TOU KEEP KOL AND GRAB WIN

French weather storm to seal the points

UNSTOPPABLE Toulouse winger Chesline Kolbe scores try against Ulster last night

POOL 2: Ulster

TWO tries from Cheslin Kolbe helped Toulouse open their Heineken Champions Cup campaign with a rare win in Belfast, where they defeated Ulster 29- 22.

The four- time champions left the Kingspan with a bonus point from this closely fought affair.

Ulster had led 12- 0 thanks to Rob Herring ’s early tr y and Ian Madigan’s s c ore which s o on followed.

But Toulouse battled back to lead 14- 12 at half- time and the game remained in the balance until the closing stages.

Ulster had the opening score on 13 minutes after a line- out maul was driven over the line aided by backs Jacob Stockdale and Stuart Mccloskey, with Herring touching the ball down.

John Cooney’s conversion was good, though he missed a much more difficult effort three minutes later when Madigan ( inset) slid over for Ulster’s second try.

Ulster were 12- 0 up j ust 16 minut e s i n , but t h e v i si t ors showed how dangerous they are going forward and hit back when Kolbe was given some space.

The South African chipped the

22

29

ball forward before collecting and sliding over, with Ramos providing a superb touchline conversion to cut Ulster’s lead to five points.

There was no further scores until the final minutes of the half, when Ulster lost the lead with the last play.

Stockdale cleared up a difficult ball from Antoine Dupont and though Ulster drove him forward, the maul was held up and Toulouse were awarded a scrum.

D e s p i t e t h e visitors’ set- piece l o o k i n g me s s y and it appearing that there might h a v e b e e n a knock on, Dupont br o ke c l e a r a nd f r om cl ose t o t he h a l f w a y l i n e d r e w

Ulster’s scramble defence before scoring at the posts.

That tied the scores, but Ramos easily slotted the two points to put Toulouse 14- 12 ahead at the break.

An early infringement and chat back to the referee helped Ulster nudge back in front again on 43 minutes, Cooney ki cking t he straightfor ward penalty before firing wide from a greater distance two minutes later.

Toulouse then bagged their third try on 51 minutes and, after a scrum penalty and kicking for the corner, Rory Arnold was the player to touch down after the i nevitable maul and with the conversion they led 21- 15.

But Ul s t e r c a me b a c k a s Herring again broke clear from a driving maul for his second score. Cooney’s conversion put the hosts one point in front.

Eight minutes l ater and the lead changed h a n d s a g a i n . Ramos’ kick- pass released Romain Ntamack, whose inside pass nearly h a d M e d a r d through. Toulouse re c y - cled and moved the ball to the right, where Kol b e got t h e b ett er of Stockdale to cross for his second and Toulouse’s bonus point.

Ramos missed the conversion, but the visitors now led 26- 22 with 16 minutes to play.

Soon after Stockdale caused mayhem from a kick- pass and Medard was yellow- carded, but it was Ramos who added the final touch with a 76th- minute penalty from long range.