Bordeaux-Begles defeat Ulster in Round of 16 clash

The result might have been different if the TMO hadn’t disallowed two tries for Richie Murphy’s side.

It was the home side who opened the scoring after seven minutes. Joey Carbery started a counterattack from his own half, feeding the ball to Romain Buros. The full-back offloaded to Damian Penaud, who came back inside on the angle. The French winger showed great footwork and pace to outstrip the Ulster defence and score from long range. Former Munster man Carbery added the conversion.

Tighthead prop Ben Tameifuna got the home side’s second try on 15 minutes. From a lineout, the Bordeaux pack drove for the line. Ulster’s defence did well to stop the maul short, but flanker Mahamadou Diaby showed soft hands to put the huge Tongan prop over. Carbery added the conversion.

Former Wallaby lock Adam Coleman added a third Bordeaux try on 21 minutes. Again, the home side pounced on turnover ball and launched an attack from their own half. Penaud carried deep into the Ulster 22 before the ball was moved quickly across the pitch for the second row to touch down from close range. Carbery slotted over the extras.

Ulster opened their account in the 29th minute. Jacob Stockdale carried deep into the Bordeaux 22, and Ulster patiently worked the ball through the phases, forcing a penalty close to the line. They went quickly, and after battering the line, Ireland prop Tom O’Toole crashed over, with John Cooney converting.

Ulster’s second try arrived on 36 minutes. From a scrum under the shadow of the Bordeaux posts, the pack battered the line. Nick Timoney had a powerful carry but was stopped short. David McCann picked up, spotted a gap, and squeezed over, with Cooney converting.

Bordeaux responded with a fourth try on the final play of the first half. Carbery started a counterattack, and the forwards and backs combined to create space. Scrum-half Maxime Lucu floated a long pass for Buros to score in the corner. Carbery’s conversion gave Bordeaux a 28–14 lead at the interval.

HT: 28 - 14

Lucu extended the home side’s lead with a 45th-minute penalty.

Hooker Maxime Lamothe got Bordeaux’s fifth try on 50 minutes, as he was propelled over from a driving maul. Matthieu Jalibert failed to convert.

Timoney crossed for Ulster’s third try on 55 minutes. James McNabney ran hard at the defence, the ball was moved quickly, and Stockdale offloaded one-handed out of the tackle for Timoney to ground the ball in the corner for an unconverted try.

Zac Ward had a try disallowed on 60 minutes for a knock-on in the build-up.

Ward was not to be denied three minutes later. Ulster opened up the Bordeaux defence, Stuart McCloskey hit the winger from close range, and the Ireland Sevens star barged over for an unconverted try.

Bordeaux added a sixth try on 70 minutes. From a quick tap penalty by Lucu, replacement Rohan Janse van Rensburg crashed over, with Jalibert converting.

Ward got his second try on 75 minutes. From a loose pass, the winger hacked through and had the pace to chase his own kick and touch down, with Nathan Doak converting.

The TMO denied Ulster another try on 77 minutes as Doak finished a length-of-the-pitch move, but Stewart Moore was adjudged to have knocked the ball on at the start of the passage of play.

FT: 43 - 31