Ulster hold off Stade Francais fightback

PA Sport Staff

Ulster scored four first-half tries but had to fend off a second-half fightback from Stade Francais to earn a 26-19 victory in the Challenge Cup at the Affidea Stadium.

It took three minutes for the Irish side to take the lead as they worked it from left to right and Nathan Doak found Tom O’Toole who crashed over from close range.

Rob Baloucoune produced a special diving finish to put Ulster 12 to the good before Stuart McCloskey sprinted down the wing to add a third try.

Baloucoune turned creator for a bonus point try after he broke the line and fed Doak who sprinted over the whitewash to give Ulster a 26-0 lead at the break.

However, the French side fought back after the break. Giorgi Melikidze replied seven minutes after the interval and Charles Laloi chopped the deficit to 14 with a try with 25 minutes still left on the clock.

Stade Francais got themselves well back in the contest in the 66th minute when replacement hooker Lucas Peyresblanques picked off the back of a maul to stroll over uncontested but Ulster were able to hang on to top Pool 3 and will have home advantage going into the knockout stage in April.