Racing 92 record ninth straight home pool win, Cooney shines for Ulster

Racing 92 moved six points clear at the top of Pool 4 by beating Ospreys 40-27 to record their ninth successive home pool win in the European Champions Cup.

The 2017-18 runners up were without Teddy Thomas, the competition’s leading try-scorer, but Racing’s two wings – Louis Dupichot and Juan Imhoff – scored three of their team’s six tries to shine in the absence of their key man.

The French side had a 40-5 lead just 15 minutes into the second half and eased off as a result, with Ospreys scoring four of their five tries in the closing 23 minutes.

With the bonus-point win, Racing opened up a six-point gap above Munster, who face reigning champions Saracens on Saturday.

Full time score @racing92 40-27 Ospreys pic.twitter.com/OWuJtU7tWY

— Ospreys (@ospreys) December 13, 2019

Luke Morgan’s try saw Ospreys get on the board first but Dupichot, capitalising on a charged-down kick, and Imhoff, intercepting a wayward pass to run in, turned the game on its head.

The two wings combined again for Imhoff’s second and full-back Simon Zebo secured the bonus point before half-time. 

Replacement Georges-Henri Colombe barged over after picking the ball up from the back of a ruck for a fifth Racing try and Yoan Tanga was similarly unstoppable from close range shortly after.

Ospreys salvaged some pride and made the scoreline more respectable, though, Lesley Klim handing off Zebo en route to his first try, with the wing adding a second score late on after Luke Price and Shaun Venter had also gone over. 

John Cooney scored 19 points to take his tally for the season to a tournament-leading 54 as Ulster defeated Harlequins 34-10 to move six points clear in Pool 3.

Ireland scrum-half Cooney contributed a try in each half, three conversions and an early penalty, with Ulster becoming the first team to win four games in this season’s competition.

Luke Marshall, Matt Faddes and Tom O’Toole were Ulster’s other try-scorers, Stephan Lewies providing Quins’ only five-pointer.

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