No Joy For Ulster As Five-Try Toulouse March On

Unable to avoid a second knockout defeat in the space of eight days, Ulster’s Heineken Champions Cup challenge ran aground at Stade Ernest Wallon where Toulouse cruised to a 36-8 quarter-final victory.

As It Happened: Toulouse v Ulster Live Blog

A try and penalty from John Cooney were all Ulster had to show for their travails in south-western France, and while the visitors enjoyed some good moments in the game, they were no match for electric two-try winger Cheslin Kolbe and Toulouse’s attacking flair.

Giving his reaction after the quarter-final clash, Ulster head coach Dan McFarland said: “I think it’s the same story again. We had opportunities in the first half, one was gilt-edged.

“Their first try came when we had James Hume lying on the floor injured and defending against them was difficult enough with 15, with 14, we just couldn’t do it.

“We missed an opportunity to go into the lead (at 8-3) but passed the ball into touch and then they scored. We were already under pressure there and then in the second half we made too many mistakes.”

Les Rouge et Noir started with their tails up, and after two minutes of uninterrupted possession – with Hume out of the picture receiving treatment to his shoulder – a looping pass from Antoine Dupont found Kolbe on his wing five metres from the try-line, and the 2019 Rugby World Cup winner sidestepped Jacob Stockdale to score.

Two pieces of good fortune followed for Ulster, however, with Thomas Ramos’ conversion veering wide and young centre Hume adjudged fit to continue.

Indeed, good box-kicking from both Billy Burns and Cooney, then a swift line break by the out-half, got the Ulstermen some decent time in the Toulouse half.

Nonetheless, the reigning French champions were next on the scoresheet with Ramos this time making no mistake with a 13th minute penalty, and a piece of magic from Dupont at the restart saw the tricky scrum half evade half of the Ulster team on a jinking run from deep that only ended with Burns bundling him into touch at the Ulster 22.

This crucial intervention came at a high price, Burns limping off with a calf injury moments later, but his replacement Matt Faddes was straight into the action, linking up with Stuart McCloskey in Ulster’s best move so far, which just fell short due to a forward pass from Jordi Murphy.

With Stockdale moving to full-back and Lowry to number 10 to accommodate Faddes on the wing, a missed penalty from Ramos was swiftly followed by a successful 25th-minute attempt from Cooney, bringing Ulster back to within five points of their hosts at 8-3.

Another miss from the boot of Ramos topped up the Toulouse frustration, and a great break from deep by Lowry gave them further cause for concern. But another piece of magical finishing from Kolbe, close to half-time, kept his side on course.

The South African speedster picked up possession from hooker Peato Mauvaka, on the right wing, and deftly danced his way past Stockdale and McGrath for his second try of the afternoon.

This time Ramos’ aim from the tee was true, sending Ugo Mola and Regis Sonnes’ charges off 12 points to the good – 15-3 – a margin their overall performance in the opening half had earned.

Matthew Rea was sent on within three minutes of the restart, replacing Nick Timoney in the back row, and three early infractions from Toulouse allowed Ulster to reach the five-metre line where they pummelled the French rearguard – all to no avail as exemplary defence eventually forced the turnover.

Toulouse had no such trouble converting their next chance on the 49-minute mark, Sofiane Guitone showing his breaking ability as he slipped through the Ulster midfield and supplied the supporting Dupont for try number three under the posts.

Ramos converted and with multiple changes bringing on Eric O’Sullivan, Sam Carter, Kieran Treadwell and Alby Mathewson for McGrath, O’Connor, Henderson and McCloskey respectively, Ulster faced up to the final quarter a full 19 points adrift.

The deficit soon became 26 thanks to a fine solo score from former Connacht centre Pita Ahki, who grounded his own chip and chase in the left corner. Ramos added the extras before the full-back claimed the fifth try in the 66th minute after another incisive break from Guitone.

Ulster’s consolation score arrived just four minutes later courtesy of a delightful Lowry kick to the left wing. It was collected and grounded by makeshift winger Cooney, the try reinstalling the Dubliner as the tournament’s leading scorer on 76 points.

Ulster will now enjoy a short break before the start of the 2020/21 Guinness PRO14 season – provisionally set for the first weekend in October – while Toulouse will be away to Exeter Chiefs next week in their second consecutive Champions Cup semi-final.

McFarland acknowledged: “Toulouse are a magnificent team and I think they showed that if you make errors, or give them half-chances, they’re going to take them. That was evident today.

“But I’m looking at that game and I’m thinking if we’re closer to the way we can play, that would have been a real contest. I’d have expected us to even be ahead at half-time.

“They’ll be looking at themselves and saying they’re not hitting their straps, not hitting their best rugby. Up front I thought our forwards did a really good job, I thought our scrum was magnificent.

“When you watch what they’ve been doing to sides like Clermont and La Rochelle, what they’ve been doing before the lockdown, they can steamroller you but our front row did an amazing job. We did a lot of good work up front but we didn’t have that all-court game.”