Ulster's 20-year wait for a trophy will continue after Richie Murphy’s side were destroyed by a brilliant Montpellier in the EPCR Challenge Cup final in Bilbao.
The Top14 side were physically dominant on a stifling night at San Mames Stadium, with Ulster fading badly in the second half against a powerful French pack, giving up nine tries in a 59-26 mauling.
It marks a disappointing end to a season that had promised so much only a month ago, and they will return to the Challenge Cup again next season after missing out on the URC play-offs, and winning just one of their final six games in all competitions.
Their injury list has been debilitating in recent weeks, and while the presence of Stuart McCloskey and Jacob Stockdale - or the suspended Iain Henderson - may have got them play-off rugby in the URC, it would not have turned this final in Bilbao where, despite occasional flashes of individual brilliance, they were thoroughly beaten.
They were chasing the game by half time, trailing 26-12 after tries for Gabriel N'Gandebe, Donovan Taofifenua, Billy Vunipola and Alexandre Becognee, and struggled to contain the powerful French pack both at the gainline and at the setpiece.
Nick Timoney and Cormac Izuchukwu’s (below) first half tries had them within a couple of scores at the break, but once Taofifenua scored his second of the match for Montpellier on 44 minutes it was game over.
Three more tries had the title sewn up with 15 minutes left to play, and although Ulster did respond with scores from Robert Baloucoune and Mike Lowry, both were just consolations on a night to forget for the province.
The game started at a ferocious pace, with the sides swapping tries in the opening six minutes.
Ulster struck first, when Doak’s box-kick was spilled in the Montpellier backfield, with Juarno Augustus first to pounce in the breaking ball and getting into the 22, before a series of carries from the pack saw them drive over, Timoney getting the decisive grounding, and Doak’s conversion making it 7-0.
Their lead barely lasted a minute as Montpellier’s forwards established a carrying threat, with tighthead prop Mohamed Haouas throwing a delicate offload to Auguste Cadot, who sliced through tackles by Zac Ward and Doak before playing in N’Gandebe in to score, which Domingo Miotto converted for 7-7.
Ulster could and should have been in for a second try with just nine minutes on the clock. Harry Sheridan did the hard work as he barged towards the line off a clever lineout move, but the ball squirted from his arms at the last second (below).
Knock-ons were a feature of the opening quarter, with the 33c temperatures and late night humidity making for a brutal combination, and two handling errors contributed to Ulster being back under their posts on the 15 minutes mark.
First, Ward spilled a simple pass from Jack Murphy in his own half, and a minute later a lineout that slipped over the top allowed Montpellier get within two metres of the line, before a pair of quick passes zipped it wide to Taoififenua for the second French try.
Montpellier were starting to take control of the final through their forwards, but on 29 minutes Ulster hit back with a try from nothing. Izuchukwu burst onto a pass from James Hume to fly through a gap and run in a try from 40 metres, to cut it back to 14-12.
It did little to stop the French momentum. Their scrum dominance saw them outnumber Ulster down the blindside to get back up towards the Ulster 22, and while Rob Baloucoune made a great last ditch tackle on Tom Banks, Vunipola followed up to drive over the line for a 21-12 lead.
By half time, Montpellier’s lead was 14 points as they kicked a penalty to the corner and set their forwards to work, with Becognee driving over to score after the initial maul had been stopped just short.
Within 10 minutes of the restart, Montepllier were out of sight as they hit Ulster for two more tries.
First, a spectacular diving finish to the corner saw Taoififenua score his second, after his own clever kick in behind the Ulster defence had led to a five-metre scrum. And then on 48 minutes the French side pulled further clear when they won an aerial contest and attacked on the transition, as Lenni Nouchi powered through Hume and Mike Lowry, with the conversions Miotti making it 40-12.
A scorching Baloucoune try gave saw Ulster reply on 55 minutes, but it was instantly cancelled out by Montpellier when more setpiece dominance gave them a penalty into the 22, with loosehead Baptiste Erdocio touching down at the back of the maul.
With just over 15 minutes left to play, Montpellier broke the 50-point barrier as another replacement front row, Wilfrid Hounkpatin, powered over from close range, and Leo Coly’s conversion made it 54-17.
And although Mike Lowry dived over for Ulster’s fourth try with eight minutes to play, Montpellier capped off their night with their ninth try of the night, as Arthur Vincent dived over in the corner to seal a third Challenge Cup title for Joan Caudullo’s side.
Scorers
Ulster: Tries: Nick Timoney, Cormac Izuchukwu, Robert Baloucoune, Mike Lowry
Cons: Nathan Doak (2) Jake Flannery (1)
Montpellier: Tries: Donovan Taofifenua (2), Gabriel N'Gandebe, Billy Vunipola, Alexandre Becognee, Lenni Nouchi, Baptiste Erdocio, Wilfrid Hounkpatin, Arthur Vincent
Cons: Domingo Miotti (5), Leo Coly (2)
Ulster: Mike Lowry; Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Jude Postlethwaite, Zac Ward; Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak; Angus Bell, Tom Stewart, Tom O'Toole; Harry Sheridan, Cormac Izuchukwu; Dave McCann, Nick Timoney (capt), Juarno Augustus.
Replacements: James McCormick (for Stewart, 76), Eric O'Sullivan (for Bell, 51), Scott Wilson (for O’Toole, 51), Charlie Irvine (for Sheridan, 61), Bryn Ward (for Augustus, 57), Conor McKee (for Doak, 66), Jake Flannery (for Murphy, 66), Ethan McIlroy (for Postlethwaite, 61).
Montpellier: Tom Banks; Gabriel N'Gandebe, Arthur Vincent, Auguste Cadot, Donovan Taofifenua; Domingo Miotti, Ali Price; Enzo Forletta, Jordan Uelese, Mohamed Haouas; Florian Verhaeghe, Tyler Duguid; Lenni Nouchi, Alex Becognee, Billy Vunipola (capt).
Replacements: Lyam Akrab (for Uelese, 57), Baptiste Erdocio (for Forletta, 57), Wilfrid Hounkpatin (for Haouas, 57), Adam Beard (for Verhaeghe, 52), Marco Tauleigne (for Vunipola, 51), Leo Coly (for Miotti, 55), Thomas Darmon (for Cadot, 66), Jon Echegaray (for Banks, 57).
Referee: Matthew Carley (Eng)
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