Dupont dazzles as poor Ulster are put to sword
TOULOUSE confirmed their status as Champions Cup favourites with a 48-24 demolition of a poor Ulster side last night.
In his last game for club and country this season before he chases Olympic glory with the French Sevens side, Antoine Dupont delivered a masterclass in front of a stunned Ravenhill crowd, the French scrum-half underlining his status as the world’s best player.
The five-time champions came flying out of the blocks with wing Mathis Lebel racing onto a pinpoint cross-kick from Thomas Ramos to score the opening try.
A John Cooney penalty kept Ulster in the hunt but the giant Toulouse pack were making their presence felt.
The home side then lost Dave Ewers when the flanker left the field for a HIA after colliding with Emmanuel Meafou, with Matty Rea entering the dray.
Ulster found themselves defending desperately soon after as Toulouse’s big forwards – led by giant lock Meafou – battered the Ulster line. The pressure told as Romas made it 10-3 with a 19th-minute penalty in front of the posts.
Toulouse soon had another and it came from a lineout maul with the impressive Peato Mauvaka crossing.
And Mauvaka was soon laying on a try for Dupont, with the French star gliding onto the hooker’s offload to score Toulouse’s third try of the half.
Tom Stewart’s late try and Cooney’s conversion reduced the deficit to 12 points.
Normal serviced resumed early in the second half, however. Toulouse flanker Francois Cros stripped Nick Timoney of possession with Blair Kinghorn scything through. And Dupont – who else? – was on the Scotland full-back’s shoulder with the perfect support line as always to bag his second try of the night and the bonus point for the visitors. At 29-10, it was looking ominous for the hosts.
Toulouse’s demolition job continued when Dupont scooted down the blindside and found Mauvaka in support and the French international hooker raced over the line.
There was more Dupont magic minutes later as the Toulouse scrum-half combined with Lebel to send No8 Alexandre Roumat through for the easiest of scores.
Ulster finished with a flourish as replacement Will Addison and Timoney crossed for late tries but there was still time for Meafou to crash over the line in the last play.
Meanwhile, Connacht’s Champions Cup campaign is effectively over after the Westerners suffered a 34-20 defeat at Lyon yesterday.
After heavy loses to Bordeaux and Saracens, Pete Wilkins’ side needed a big result on the road but they were eventually overpowered as the home side cruised to a bonus point win.
Connacht made a bright start when Sean Jansen cut a scything line off Tom Daly’s deft pass on the halfway line. The Irish qualified backrower raced away for a scintillating early score.
Lyon hit back quickly, with tries from wing Thaakir Abrahams and full back Alexandre Tchaptchet, both converted by former Ulster and Ireland outhalf Paddy Jackson.
Jackson added two penalties before the break as the hosts dominated possession, and Lyon looked likely to extend their advantage even further.
But flanker Cian Prendergast’s try closed the gap three minutes before half-time.
And they took that momentum into the second half, with Connacht power and efficiency pushing hooker Tadgh McElroy over the line, followed by JJ Hanrahan adding the extras.
It was the impetus Lyon needed to push on, though, with No8 Mickael Guillard’s try converted by Jackson in the 52nd minute.
Hanrahan’s penalty on 67 minutes made the closing stages more tense as Connacht continued to press.
But a late try from Abrahams – his second – was converted by replacement Léo Berdeu, extending the TOP14 club’s margin of victory and making the last four minutes much more comfortable for the hosts.
The Westerners are still without a win in the competition, and sit bottom of the pool.
They face Bristol Bears, coached by former boss Pat Lam, in their final pool game at the Sportsground next Friday, but Connacht will be playing for little more than pride in Galway.