Having opened their Pool 5 account with a useful away win over Benetton Treviso the home side, level on points at the top of the Top 14 with Toulon and Toulouse and unbeaten at home this season, looked to be ready to test Ulster’s ability to back up their home win over Leicester Tigers.

But the collective boots of Paddy Jackson and Ruan Pienaar, the latter from siege gun range, steered the Ulstermen to a victory that not only put them two points clear of the Tigers at the top of the Pool at the end of two rounds, but denied Montpellier a point at their own Yves du Manoir stadium.

But while Jackson and Pienaar plundered 20 points between them it was the first half try from Andrew Trimble that stole the show. A brilliant counter attacking score involving four back line players that started on their own 10 metres line and ended with a score to remember for the Irish wing.

Jonathan Pelisse gave the home side an encouraging early lead with a penalty, but that was much less than their early endeavour should have brought. Ulster rode the expected early storm and came thundering back into the contest with Trimble’s try.

A long kick down field was gathered on his 10 metre line by Jarad Payne. His long pass opened up an avenue on the left touchline and Trimble took a pass from Darren Cave on the outside, passed inside to Tommy Bowe and then took a return pass from his wing partner before cutting inside to score a try which Jackson converted.

There were three missed penalties from Ulster, and a wayward drop goal attempt from home outside half Francois Trihn Duc before half-time and the game was evenly balance at 3-7 at the break.

Pienaar then opened the second half with a long range penalty before TMO Gareth Simmonds confirmed there hadn’t been a knock-on in a build-up to a breakaway try for wing Yoan Audrin. The score cut the gap to two points, but the conversion attempt failed to level the scores.

That could have been the springboard for a major revival from the Montpellier side, but they were never able to get on top of the dogged Ulster pack. They bombed one glorious try scoring opportunity, but generally made far too many mistakes for their own good.

All the while Pienaar made them pay as he kicked three penalties to stretch the visitors’ lead to 22-8 before Jackson added the coup de gras with a sixth penalty with the final kick of the game to leave his side in very good shape after two rounds.