Ulster get back on track with win over Racing

The northern province were impressive against the Top 14 high-fliers.

Jake Flannery of Ulster is tackled by Nolann le Garrec of Racing 92. Picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

ULSTER RUGBY 31 RACING 92 15 

Ulster injected new life into their Champions Cup campaign with a resounding 31-15 victory over Top 14 leaders Racing 92.

The home side had the bonus-point wrapped up early in the second-half and, while there was still evidence of the problems that had them coming into this one on a three-game losing streak, it was certainly the northern province's best showing of this so far inconsistent season.

A brace from Nick Timoney opened and closed Ulster's scoring with Stuart McCloskey and Matty Rea going over in between in the 31-15 victory.

After shipping 29 without reply in the second-half against Bath last week, Dan McFarland will have been demanding a response and got one from his players.

The game wasn't even five minutes old when Nick Timoney crashed across the whitewash, Ulster punishing a Racing breakdown penalty with a tap-and go from close range. The two penalties surrendered by Racing in the opening passage matched the total awarded to Ulster in the entire game at the Rec a week ago.

Racing's struggles to get to grips with referee Luke Pearce early on was giving Ulster opportunities but their line-out was letting them down at crucial junctures with three line-out turnovers in the opening quarter of an hour and five in the first-half alone.

They would have a try from scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec disallowed, with the blocking of Tom O'Toole spotted by the TMO essentially producing a 14-point swing when Stuart McCloskey got over on Ulster's next attack, again coming from an inventive tap-and-go five metres out.

The French visitors would belatedly get on the scoreboard after half an hour. Again it was Le Garrec crossing the whitewash, this time after Antoine Gibert's cross-kick had sent Argentine winger Juan Imhoff tearing into space.

While Mike Lowry temporarily halted the move, Le Garrec stole down the blindside to score in the corner.

Le Garrec missed the conversion, however, and Ulster would extend their lead before the turn. John Cooney looked primed to go over, with half of the home crowd already celebrating, but the Ulster scrum-half was hauled down from behind five metres from the line.

The hosts would keep their composure, though, with Steven Kitshoff tidying up and James Hume's fine wide pass giving the lurking Matty Rea a walk-in.

Having also led against Bath a week ago, Ulster will have needed no reminding there was still plenty to do but the 21-5 advantage represented a vast improvement on their showing in Round One.

And they would have the bonus-point wrapped up after only eight minutes of the second-half.

For the third time in the game, Racing's ill-discipline on their own line allowed Ulster to set up the tap penalty with Timoney's second of the night coming in remarkably similar fashion to his first.

Janick Tarrit's pair of close quarters scores would keep Racing within touching distance but both time and their goal-kicker's accuracy were against them.

With Le Garrec failing to convert any of his side's tries, Ulster still led 28-15 with 15 minutes to go and Cooney's first penalty of the night would make it a three-score game once again Racing never felt likely to bridge that gap and would have to finish the game with 14-men after Ibrahim Diallo hobbled off in the closing stages.

Having now lost both of their opening two fixtures, and taking nothing from this one, Stuart Lancaster in his first year in the French capital will now have to decide whether to focus on domestic matters in the new year.

Ulster, on the other hand, can still aim for a place in the knock-outs ahead of fixtures against Toulouse and Harlequins but the pressure-relieving nature of this win will feel equally valuable for the festive interpros ahead.

Ulster Rugby: M Lowry; R Baloucoune, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; B Burns, J Cooney; S Kitshoff, R Herring, T O'Toole; A O'Connor, I Henderson (c); D Ewers, N Timoney, Mattie Rea.

Replacements: T Stewart- (for Herring, 10-22, 55) E O'Sullivan (for Kitshoff, 76), S Wilson (for O'Toole, 76), K Treadwell (for O'Connor, 60), H Sheridan (for Rea, 60), N Doak (for Cooney, 78), J Flannery (for Burns, 52), S Moore (for McCloskey, 78) 

Racing 92: M Spring; H Arundell, G Fickou, H Chavancy, J Imhoff; A Gibert, N le Garrec, H Kolingar, J Tarrit, T Nyakane; B Chouzenoux, W Rowlands; C Woki, S Kolisi, W Lauret.

Replacements: E Ben Arous (for Tarrit, 70), G Gogichashvili (for Kolingar, 52), G Kharaishvili (for Nyakane, 61), F Sanconnie (for Chouzenoux, 40) I Diallo (for Kolisi, 55), M Baudonne (for Woki, 55), T Tedder (for Arundell, 61), I Tabuavou (for Chavancy, 61) 

Referee: L Pearce (Eng) 

Player of the Match: Stuart McCloskey