Ulster defeat Saints, Connacht top Biarritz

PARIS (AFP) –

Biarritz’s Marcelo Bosch (C) fights for the ball with Connacht’s Dan Parks (L) and Tiernan O’Halloran during the European Cup rugby union match at the Galway Sportsground in Galway, Ireland. Connacht celebrated their first win over French opposition with a 22-14 victory against Biarritz in Pool 3.

Ulster won their 13 game in 13 outings this season when they clinched an impressive 25-6 bonus-point triumph over Northampton on Friday to stay on course for the European Cup quarter-finals.

Ulster scored four tries to stay top of Pool 4 with three wins out of three while Northampton slipped to third place behind Castres who beat Glasgow 9-6.

“That was a bit of a statement,” said Ulster coach Mark Anscombe.

“We weren’t even thinking about the bonus point. We were more than happy to come and take the win.

“But we are not getting carried away. Northampton have too many quality players and they will bounce back from this performance.”

In a Pool 3 match, Connacht celebrated their first win over French opposition with a 22-14 victory against Biarritz.

Tonga winger Fetu’u Vainikolo scored the home team’s only try after just five minutes with Dan Parks kicking 17 points.

Ulster, the 1999 champions and runners-up to Leinster last season, opened the scoring at Franklin’s Gardens after 10 minutes through winger Andrew Trimble.

Paddy Jackson released his teammate with a clever, delayed chip ahead which fell perfectly for Trimble to beat Northampton full-back Ben Foden to the ball and touch down for his 20th European Cup try in his 49th match.

Jackson missed the conversion before opposing fly-half Ryan Lamb fluffed his second penalty of the night.

Jackson then went wide with a penalty from just inside the Saints’ half before Lamb finally found his length and direction with a long-range penalty to make the score 5-3 to the Irish side.

Ulster won a penalty straight from the restart for a lineout infringement and this time Jackson hit the target to put his team 8-3 to the good.

Lamb’s poor night continued when he missed a third penalty just before the half-hour mark when veteran centre Paddy Wallace was punished for a dangerous tackle on Northampton winger Ken Pisi.

Castres players Romain Martial (L) and Marc Andreu celebrate following their victory in their European Cup rugby union match against Glasgow at the Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow. Castres beat Glasgow 9-6.

Ulster scored their second try in the 33rd minute through winger Tommy Bowe.

The move was created by New Zealand full-back Jared Payne’s pinpoint kick ahead which rocked Northampton back on their heels.

Ulster created the over-lap with Wallace putting Bowe in space for his 23rd European Cup try as the visitors went 13-3 ahead although Jackson again missed the conversion.

Lamb at least kept the Saints in touch with a 20-metre penalty as Ulster went in at half-time with a 13-6 lead.

That advantage quickly became 18-6 early in the second period when Payne grabbed Ulster’s third try, collecting Trimble’s pass before nipping inside the Northampton defence with a smart dummy to score.

Jackson added the extras for 20-6 but then went short with an optimistic long-range penalty shot.

Northampton piled on the pressure in the closing stages but were unable to breach a resolute Ulster defence with the visitors even surviving having flanker Ian Henderson sin-binned for not releasing a tackled player on the ground.

Lock Dan Tuohy added the bonus-point try in the last minute for 25-6 with Jackson’s conversion out wide missing the target.

In the night’s other Pool 4 match, Castres beat Glasgow 9-6 with South Africa’s Rory Kockott kicking the three penalties for the French side.