Ulster 22-15 Bath: Hosts book Champions Cup quarter-final place

Will Addison scored a try and set up another in Ulster's win over Bath

Ulster secured their place in the quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup after overcoming 14-man Bath 22-15 at the Kingspan Stadium.

Converted tries from Marcell Coetzee and Ruaridh McConnochie ensured the sides were deadlocked at 7-7 at half-time, but Rob Baloucoune and Will Addison crossed after the break to send the hosts on their way to victory.

While the result assured Ulster of qualification as one of the best-placed pool runners-up, it meant Bath ended the group stage bottom of Pool Three without a win to their name - an outcome which was compounded by Ross Batty being sent off in the second half.

It took only six minutes for the home side to break the deadlock when, from an attacking five metre line-out, the forwards set up a driving maul.

The ball was dropped as it edged close to the line, and South African No 8 Coetzee picked up and powered over from close range, followed by scrum-half John Cooney adding the conversion.

Freddie Burns wasted the chance to open Bath's account, missing a simple penalty from the Ulster 22, but the visitors scored a try in the 18th minute thanks to England winger McConnochie.

Following a sustained period of pressure in the Ulster 22, fly-half Burns put in a cross-field kick and Jacob Stockdale misjudged the bounce, allowing the winger to pick up and dive over the line. Burns then landed the conversion from a tight angle.

Marcell Coetzee got Ulster up and running with the first try of the game

Four minutes later, Bath had flanker Tom Ellis sin-binned for a push on Cooney , but Ulster could not capitalise and it was all level at the interval.

Ulster got their second try a minute after the restart, Billy Burns offloaded out of a tackle to Will Addison who wrong-footed Gabe Hamer-Webb and drew the last defender before releasing winger Baloucoune to dart over in the corner. Cooney added the extras.

Burns landed a long-range penalty for the visitors three minutes later after Sean Reidy was guilty of not rolling away.

Addison got Ulster's third try in the 47th minute as Stockdale put the full-back into space to dot down, although Cooney failed with the conversion.

Rob Baloucoune pushed Ulster in front with a try early in the second half

Bath set up a tense finish by scoring a second try with 15 minutes remaining. From a well-worked, five-metre lineout replacement hooker Batty was propelled over the line. Freddie Burns missed the conversion.

Lock Kieran Treadwell had a try disallowed for Ulster by the TMO in the 68th minute for a forward pass in the build-up.

But when Batty was red-carded with eight minutes remaining for a no-arms tackle on Cooney, Billy Burns slotted over the resulting penalty.

The away side had one final chance to draw level when Ulster turned a kickable penalty down in the last minute to go for the corner and Bath stole the line out, with Hamer-Webb breaking out of defence.

However, he only got to the halfway line before being stopped and it was the hosts celebrating at full-time.