Biarritz have too much class for Ulster
Biarritz beat Ulster 35-15 in their Heineken Cup match on Sunday 17 October in France. The French side scored four tries to Ulster’s two.
Takudzwa Ngwenya scored a brace, while Manuel Carizza and Sylvain Marconnet scored one each. Dmitri Yachvili scored 15 points with the boot for the home side.
Ulster could only manage tries from Andrew Trimble and Stephen Ferris, while Ruan Pienaar converted a penalty and a conversion.
Biarritz started the game well, but Ulster managed to keep out the French side in the early stages of the game.
The Irish province started to build a number of phases and Pienaar converted a penalty to make amends for an earlier miss.
Ulster seemed to grow in confidence, but the team was not clinical enough to add to their lead.
Robbie Diack came closest, but he was pushed into touch by Dane Haylet-Perry, when it seemed that the Ulster forward would score.
Yachvili punished Ulster and made the score 3-3 late in the first half after he converted a Biarritz penalty.
The two sides remained level until the break, but Ulster should have gone in with a lead and would rue their missed opportunities.
Ulster Director of Rugby David Humphreys said: "We should have been 12-15 points clear at half-time, but it was a different game in the second half.”
Biarritz came out fired up for the second half and after six minutes Ngwenya scored the opening try of the match after he collected Magnus Lund’s pass. Yachvili added the conversion.
The scrum-half extended the French side’s lead after he scored two more penalties.
In the 62nd minute Carizza crossed the line to score Biarritz’s second try of the game. Yachvili converted to make the score 23-3 and put the home side into a commanding lead.
Ulster rallied and Trimble reduced the deficit by five points after he touched down.
However, substitute Marconnet ended any hopes of an Ulster come back after he finished a flowing Biarritz move.
Ngwenya made Ulster’s day worse after he scored his second try of the game and Yachvili added the two points from the conversion.
Ferris scored a consolation try after he scored from a quick tap to catch the Biarritz defence out. Pienaar added the conversion to finish the scoring at 35-15.
Humphreys still believes that his side are good enough to qualify and said, "This side must keep improving, but we've got good players, some top-class internationals who are proven at the highest level.
We won't lose heart.”
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