Champions Cup: Ulster 19 Bordeaux Bègles 40
Ulster fell to a second straight European defeat to French opposition as Bordeaux blew them away with a second-half try blitz in Belfast, the visitors running in four of their six touchdowns in the final 20 minutes.
Tevita Tatafu got Bordeaux off to the ideal start after the number eight was involved in a lineout move from a penalty to the corner and Ulster were unable to halt him. Joey Carbery supplied a superb conversion and Bordeaux led 7-0 after just two minutes.
But Ulster struck back, making hay from a loose ball under Bordeaux’s posts which saw them work towards the line before Cormac Izuchukwu barrelled over and Nathan Doak tied things up on six minutes.
And the hosts continued to profit after flanker Marko Gazzotti was yellow carded in the 17th minute, Nick Timoney getting through from a tap and go to score out wide, with Doak providing the extras with a well struck conversion.
Then with Bordeaux still down to 14, Maxim Lucu wriggled over, even though Timoney appeared to nail him. However referee Gianluca Gnecchi went upstairs and the result was a penalty try and David McCann went to the bin moments after Gazzotti had returned to the action.
But Bordeaux did themselves more damage as prop Jefferson Poirot was binned for kicking the ball out of a ruck in the 31st minute and moments later centre Yoram Moefana was sent after him for 10 minutes to cool off after the centre had smashed Timoney with a high shot.
Ulster now had 14 and Bordeaux 13 but the hosts couldn’t make that advantage pay until they were back up to full complement.
With McCann back and the clock in red, Ulster finally got the score when winger Werner Kok was given some freedom to run and the winger raced over the line to put the northern province back in the lead.
Doak, though, missed the conversion and Ulster trooped off leading 19-14.
The new half began with Bordeaux back up to 15 again, and Ulster on the advance only for McCann’s poor pass to Aidan Morgan to be knocked on by the home team’s 10 and the moment was gone.
Then the visitors finally found a way through just after the hour and though Kieran Treadwell pulled off a great tackle on the left, the French had numbers right allowing Damian Penaud a walk-in over at the corner. Carbery converted, and it was the former Munster player’s final act.
But Bordeaux came again, this time Penaud providing an inside pass for lock Guido Petti to break tackles and dot down for the bonus-point score, with Matéo Garcia converting.
And just to finish things off, Bordeaux broke out with 10 minutes to go, Louis Bielle-Biarrey racing clear to run it in for Garcia to convert. The final act was another score, this time by Ugo Boniface.
ULSTER: M Lowry; W Kok, J Postlethwaite, S McCloskey, Z Ward; A Morgan, N Doak; E O’Sullivan, R Herring, T O’Toole; I Henderson (capt), K Treadwell; C Izuchukwu, N Timoney, D McCann.
Replacements: A Warwick for O’Sullivan (46 mins); Marcus Rea for Izuchukwu, D Shanahan for Doak (both 55); H Sheridan for Henderson, J Humphreys for Morgan (both 63); J Andrew for Herring, S Wilson for O’Toole (both 69); R Telfer for Lowry (76).
BORDEAUX BÈGLES: L Bielle-Biarrey; D Penaud, N Depoortere, Y Moefana, A Retiere; J Carbery, M Lucu; J Poirot (captain), R Laterrade, C Sadie; G Petti, J Gray; M Gazzotti, L Swinton, T Tatafu.
Replacements: A Coleman for Gray (24 mins); M Lamothe for Laterrade, U Boniface for Tatafu for Poirot, B Tameifuna for Sadie (all 46); B Vergnes-Tallefier for Swinton (53); M Garcia for Carbery (64).
Referee: G Gnecchi (Ita).
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