One of Ulster’s greatest ever European performances saw Les Kiss’ side trounce Toulouse to the tune of five unanswered tries, injecting a new lease of life into their Champions Cup campaign at a packed-out Kingspan Stadium.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: ULSTER 38 TOULOUSE 0
With Nick Williams, Andrew Trimble, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey and Chris Henry all on the scoresheet, the hugely memorable 38-0 bonus point win elevates Ulster above Toulouse in Pool 1 with five points and a game in hand.
In addition, the one-sided nature of the performance will surely give the team every confidence of getting a positive result in the return game next weekend.
Although bereft of half-a-dozen game changers in the form of Jared Payne, Tommy Bowe, Stuart Olding, Darren Cave, Iain Henderson and Dan Tuohy, all absent through injury, Les Kiss’ selection was a testament to Ulster’s strength in depth, with all of the province’s starting line-up having featured in the top tier of European competition before.
Louis Ludik reverted to full-back for the round 3 clash, with Trimble and the returning Craig Gilroy on the wings. Luke Marshall and McCloskey paired up together in the centre, with Paddy Jackson and Ruan Pienaar orchestrating play from half-back.
Up front, November’s Player of the Month Kyle McCall and Wiehahn Herbst packed down on either side of captain Rory Best, with Alan O’Connor filling the Tuohy-sized gap alongside Franco van der Merwe. In the back row, Robbie Diack came in at blindside flanker with Henry on the other side of number 8 Williams.
Slow to start in their previous pool game against Oyonnax, Toulouse enjoyed some early ball but crucially failed to do anything of note with it, and when Trimble led a three-on-two overlap down the left wing, Ulster looked dangerous until Williams was pulled up for holding on too long in the tackle.
Then a quick tap penalty from Pienaar, followed by some fleet handling from his back five, got Ulster well into the French outfit’s 22 where staunch resistance eventually prized back possession for the visitors – not without its price, though, as star number 8 Louis Picamoles exited through injury just moments later.
Exemplifying Ulster’s ambitious approach, Jackson kicked two successive penalties to touch, the second of which saw Williams bulldoze his way over the line in the 22nd minute from Diack’s neat offload. Jackson added the extras for 7-0.
The Ireland out-half then showed voracious appetite hunting down a loose ball in midfield and forcing his opposite number Luke McAlister into an infringement. The well-worked Ulster lineout saw Jackson once more heavily involved as he ploughed for the line as the ball was sprayed wide, only for scrum half Sébastien Bézy to illegally impede the Ulster progress with a hand in the ruck, for which he saw yellow.
Jackson slotted the penalty, but unfortunately for Ulster, Williams was soon to join Bézy off the pitch, a victim of his own exuberance as he led a little too forcefully with his shoulder for referee Wayne Barnes’ liking when attempting to clear Vincent Clerc out of a ruck.
But there was plenty of incident left to be played out in an eventful first half, as an inspired move from Trimble, picking up infield from Pienaar to charge through a gap and chip over Arthur Bonneval, saw him regather the ball at full tilt to finish off a fantastic solo try.
Jackson converted for a 17-0 scoreline and worse still for Toulouse, their young flanker Yacouba Camara was sin-binned for an intentional trip on Pienaar in the build-up to the try.
Ulster burst into the second half in a similarly combative mood, with strong carrying from both Ludik and McCloskey carving out a little left wing space for Gilroy, who hared for the line only to be mowed down with inches to spare by a fantastic tackle from Clerc, whose impact caused the Ireland international to drop the ball.
It mattered little, however, as Ulster’s very next attack in the 44th minute culminated with Marshall perfectly judging the flight of Pienaar’s somewhat speculative cross-field kick, off the back of a ruck, to touch down behind the posts.
Jackson’s third conversion dispatched, another penalty to touch paid dividends, McCloskey securing the bonus point on 53 minutes with a weaving run which outfoxed three defenders before he hit the line.
Toulouse probed and prodded as the clock ran into the final quarter, but again their possession lacked focus and penetration. When Ulster got back on the ball and pushed downfield in the 70th minute, the outcome was inevitable as the hard-working Henry touched down off the rolling maul.
Replacement out-half Ian Humphreys topped off the perfect night with a pinpoint conversion and while next Sunday’s rematch at Stade Ernest Wallon will be an entirely different affair, all the pressure will be on the Frenchmen to salvage their European season.
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