ULSTER TURN OVER STU LEAF
31 Racing 92 15
Ulster KEVIN FALLON
BY STUART MCCLOSKEY believes this bonus point win can get Ulster’s season back on track after they blitzed Racing 91 with some superb mauling.
They bounced back from their loss to Bath to inflict a second defeat of the campaign on Stuart Lancaster’s side.
“It’s a big win for us, especially after last week,” said Mccloskey. “We just needed to cut down on the mistakes and I think we did that. Hopefully this win will now take us into the interpros and when Europe resumes again.”
Ulster laid down a marker from the outset and it was the fifth minute before Racing 92 got hands on the ball.
By then they were 7-0 adrift after Ulster mauled a tap penalty over with Nick Timoney getting the touchdown and John Cooney adding the conversion.
From another tapped penalty they went wide to Mccloskey who pirouetted through the tackle of Nolann le Garrec to score, Cooney again adding the extras.
Racing hit back on the half-hour when a simple chip in midfield from Antoine Gibert put Juan Imhoff away down the left and he fed le Garrec who raced in to score.
But the Ulster response was good. Cooney was nabbed a metre short by a superb Henry Arundell tackle but, when Siya Kolisi failed to stop his Springbok team-mate Steven Kitshoff, the ball went wide for Matty Rea to score (below) and Cooney converted from the touchline for a 21-5 lead at the break.
Ulster maintained their dominance after the restart and were rewarded with bonus point after 47 minutes after another tapped penalty and maul.
Once again Iain Henderson took it going backwards towards the line and the support once more was decisive with Timoney grounding after they went over from five metres.
The Top 14 leaders showed they too could work a tapped penalty, getting over after 56 minutes through hooker Janick Tarrit.
Racing came in droves and they eventually got over again with 14 minutes left when Tarrit got his second try after a good lineout maul.
But Cooney eased home worries 10 minutes from time when he landed his fifth kick of the night, a penalty from 35 metres to push them beyond two converted tries. ULSTER: Tries: Timoney (2), Mccloskey, Rea Pens: Cooney Cons: Cooney (4) RACING: Tries: Le Garrec,