counter, his offload finding Cyril Cazeaux, who connected with Moefana. The stunning sequence of offloads nearly put Mahamadou Diaby over but though he was stopped short, Buros arrived to seal the deal and Carbery converted for a 28-14 advantage.
Romain Buros scores UBB's fourth try. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
They extended that lead early in the second half as skipper Maxime Lucu slotted a penalty, taking over kicking duties as Carbery departed injured after shipping a heavy hit from Ulster replacement centre Stewart Moore.
That meant the introduction of Matthieu Jalibert and he brought instant energy as Bordeaux earned a lineout in the Ulster 22 from which their pack muscularly struck with a maul try for hooker Maxime Lamothe.
A Mexican Wave soon rolled around the Stade Chaban Delmas but Ulster weren’t willing to quit, McCloskey’s ball-carrying standing out in the build-up to their third try, finished smartly by Timoney in the left corner after a slick Stockdale offload.
Ulster briefly thought they had a fourth as the game ticked into the final quarter when Ward burned past Jalibert in a race for McCloskey’s grubber down the right only for a TMO review to show sub scrum-half Nathan Doak had knocked on just before.
Yet it did arrive in the 64th minute as Ulster kept the foot on the accelerator, Stockdale featuring again wide on the left before they swept to the other side. Replacement lock Matthew Dalton made a potent carry and McCloskey’s quick hands allowed Ward to dot down.
Jacob Stockdale offloads for Nick Timoney's try. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
Bordeaux put the result beyond doubt when powerful South Africa centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg came off the bench to barrel over for a try, but Ulster again responded as Ward grabbed his second score.
With three minutes left, Ulster then broke out from their own half in search of a sixth try but another knock-on in the lead-up saw it chalked off.
Still, it showed the character of Murphy’s men that they went after it until the final whistle and he’ll hope they can combine that mentality with the flashes of quality they showed today in the closing stages of the URC season.
Bordeaux scorers:
Tries: Damian Penaud, Ben Tameifuna, Adam Coleman, Romain Buros, Maxime Lamothe, Rohan Janse van Rensburg
Conversions: Joey Carbery [4 from 4], Matthieu Jalibert [1 from 2]
Penalties: Maxime Lucu [1 from 1]
Ulster scorers:
Tries: Tom O’Toole, David McCann, Nick Timoney, Zac Ward [2]
Conversions: John Cooney [2 from 2], Nathan Doak [1 from 3]
UNION BORDEAUX BÈGLES: Romain Buros; Damian Penaud, Yoram Moefana, Ben Tapuai (Rohan Janse van Rensburg ’61), Pablo Uberti; Joey Carbery (Matthieu Jalibert ’47), Maxime Lucu (captain) (Yann Lesgourgues ’72); Jefferson Poirot (Matis Perchaud ’40), Maxime Lamothe (Romain Latterrade ’61), Ben Tameifuna (Sipili Falatea ’47); Cyril Cazeaux, Adam Coleman; Mahamadou Diaby (Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer ’56), Guido Petti (Pierre Bochaton ’61), Pete Samu.
ULSTER: Mike Lowry; Zac Ward, James Hume (Stewart Moore ’40), Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Jack Murphy (Aidan Morgan ’62), John Cooney (Nathan Doak ’52); Andrew Warwick (Callum Reid ’45), Rob Herring (Tom Stewart ’59), Tom O’Toole (Scott Wilson ’57); Alan O’Connor (captain) (Matt Dalton ’57), Kieran Treadwell; James McNabney, Nick Timoney, Dave McCann (Matty Rea ’65).
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Bordeaux to host Munster in quarter-final after Ulster go down swinging
Bordeaux 43
Ulster 31
WITH THE SUN beaming down on Stade Chaban Delmas, Ulster certainly got into the spirit of this Champions Cup round of 16 clash but they didn’t have enough to shock Bordeaux on their home patch.
Victory for Union Bordeaux Bègles means they will host Munster at this venue next Saturday in what should be a cracking quarter-final.
Richie Murphy’s Ulster played their part in an entertaining and engaging clash in front of 32,215 people in Bordeaux this afternoon, showing plenty of character and class after going 21-0 down in the first half.
They fought back to 21-14 only to concede again on the stroke of half time, yet there was more grit in the second half as they refused to let this glamorous Bordeaux side run away with victory, two further Ulster scores bringing them back to 36-24 with 15 minutes left.
Yet Yannick Bru’s side always had the required quality to land heavy blows, scoring six tries even after they rested wing sensation Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
His partner in crime, Damian Penaud, opened the scoring for UBB with a brilliant try and they put together some scintillating attacking passages in front of their truly impressive support. The chanting and singing rarely let up.
Former Munster out-half Joey Carbery had an excellent 47-minute shift at out-half before being replaced by Matthieu Jalibert, having taken a heavy hit. The Irish playmaker threw some clever passes and kicked well. Now he will hope to help Bordeaux beat his former province next weekend.
The pockets of Ulster fans did have their moments to make noise as they scored five tries through Tom O’Toole, David McCann, and Nick Timoney, while Zac Ward added a brace.
Timoney was explosive throughout, right wing Ward showed again that he has real promise, while left wing Jacob Stockdale was brilliant and 22-year-old back row James McNabney had a big, powerful outing in the number six shirt.
Those were among the bright sparks for Ulster as they now turn full focus onto securing a URC play-off.
Meanwhile, Munster will need to quickly shake off the effects of yesterday’s bruising win over La Rochelle as they go back on the road in France again next weekend. The southern province will undoubtedly take heart from the damage Ulster were able to do today.
With the temperature tipping above 20°C, it surely didn’t help Ulster’s cause that they arrived at the stadium 20 minutes later than planned as their bus was delayed en route. They had to rush their pre-match routines and UBB proceeded to give them a torrid opening 20 minutes.
Penaud crossed for the hosts’ opening try, which was cleverly sparked by fullback Romain Buros on kick return as he sent centre Yoram Moefana, who Penaud switched inside off.
The France wing took the ball just inside his own half, swerved inside Nick Timoney and then slalomed inside last defender Mike Lowry to finish just to the left of the posts.
Carbery converted and also added the extras after the Bordeaux pack powered up in the 16th minute, marching 20 metres up the left in the maul before tighthead prop Ben Tameifuna smashed over from close range.
Ulster were having their moments – Stockdale standing out – but couldn’t make things stick, with Jack Murphy’s cross-kick to the wide open Zac Ward clearing the right wing and instead flying into touch in the Bordeaux 22.
UBB’s third was a beauty of a flowing score as Moefana’s brilliant catch-pass allowed Penaud to make ground on the right before Carbery threaded a slick pass for hooker Maxime Lamothe to make more ground in midfield. They then swung the ball wide left and on the way back, lock Adam Coleman stretched out to dot down.
Carbery’s conversion had them 21-0 up and Ulster fans might have been fearing a hammering but Murphy’s men showed grit to come back into the tie as Bordeaux became sloppier.
Ulster broke out from deep all the way into the UBB 22 in the 30th minute and when they won a penalty, Stuart McCloskey quick-tapped before tighthead Tom O’Toole burrowed over.
Seven minutes later, following another slick attack that saw the increasingly prominent James McNabney surge down the left and offloading before Ward made big metres in contact on the other side, Ulster earned another close-range penalty.
They opted for a scrum off which McNabney carried well before a bullocking surge from Timoney put the third Ulster back row, David McCann, into position to edge over the line for a try John Cooney again converted.
It seemed Ulster might get to the break trailing by only seven but a loose James Hume kick was punished in scintillating style as Buros offloaded for Carbery to initiate the counter, his offload finding Cyril Cazeaux, who connected with Moefana. The stunning sequence of offloads nearly put Mahamadou Diaby over but though he was stopped short, Buros arrived to seal the deal and Carbery converted for a 28-14 advantage.
They extended that lead early in the second half as skipper Maxime Lucu slotted a penalty, taking over kicking duties as Carbery departed injured after shipping a heavy hit from Ulster replacement centre Stewart Moore.
That meant the introduction of Matthieu Jalibert and he brought instant energy as Bordeaux earned a lineout in the Ulster 22 from which their pack muscularly struck with a maul try for hooker Maxime Lamothe.
A Mexican Wave soon rolled around the Stade Chaban Delmas but Ulster weren’t willing to quit, McCloskey’s ball-carrying standing out in the build-up to their third try, finished smartly by Timoney in the left corner after a slick Stockdale offload.
Ulster briefly thought they had a fourth as the game ticked into the final quarter when Ward burned past Jalibert in a race for McCloskey’s grubber down the right only for a TMO review to show sub scrum-half Nathan Doak had knocked on just before.
Yet it did arrive in the 64th minute as Ulster kept the foot on the accelerator, Stockdale featuring again wide on the left before they swept to the other side. Replacement lock Matthew Dalton made a potent carry and McCloskey’s quick hands allowed Ward to dot down.
Bordeaux put the result beyond doubt when powerful South Africa centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg came off the bench to barrel over for a try, but Ulster again responded as Ward grabbed his second score.
With three minutes left, Ulster then broke out from their own half in search of a sixth try but another knock-on in the lead-up saw it chalked off.
Still, it showed the character of Murphy’s men that they went after it until the final whistle and he’ll hope they can combine that mentality with the flashes of quality they showed today in the closing stages of the URC season.
Bordeaux scorers:
Tries: Damian Penaud, Ben Tameifuna, Adam Coleman, Romain Buros, Maxime Lamothe, Rohan Janse van Rensburg
Conversions: Joey Carbery [4 from 4], Matthieu Jalibert [1 from 2]
Penalties: Maxime Lucu [1 from 1]
Ulster scorers:
Tries: Tom O’Toole, David McCann, Nick Timoney, Zac Ward [2]
Conversions: John Cooney [2 from 2], Nathan Doak [1 from 3]
UNION BORDEAUX BÈGLES: Romain Buros; Damian Penaud, Yoram Moefana, Ben Tapuai (Rohan Janse van Rensburg ’61), Pablo Uberti; Joey Carbery (Matthieu Jalibert ’47), Maxime Lucu (captain) (Yann Lesgourgues ’72); Jefferson Poirot (Matis Perchaud ’40), Maxime Lamothe (Romain Latterrade ’61), Ben Tameifuna (Sipili Falatea ’47); Cyril Cazeaux, Adam Coleman; Mahamadou Diaby (Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer ’56), Guido Petti (Pierre Bochaton ’61), Pete Samu.
ULSTER: Mike Lowry; Zac Ward, James Hume (Stewart Moore ’40), Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Jack Murphy (Aidan Morgan ’62), John Cooney (Nathan Doak ’52); Andrew Warwick (Callum Reid ’45), Rob Herring (Tom Stewart ’59), Tom O’Toole (Scott Wilson ’57); Alan O’Connor (captain) (Matt Dalton ’57), Kieran Treadwell; James McNabney, Nick Timoney, Dave McCann (Matty Rea ’65).
Referee: Luke Pearce [RFU].
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Jouez Report stade chaban delmas UBB Ulster