Ulster got their EPCR Challenge Cup campaign off to an impressive start as they demolished Racing 92, winning 61-7 in a nine-try triumph at Affidea Stadium on Friday.
Jacob Stockdale (2), Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Tom Stewart, Scott Wilson, Jake Flannery and Zac Ward (2) all grabbed crossings for Richie Murphy’s bang-in-form side.
Antoine Gibert was Racing 92’s only try scorer from an intercept early in the contest on a disastrous evening for the Paris side, who were well beaten by their lethal hosts.
Ulster were favourites to come out on top after an impressive spell of form in the United Rugby Championship, but they trailed as early as the seventh minute tonight. This after Gibert crossed and then converted his own try to give Racing 92 the perfect start and perhaps dent some of the confidence Ulster had built up recently.
However, that did not prove to be the case when, on 14 minutes, Ulster responded through a well-worked try that saw Stockdale jog over after a pass from James Hume.
With the scores level, there was then a lean period in terms of points, which finally ended four minutes from the break when a solid maul saw Herring go over at the tail.
Racing did go close to hitting back before half-time when Will Rowlands went over, but the score went to the TMO who chalked off the five-pointer, keeping it at 14-7.
Ulster would put their stamp on the Challenge Cup tie early in the second period when O’Toole powered over from close range after a good bust from left wing Ward.
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Thereafter, they moved through the gears with replacement hooker Stewart peeling off a driving maul and throwing himself over the line with the extras making it 26-7.
Wilson got the next try on 58 minutes as Ulster sensed blood at close range, the prop having come on alongside Wallabies star signing Angus Bell five minutes earlier.
Racing were all at sea, and Ulster made them pay with further tries from Flannery and Ward, both converted, moving them out to a hefty 47-7 lead at Affidea Stadium.
The hosts weren’t done there as further misery was to come for the away side, Stockdale and Ward adding their second scores of the night to take Ulster over 60 points.
The teams
Ulster: 15 Jacob Stockdale, 14 Robert Baloucoune, 13 James Hume, 12 Jude Postlethwaite, 11 Zac Ward, 10 Jack Murphy, 9 Nathan Doak, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Nick Timoney (c), 6 Dave McCann, 5 Charlie Irvine, 4 Harry Sheridan, 3 Tom O’Toole, 2 Rob Herring, 1 Sam Crean
Replacements: 16 Tom Stewart, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Scott Wilson, 19 Joe Hopes, 20 Bryn Ward, 21 Conor McKee, 22 Jake Flannery, 23 Stewart Moore
Racing 92: 15 Geronimo Prisciantelli, 14 Nolann Donguy, 13 Sam James, 12 Vladi Ashvetia, 11 Wilfried Hulleu, 10 Antoine Gibert, 9 Kleo Labarbe, 8 Lekima Tagitagivalu, 7 Noa Zinzen, 6 Fabien Sanconnie, 5 Will Rowlands (c), 4 Junior Kpoku, 3 Gia Kharaishvili, 2 Yanis Basse, 1 Edouard Jabea Njocke
Replacements: 16 Diego Escobar, 17 Herman Coetzee, 18 Lehopoame Leota, 19 Maxime Baudonne, 20 Jonny Hill, 21 Auguste Albuisson, 22 Leo Carbonneau, 23 Arthur Espeut
Referee: Ben Breakspear (Wal)
Assistant Referees: Adam Jones (Wal), Carwyn Sion (Wal)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (Wal)