Ulster brothers Neil and Simon Best both scored but it was not enough to clinch a shock victory at French champions Biarritz.

The pair of forwards both scored from driving lineouts either side of half-time as Ulster recovered from a disastrous start to threaten a genuine shock.


David Humphreys added three penalties to bring the Irish province to within four points at 23-19 behind with just seven minutes to go.


But wing Jean-Baptiste Gobelet made the most of his good fortune when a lose ball bounced kindly into his hands to score the decisive try for Biarritz.


That secured a bonus point for the French who now go top of Pool 4 following Saracens’ below-par display in Italy.


But it also denied Ulster what would have been a well-deserved bonus point after recovering from conceding three tries inside the opening 13 minutes.


Philippe Bidabe scored the first of his brace on just 70 seconds after Federico Martin Amaburu escaped Kevin Maggs’ clutches.


Prop Petru Balan soon followed before Bidabe chipped ahead for his second as Biarritz looked to rack up the points.


But Ulster regained their composure and Neil Best scored before half-time to launch a fightback that lasted until Gobelet’s 73rd minute try. Dimitri Yachvili and Julien Peyrelongue added points with their boots.