Ulster condemned to bottom spot in Champions Cup Pool 5

For the second time this Champions Cup season it was the battle of the Ireland understudy outhalves as Ulster’s Paddy Jackson and Bordeaux’s Ian Madigan went boot-to-boot in Pool 5.

Ulster’s campaign was over, with Bordeaux needing a bonus-point win to have any chance of sneaking into the quarter-finals as a runner-up, Clermont having already secured the pool winners’ position.

The French side had enough for the win as tries from Yann Lesgourgues and Marco Tauleigne, allied to booted points from Madigan and Simon Hickey saw them home on a 26-22 scoreline.

Ulster managed three tries from Andrew Trimble, Franco van der Merwe and Darren Cave, and Jackson added kicked points, but ultimately they lacked the control in the half-backs or the power in the pack to adequately dent Bordeaux, and were condemned to a fourth defeat and bottom spot in the pool.

It was first blood to the Franco-Irish Mad Dog as he slotted a penalty for the South of France team in the early minutes to give his side the early edge.

The visitors’ early dominance continued with David Shanahan getting caught in possession by his opposite No 9 Lesgourgues, who forced the young Ulsterman into spilling the ball to the deck where Lesgourgues was the first to pounce, scooping up the egg and racing over for the five-pointer. Madigan slotted the extras to give the French a handy early cushion.

Ulster finally sparked to life at the close of the first quarter, as they spun wide left inside the Bordeaux 22 after repeated phases, creating a gap on the left flank for Trimble to canter over from close range. However, Jackson’s crosshairs were off for the conversion as he pushed his effort from the left touchline wide of the right upright.

But Bordeaux struck back with immediate effect, a close-range scrum saw the French pack decimate the Irish, with No 8 Tauleigne dotting down at the base and Madigan making it three from three with the tee.

It was tit for tat in every exchange and Ulster responded again to cut the deficit. A Robbie Diack lineout take in the 22 saw Ulster’s pack rumble a maul to the line, before switching attack from right to left where Tommy Bowe carried to the line before Shanahan fed Van der Merwe to hold off three tacklers as he crashed over the line. Jackson also got his kicking game of the mark with the extras.

But Ulster’s indiscipline once more allowed Bordeaux to strike back as they coughed up another penalty, which Madigan duly dispatched.

There was time for one more major play in the first period as a line break sent Jackson careering towards the tryline, where he was pulled down by Lesgourgues inches short, only for fullback Geoffrey Cros to get his hand caught in the cookie jar in attempting to steal the ball from Jackson on the deck; the No 15 was sent to the bin for the professional foul, with Jackson slotting the resulting penalty to leave just five between the teams at the interval.

With almost a full ten minutes with a man advantage after the break; however, Ulster failed to find a chink in the Bordeaux defensive line as the French maintained their lead. As the game edged towards the final quarter Jackson should have closed the gap to two, only to push a penalty wide right from a position right in front of the posts, in what could only be describe as a very poor effort from the tee.

But Ulster were on top with Bowe and Stuart McCloskey launching attacks in the Bordeaux 22, from which Cave finally made it to the tryline as he touched down at the base of the posts.

The last quarter of an hour saw Ireland captain Rory Best introduced at hooker, as the Ulsterman looked to turn the screw and find the play to kill off the tie. Bordeaux called Madigan ashore as Hickey entered the fray at No 10.

And Hickey had an almost immediate impact on the scoreline, with McCloskey pinged for a high tackle, and the New Zealander slotting the penalty to edge Bordeaux back in front. Another infringement saw Hickey add another penalty with six left on the clock as they once more capitalised on Ulster indiscipline, which ultimately proved the difference as the Irish side slumped to a fourth defeat in six matches.

Photo: Inpho/Darren Kidd

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