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Details

Date Time Competition Season
9 April 2022 3:15 pm European Champions Cup 2021/22

Match Report

Advantage Ulster after win in Toulouse

Ulster will take a six-point lead into the second-leg of their Heineken Champions Cup last-16 tie after a sensational 26-20 win over 14-man Toulouse at the Stadium de Toulouse.

Ireland winger Robert Baloucoune notched a hat-trick and Andrew Warwick also crossed for the visitors as they benefited from the 11th-minute sending-off of Juan Cruz Mallia for taking out Ben Moxham in the air to walk away with only their second ever away win in the Champions Cup knockouts.

However, Toulouse will come to Kingspan Stadium next week with a bit of pep in their step after Romain Ntamack's late try, which could yet prove vital in the context of the tie ahead of next Saturday's return game.

There were early fears for Ulster when Toulouse lock Emmanuel Meafou barged over after just seven minutes, the hosts flexing their forward muscles, but Mallia's sending off for his tackle on Moxham levelled the playing field.

Baloucoune immediately crossed off the resulting penalty to level proceedings, but Ulster couldn't find another score for the break despite their numerical advantage and instead two Thomas Ramos penalties had the hosts 13-7 to the good at half-time.

But Baloucoune went over just five minutes after the restart off Stuart McCloskey's line break for his second, before Matthis Lebel had a try chalked off by the TMO for a knock-on in the build-up by Antoine Dupont.

That allowed Ulster to seal the victory and the advantage going into the second-leg, Warwick burrowing over from close range off the back of a maul and then Baloucoune picking off a pass from Dupont and running it the length of the pitch for the try.

But Ntamack went over for a late sting to put the tie within a try going into the return leg, which should be a thrilling occasion at Kingspan Stadium.

Toulouse

15Thomas Ramos Full-Back 7', 79'
40'
14Juan Cruz Mallia Winger 10'
13Zack Holmes Centre
12Pita Ahki 23 Centre
11Matthis Lebel Winger
10Romain Ntamack Fly-Half 79'
9Antoine Dupont Scrum-Half
1Rodrigue Neti 17 Prop
2Peato Mauvaka Hooker
3Dorian Aldegheri 18 Prop
4Richard Arnold Lock
5Emmanuel Meafou 19 Lock 6'
6Rynhardt Elstadt 20 Flanker
7Thibaud Flament Flanker
8François Cros 21 No. 8
16Guillaume Cramont
17Cyril Baille 1 Prop
18Charles Faumuina 3
19Rory Arnold 5
20Anthony Jelonch 6 Flanker
21Alban Placines 8
22Martin Page-Relo 23
23Sofiane Guitoune 22

Ulster

15Michael Lowry Full-Back
14Robert Baloucoune Winger 12', 44', 66'
13James Hume Centre
12Stuart McCloskey 22 Centre
11Ben Moxham 23 Winger
10Billy Burns Fly-Half
9John Cooney 21 Scrum-Half 13', 59', 66'
1Eric O’Sullivan 17 Prop
2Rob Herring 16 Hooker
3Marty Moore 18 Prop
4Alan O’Connor 19 Lock
5Iain Henderson Lock
6Matty Rea 20 Flanker
7Nick Timoney Flanker
8Duane Vermeulen No. 8
16Bradley Roberts 2 Hooker
17Andrew Warwick 1 Prop 58'
18Tom O’Toole 3 Prop
19Kieran Treadwell 4 Lock
20Jordi Murphy 6 Flanker
21Nathan Doak 9 Back
22Luke Marshall 12 Centre
23Rob Lyttle 11 Winger

Ground

Stadium de Toulouse
Pont Pierre de Coubertin, Saint-Michel, Le Busca, Empalot, Saint-Agne, Toulouse Sud-Est, Toulouse, Haute-Garonne, Occitania, Metropolitan France, 31400, France