Rugby

Ulster count cost of heavy Toulouse defeat ahead of trip to Harlequins

Failure to score try bonus point could prove costly while Rob Herring set to undergo surgery for bicep injury

Toulouse's French scrumhalf Antoine Dupont runs in his second try against Ulster in the Champions Cup. Photograph: Paul Faith/AFP via Getty Images

Michael Sadlier at the Kingspan Stadium
Sun Jan 14 2024 - 12:41
Champions Cup: Ulster 24 Toulouse 48

So, an evening of sombre reflection for Ulster, all rather distant from the intention of raucously celebrating another high-profile scalp in front of the now rarity of a sold-out crowd at the Kingspan.

But then it was Toulouse who were in town and the five times European champions have little fear of Belfast – Saturday was their third win in as many visits in recent times – thanks to being top heavy with wondrous quality built on the foundations of uber physicality.

Antoine Dupont provided a more than ample demonstration of his omnipotence, scoring two tries, providing an assist for another, and instigating a third touchdown as Toulouse went about their business in planting the ball a total of seven times over the Ulster line.

He was ably assisted by Thomas Ramos at outhalf, who converted four and provided a sublime cross-kick which started it all off for Matthis Lebel’s ninth-minute score. But the hosts also couldn’t contain hooker Peato Mauvaka who claimed a brace of tries, and then there was the power of flanker Anthony Jelonch and centre Pita Ahki, as well as the presence of lock Richie Arnold and fullback Blair Kinghorn.

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As a contest it was already long gone before the hour was up, Toulouse leading 41-10 as the game edged towards its final quarter and having secured their third bonus-point win to nail their passage forward from Pool Two.

It now leaves Ulster in a tricky looking spot regarding making the last 16, as they head to Harlequins next Saturday. Their failure to even manage a try bonus point looked very damaging after claiming three tries – Tom Stewart’s first-half effort being supplemented by Will Addison and Nick Timoney – and then butchering an opportunity for a fourth late on through a lost lineout and subsequent scrum penalty near the visitors’ line.

Dan McFarland tried to remain as outwardly upbeat as he could but couldn’t entirely camouflage his disappointment, which was added to by revealing that Rob Herring’s bicep issue – which ruled him out of the Toulouse game – will now likely require surgery and in the short-term seemingly keep him out of involvement in Ireland’s Six Nations squad.

Injuries during the game to backrowers Sean Reffell and Dave Ewers – requiring Kieran Treadwell to play at six – could also be issues ahead of visiting the Stoop.

“I thought we showed good character to come back and give ourselves a very good chance of a [try] bonus point,” McFarland said of the display against Toulouse.

“That was probably the most disappointing element; the fact that we got ourselves into a good position with 10 minutes to go, had a lineout close to their line and malfunctioned in two set pieces in a row.”

And looking towards this weekend he added: “Harlequins are probably in a better place this time than they were the last time we met [in April 2021 when Ulster easily triumphed against Quins in the Challenge Cup].

“That is going to be a very interesting prospect but as I say the competition is about playing exciting teams and we played one here and we’ve got another one now.”

Toulouse led 22-3 after 35 minutes, Lebel, Dupont and Mauvaka having scored with Ramos slotting two conversions and a penalty to John Cooney’s penalty. With the clock in red, Stewart barged through from a tap penalty move to score. Cooney’s conversion made it 22-10 as the sides went off and Ulster seemed to have a potential shot at getting back into the game.

Such notions were soon shredded as Dupont and Mauvaka claimed their second scores before Alexandre Roumat ran in for number six on 57 minutes, Ramos converting both scores.

Ulster at least stuck to their task and Addison and Timoney’s tries were added to by Nathan Doak’s conversions. But it was no surprise that the visitors finished things off in the final minute when Kinghorn converted the hard-working Emmanuel Meafou’s close-in score.

SCORING SEQUENCE – 9 mins: Lebel try, Ramos con, 0-7; 12: Cooney pen, 3-7; 18: Ramos pen, 3-10; 30: Mauvaka try, 3-15; 34: Dupont try, Ramos con, 3-22; 41: Stewart try, Cooney con, 10-22; (half-time 10-22); 46: Dupont try, Ramos con, 10-29; 52: Mauvaka try, 10-34; 56: Roumat try, Ramos con, 10-41; 61: Addison try, Doak con, 17-41; 68: Timoney try, Doak con, 24-41; 80: Meafou try, Kinghorn con, 24-48.

ULSTER: W Addison; R Baloucoune, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; B Burns, J Cooney; S Kitshoff, T Stewart, T O’Toole; K Treadwell, I Henderson (capt); D Ewers, S Reffell, N Timoney.

Replacements: Matty Rea for Ewers (7 mins); A O’Connor for Reffell (41); J Andrew for Stewart, M Moore for O’Toole, N Doak for Cooney (all 54); W Addison for Stockdale (58); A Warwick for Kitshoff (64). Not used: L Marshall.

TOULOUSE: B Kinghorn; J-C Mallia, D Delibes, P Ahki, M Lebel; T Ramos, A Dupont; C Baille, P Mauvaka, D Aldegheri; R Arnold, E Meafou; F Cros, A Jelonch, A Roumat.

Replacements: N Laulala for Aldegheri (h-t); D Ainu’u for Baille (50 mins); J Marchand for Mauvaka, J Willis for Jelonch (both 54); J Brennan for Arnold, S Chocobares for Ahki, S Bituniyata for Ramos (all 58); Ahki for Bituniyata (66); P Graou for Dupont (69).

Referee: M Carley (England).

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