Ulster Rugby survived a late ASM Clermont Auvergne comeback to run out 34-31 winners at Kingsholm Stadium on Saturday. The hosts earned a second successive bonus point after scoring five tries, with hooker Rob Herring dotting down twice, as the Irish province ended the pool stage with a 100% win record. Having gone 34-12 down in the second half, Clermont responded with three late tries through Jacobus Van Tonder, Alivereti Raka and Judicael Cancoriet, with Ulster managing to hold out for the win. It was an unhappy Ulster reunion for current Clermont director of rugby Jono Gibbes, who left the United Rugby Championship side in 2018, as his men failed to secure a place in the Round of 16 and will now need help from other results to qualify. https://twitter.com/ChampionsCup/status/1484969029324480521 Herring opened the scoring for the hosts in the eighth minute, coming out of an Ulster maul to dot down for his second Heineken Champions Cup try of the season. Morgan Parra quickly responded for the visitors with a penalty to get Clermont on the board. The 33-year-old then put Gibbes’ side 6-5 ahead after they won a scrum penalty. Mike Lowry put Ulster back ahead as the full-back showed sheer explosiveness to burst through the Clermont defence – escaping a Parra tackle to go over in the corner. The boot of Perra saw Clermont regain the advantage, kicking two more penalties for a 12-10 lead. However, a yellow card for Raka gave Ulster the man advantage as the Clermont winger was sent to the sin bin. Ulster hooker Herring then scored his second try just before half-time, breaking from another Ulster maul to dot down, with Nathan Doak adding the extras to put the Irish province 17-12 up at the interval. Doak, making his second European start, gave the hosts their first points after the break with a penalty before Duane Vermeulen used his strength to power over from close range and secured a bonus point for Ulster. Robert Baloucoune then gave Ulster their fifth try of the evening after he was released by a long, floating pass by Billy Burns, who then added the extras for the Irish province for a 34-12 lead. Clermont then replied with a fantastic try as replacement Damian Penaud, Cheikh Tiberghien and Lucas Dessaigne all combined to release Van Tonder for his first Heineken Champions Cup try of the season. The gap was then closed to 10 points as Raka finished off another fantastic team try for Clermont, with replacement Camille Lopez converting. Tension then rose even further among the Ulster fanbase at the Kingsholm Stadium as Cancoriet dotted down following a Clermont maul, with another Lopez conversion making it a three-point game.