Bourgoin got off to a flying start at Ravenhill touching down just 2 minutes after kick off, the visitors missed the opportunity to extend their early lead with fly-half Morgan Parra failing to convert. Bourgoin’s indiscipline saw the side concede two penalties within the next 10 minutes of play, Ulster’s David Humphreys was on target for both kicks taking Ulster into the lead with 13 minutes on the clock. Ulster 6 v Bourgoin 5.

Bourgoin’s Florian Denos was next to put some points on the scoreboard catching his own pass to touch down in the 21st minute. Parra failed to convert leaving the score Ulster 6 v Bourgoin 10.

Ulster attacked aggressively and made a number of breaks but it was Bourgoin’s hooker Remy Vigneaux who broke away from the Ulster defense in the 42nd minute to extend the French sides lead, with number 10 Parra kicking on target to convert the try.

Half Time score Ulster 6 v Bourgoin 17.

As the home side surged forward early into the second half Tommy Bowe broke away with a fantastic run managing to stay on his feet long enough to cross the whitewash for Ulster in the 45 minute. David Humphreys converted to close the gap further but Bourgoin responded just minutes later with Augusto Petrilli’s try. Parra slotted his second conversion of the night for the visitor, Ulster 13 v Bourgoin 24.

The Ulster side pushed back toward the touchline but struggled to break through the Bourgoin defense until Paul Marshall made a speedy run to finally edge over the touchline on his Heineken Cup debut. Humphreys added a further 2 points – his 10th of the night and secured his position as the Heineken Man of the Match.

As the Ulster crowd roared encouragement Ulster’s Andrew Trimble broke away to let the home side take the lead in the dying minutes of the match.

Ulster 25 v Bourgoin 24.

Justin Fitzpatrick - “We are very pleased to have won, in parts we played some very good rugby and it was certainly an entertaining game to both play in and watch. I thought it was a very hard fought win which went to the wire. They fielded a very good Bourgoin side who entered into the spirit of a free flowing game of rugby”

Ulster Rugby: B Cunningham; T Bowe, A Trimble, P Wallace, S Danielli; D Humphreys, P Marshall; J Fitzpatrick, N Brady, D Fitzpatrick, C Del Fava (capt), R Caldwell, M McCullough, N Best, G Webb.
Replacements: B Young, S Philpott, J Harrison, D Pollock, M McCrae, I Boss, N O'Connor.

Bourgoin: F Denos; M Nicolas, Y David, N Carmona, J Coux; M Parra, M Forest; A Tchougong, R Vigneaux, O Sourgens, J Pierre (capt), C Wyatt, J Frier, A Petrilli, W Jooste.
Replacements: J Genevois, P Cardinali, M Rennie, B Monzeglio, M Viazzo, A Forest, F Romanet.
Referee: James Jones (Wales)