Harlequins knock Ulster out of Champions Cup; Saracens, Racing 92, Bulls, Bordeaux through to Last 16
Champions Cup: Harlequins 47-19 Ulster at the Stoop, which leaves Irish province out after Racing 92 overtook them for the fourth and final last 16 place out of Pool B after win vs Cardiff in Paris; Bulls beat Bordeaux in South Africa , confirming progression for both
Last Updated: 20/01/24 6:31pm
Harlequins produced a 47-19 win over Ulster that keeps them in the chase for home advantage in the Champions Cup knockouts, and leaves the Irish province out.
Harlequins 47-19 Ulster
Louis Lynagh claimed two of four Quins tries scored at The Stoop, his first a sensational solo score that started on his own 22 and left four beaten tacklers in his wake.
It needed the stars to align for Lynagh to even get on the pitch as only an injury-enforced reshuffle hours before kick-off created a vacancy on the bench that he filled until Oscar Beard limped off in the 17th minute.
The injury-troubled wing stepped up and took his chance beautifully, issuing a reminder of his finishing skills with Nick David and Danny Care also tormenting an Ulster side that had otherwise dominated.
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By the time David, Andre Esterhuizen and Will Evans ran in additional tries, the Irish province were a spent force knowing the win they needed to progress was out of reach.
With Racing 92 hosting Cardiff at home, victory for the Paris club sealed Ulster's fate into the Challenge Cup.
Saracens 39-24 Lyon
Maro Itoje inspired a second-half fightback as Saracens secured a place in the Champions Cup round of 16 by beating Lyon 39-24.
The England lock scored two tries in 11 minutes to help the three-time European champions progress from Pool One.
Scrum-half Ivan van Zyl, flanker Juan Martin Gonzalez and wing Lucio Cinti also claimed touchdowns at the StoneX Stadium, with Owen Farrell kicking four conversions and two penalties.
Lyon, without an away win in all competitions for almost a year, led by 12 points at half-time, but were thoroughly outplayed in the second half.
Leicester Tigers 27-10 Leinster
Leicester were left to play a waiting game in terms of reaching the Champions Cup knockout phase after Leinster toppled them 27-10 at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
The Tigers needed a point to secure qualification from Pool Four, but their fate now rests on what happens in Sunday's clash between Sale Sharks and La Rochelle.
Leinster, chasing a record-equalling fifth European title this season, fell 10 points behind to a Hanro Liebenberg try, with Handre Pollard kicking a conversion and penalty.
But the Irish heavyweights soon found a familiar rhythm, taking charge through tries from lock Joe McCarthy, wing Jordan Larmour and hooker Dan Sheehan, while Harry Byrne added two conversions and a penalty.
Caelan Doris' late try secured a bonus-point as Leinster ended the group-stage with four wins out of four and secured a round of 16 tie on home soil in Dublin later this season.
Racing 92 48-26 Cardiff
Racing 92 qualified for the Champions Cup knockout phase after a 48-26 victory over Cardiff in Paris.
Stuart Lancaster's team leap-frogged Ulster into fourth spot, clinching the final round of 16 place from Pool Two.
The result also ended Ulster's Champions Cup hopes for this season, with them dropping into the European Challenge Cup as a fifth-placed finisher.
South Africa's double World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi and former England wing Christian Wade were among Racing's try-scorers as they posted seven touchdowns.
Eliminated Cardiff ended their European campaign by collecting a losing bonus-point courtesy of Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams' try double, plus touchdowns from prop Rhys Carre and fly-half Tinus de Beer.
Bulls 46-40 Bordeaux-Begles | Stade Francais 20-24 Stormers
Marcell Coetzee (two), Embrose Papier, Devon Williams, David Kriel and Willie le Roux scored tries as the Bulls confirmed their passage through to the Champions Cup Last 16 after home victory over Bordeaux-Begles.
Bordeaux themselves scored 40 points via Adam Coleman, Paul Abadie, Madosh Tambwe, Romain Buros and Tevita Tatafu (two) tries to confirm top spot in Pool A.
And Bulls' fellow South African challengers the Stormers progressed from Pool Four, completing their pool campaign with a 24-20 away win against Stade Francais that was clinched by Manie Libbok's late try.
