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A couple of attempts by Cheslin Kolbe helped Toulouse open their Heineken Champions Cup campaign with a rare win in Belfast, where they defeated Ulster 29-22.
The four-time champions left the Kingspan with a bonus point from this first Group B match after Antoine Dupont and Rory Arnold also landed in what was a close affair, with Thomas Ramos kicking three conversions and a late penalty.
Last season, Kolbe tormented Ulster in the quarter-finals of the competition and scored another double against the Irish province on a wet surface in Belfast.
Ulster scored three attempts, Rob Herring claimed two while Ian Madigan also scored, and now appears to be against his chances of reaching the last eight for the third straight season.
Ulster had led 12-0 thanks to Herring’s first try and Madigan’s score that soon followed.
But Toulouse struggled to lead again 14-12 at halftime and the game remained in the balance until the final stages, with Maxime Medard receiving a yellow card just before the 70th minute.
Ulster had the opening score in the 13th minute after a lineout maul was driven over the line aided by backs Jacob Stockdale and Stuart McCloskey, with Herring touching the ball.
John Cooney’s conversion was good, though a much more difficult effort failed three minutes later when Madigan slipped for Ulster’s second try.
Ulster had a 12-0 lead in just 16 minutes, but the visitors showed how dangerous they are by advancing and hitting back when Kolbe had some space.
The South African passed the ball forward before picking it up and sliding, with Ramos providing a superb conversion from the touchline to cut Ulster’s lead to five points.
There was no further movement on the scoreboard until the final minutes of the half, when Ulster lost the lead with the last play.
Stockdale cleared a difficult ball from Dupont and although Ulster pushed him forward, the maul was stopped and Toulouse received a scrum.
Even though the visitors’ set pieces looked messy and it looked like there might have been a hit, Dupont broke away and drew the Ulster defense from near the midfield line before scoring on the posts.
That tied the scores, but Ramos easily fitted the two points to put Toulouse 14-12 ahead at the break.
An early infraction and a conversation with the referee helped Ulster back to the front again in the 43rd minute, and Cooney kicked the penalty before firing from a greater distance two minutes later.
Toulouse then bagged his third down in the 51st minute and, after a penalty and a corner kick, Arnold was the player to land after the inevitable maul.
Ramos’s conversion was good, putting Toulouse ahead again at 21-15.
But Ulster came back again with a carbon copy of his first attempt, when Herring again broke free from a maul for his second score. Cooney’s conversion of the try in the 56th minute put the hosts one point ahead.
Eight minutes later and the leader changed hands again. Ramos’ pass freed Romain Ntamack, whose inside pass almost got Medard through.
Toulouse recycled and moved the ball to the right, where Kolbe passed Stockdale to cross for his second and Toulouse’s bonus point.
Ramos missed the touchline conversion, but the visitors now led 26-22 with 16 minutes left.
Ulster came back and, after Stockdale caused chaos with a kick pass, Medard received a yellow card, although the home team failed to take advantage of two line-outs close to the Toulouse line.
Ramos then added a finishing touch with a penalty in the 76th minute from long range.
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