Ulster boosted their Heineken Cup hopes with a crucial home win over pool six leaders Stade Francais.
HEINEKEN CUP Pool Six
Ulster (8) 18
Tries: Campbell, Humphreys
Drop goal: Humphreys
Stade Francais (7) 10
Drop goal: Skrela
The Irish province recovered from a bad start to clinch the victory with tries from scrum-half Kieran Campbell and Irish international David Humphreys.
Fly-half Humphreys kicked the rest of Ulster's points with one penalty, one conversion and a long-range drop goal.
Stade had taken a 7-0 lead in the third minute after full-back Juan-Martin Hernandez scored his side's try.
Hernandez ran on to a David Skrela kick to touch down in the left corner.
Skrela added the conversion to give the French side the ideal start.
Ulster got their first points with a Humphreys penalty on 10 minutes but their challenge really sparked into life thanks to a great individual try by Campbell.
The scrum-half tapped a quick penalty just inside his own half and eluded the Stade challenges to run through.
Humphreys, however, missed the relatively simple conversion and Ulster ended
the half 8-7 ahead.
Stade came out for the second half determined to hit the ground running but
could only manage a Skrela drop goal after sustained pressure on the Ulster
After earlier hitting the upright again with a penalty, Skrela pushed another
chance wide and Stade's game began to visibly disintegrate.
Two minutes after the hour, Ulster struck a decisive blow. The ball was moved
right and Humphreys was put in space on the wing. He made the corner and then
added a superb conversion to take it to 15-10 for the home side.
The Ulster fly-half then produced a searing drop goal from over 40 metres to
even deny Stade a bonus point they hardly deserved.
Ulster: Cunningham; S Young, Bell, Maggs, Bowe; Humphreys, Campbell; McCormack, Shields, Moore, Longwell, McCullough, Feather (c), Best, Wilson.
Replacements: Brady, B Young, Frost, Mustchin, Doak, Larkin, Steinmetz.
Stade Francais: Hernandez; Bergamasco, Glas, Liebenberg, Poulain; Skrela, Pichot; Roncero, Blin (c), Lemoine, Brouzet, James,
Rabadan, Martin, Sowerby.
Replacements: Castola, Montes, Auradou, Jechoux, Sarramea, Quesada, Fillol.
Referee: Nigel Williams (Wales).