Two-time defending European champions Toulon took a big step towards the European Champions Rugby Cup knockout stages with a solid 23-13 victory over 1999 winners Ulster in Belfast on Saturday.
The French side outscored the hosts two tries to one — South African star Bryan Habana finishing off an excellent move on the stroke of half-time and English wing Delon Armitage running back an interception in the second-half.
Ulster got a late try through Craig Gilroy but it was not enough to prevent them slipping to their second defeat in a week in the competition, the first time they have lost their first two games since the 2008/09 campaign.
Elsewhere fellow Top 14 side Toulouse recorded their first away victory of the season, beating English side Bath 21-19, confirming the four-time European Cup winners have turned a corner with their fourth successive victory having lost their previous five which was their worst run in 50 years.
The most notable individual performance came from Welsh international George North who scored four tries as Northampton thrashed Ospreys 34-6.
North’s first ever quadruple inflicted Ospreys’ first defeat of the season and extended the Welsh side’s woeful away record in the competition with their last victory outside of Wales coming five years ago.
Toulon top Pool 3 with eight points while Scarlets are second after beating former champions Leicester 15-3 with wing Harry Robinson and scrum-half Aled Davies scoring tries for the Welsh side.
Scarlets and Leicester have four points while Ulster are struggling with just a point after two games.
“This was like a semi-final to us,” said Toulon flanker and man of the match Chris Masoe whose team will next face Leicester back-to-back.
“To get a win here is tough. True champions are those that bounce back and front up and we have done that since we lost to Toulouse a fortnight ago.
“To be fair we are not looking towards winning three in a row we are just looking at each game as it comes.”
Ulster captain Rory Best was left disappointed by his side’s display on what was his 50th appearance in the competition.
“We fancied our chances today but the fact is great clubs have good players who take the right decisions and Toulon have that capacity and did that today,” said the hooker.
Toulon and Ulster were tightly-matched for most of the first-half and looked set to be just 9-3 in the champions favour until the French side scored a delightful try with the last move of the half.
Juan Smith with a delightful overhead pass found Masoe who offloaded to Habana, who had drifted over left to right wing, and the South African star touched down — Halfpenny converted for 16-3.
Toulon killed off any hope of an Ulster comeback when midway through the second-half Armstrong intercepted deep inside his own half with the hosts threatening to score a try of their own.
The Englishman ran it the whole way back to touch down under the posts and Leigh Halfpenny converted to silence the home crowd.
Toulouse deserved their victory with three tries to Bath’s one, man of the match 34-year-old veteran flanker Imanol Harinordoquy scoring one and setting up another for Maxime Medard.
“This was a very good match for us to win and one in which we maintained the right amount of focus,” said Harinordoquy, who signed from long-time club Biarritz when they were relegated last season.
“We look as if we may have turned the corner with these victories but we still need to keep our foot on the pedal to regain ground we lost earlier this season.”
Toulouse though, don’t top the pool as Scottish side Glasgow — who thrashed Bath last week — edged a surprise 15-13 away win at Montpellier to lead Toulouse by a point.
