A second half try blitz from Bordeaux blew Ulster’s challenge away at Ravenhill, ensuring that Richie Murphy’s men fell to a second successive Champions Cup defeat to French opposition which may be fatally damaging to their hopes in Europe’s premier competition.
Ulster’s misery continued as this was their fourth straight reverse with two United Rugby Championship defeats coming before the European ties.
Ulster had led 19-14 at the break following Werner Kok’s try but Bordeaux – who at one point had 13 on the field – finished the stronger, scoring four second half tries to blast the hosts out of the water.
After what had occurred in Toulouse last Sunday, it was imperative that Ulster, with an entirely changed starting pack from the one which took the field at Stade Ernest-Wallon, got off to an appropriate start for this the second weekend against top French opposition.
The need to bounce back from the humiliation meted out at the hands of Antoine Dupont and his colleagues alongside the requirement of banking a European home win, thus avoiding four straight defeats, and building towards Friday night’s interprovincial clash with Munster at Ravenhill all factored in heavily to Richie Murphy’s planning.
And, in terms of moving the scoreboard, Ulster got the worst possible start, Tevita Tatafu scoring off the front of a lineout with just two minutes on the clock, Joey Carbery providing an excellent touchline conversion.
But Ulster hit back quickly when, from a series of close-in drives, Cormac Izuchukwu drove through with support from Tom O’Toole after just six minutes, Nathan Doak providing the easy extras to tie the scores.
Ulster responded with a strong break by Jude Postlethwaite and then Zac Ward, on debut, came close only for Nathan Doak to be pinged at the breakdown. That, in turn, led to the French hacking downfield, Michael Lowry getting back in time only for Ward to knock on and Bordeaux had turned from being on their own line to taking play to just outside Ulster’s 22.
Bordeaux followed up with a scrum penalty but they fumbled the lineout when going for the corner, prompting Izuchukwu to break free and hack downfield.
Ulster stayed there, too, despite their own lineout issues, and after flanker Marko Gazzotti was yellow carded in the 17th minute, Nick Timoney pirouetted through from a tap and go to score.
Doak brought Ulster two more points with a well struck conversion, and they now led 14-7.
Then, with Bordeaux still down to 14, the French drove a maul towards the Ulster line and Maxim Lucu wriggled over, though Timoney appeared to nail him, however referee Gianluca Gnecchi went upstairs and awarded a penalty try, sending David McCann to the bin for deliberate offside moments after Gazzotti had returned to the action.
More drama shortly followed as prop Jefferson Poirot was binned for kicking the ball out of a ruck in the 31st minute and moments later it was the turn of Yoram Moefana to follow him after the centre hit Timoney with a high shot.
Ulster’s 14 were now facing 13 but weren’t able to get the ball over the line from a tap and go and then a move out right when Postlethwaite made a half break.
McCann returned to bring Ulster back to full complement and with the clock in red, they finally got the score they were seeking, Werner Kok being put into space on the edge.
Doak, though, missed the conversion and Ulster trooped off leading 19-14.
The new half began with Bordeaux back up to 15 again and Ulster on the advance, only for McCann’s poor pass to Aidan Morgan to be knocked on by the home team’s 10 and the moment was gone.
Stalemate ensued and then on 55 minutes, Doak was subbed meaning that a new goalkicker would have to be found, presumably Morgan while he remained on the field which was until the 63rd minute when James Humphreys came on.
Then, on a rare sortie into Ulster’s red zone, the visitors finally found a way through just after the hour and though Kieran Treadwell pulled off a great tackle on the left, the French had numbers right allowing Damian Penaud a walk-in over at the corner.
Carbery was unable to convert, and it was the former Munster player’s final act.
But Bordeaux came again, this time Penaud providing an inside pass for lock Guido Petti to break tackles and dot down for the bonus point score. Matéo Garcia converted.
And just to rub salt further into Ulster’s smarting wounds, Bordeaux broke out with ten minutes to go, Louis Bielle-Biarrey racing clear to run it in, Garcia to convert.
The contest, already well over, ended when Ugo Boniface crashed over in the final minute.
Ulster: M Lowry; W Kok, J Postlethwaite, S McCloskey, Z Ward; A Morgan, N Doak; E O’Sullivan, R Herring, T O’Toole; I Henderson, K Treadwell; C Izuchukwu, N Timoney, D McCann.
Replacements: J Andrew for Herring 69mins, A Warwick for O’Sullivan 46mins, S Wilson for O’Toole 69mins, H Sheridan for Henderson 63mins, Marcus Rea for Izuchukwu 55mins, D Shanahan for Doak 55mins, J Humphreys for Morgan 63mins, R Telfer for Lowry 76mins.
Bordeaux Bègles: L Bielle-Biarrey; D Penaud, N Depoortere, Y Moefana, A Retiere; J Carbery, M Lucu; J Poirot (captain), R Laterrade, C Sadie; G Petti, J Gray; M Gazzotti, L Swinton, T Tatafu.
Replacements: M Lamothe for Laterrade 46mins, U Boniface for Tatafu 32-40mins for Poirot 46mins, B Tameifuna for Sadie 46mins, A Coleman for Gray 24mins, A Ricard for T Tatafu 63mins, B Vergnes-Tallefier for Swinton 53mins, B Tapuai unused, M Garcia for Carbery 64mins.
Referee: G Gnecchi (Ita)