Looking to recapture their best form and turn Kingspan Stadium into the noisiest of cauldrons, Ulster face La Rochelle with a chance to overtake the French side at the top of Champions Cup Pool 1.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP – POOL 1: Saturday, January 13
ULSTER (2nd) v LA ROCHELLE (1st), Kingspan Stadium, 1pm (live Sky Sports Action/beIN Sports/BBC Radio Ulster MW/RTE Radio 1/highlights TG4)
Team News: The Ulster starting XV has been announced for this afternoon’s Champions Cup round 5 showdown with La Rochelle at Kingspan Stadium (kick-off 1pm). Limited tickets are still available via www.ulsterrugby.com.
Craig Gilroy and Louis Ludik return to the back-line after missing the GUINNESS PRO14 derby against Leinster last weekend, while John Cooney slots back in at scrum half following his appearance off the bench at the RDS.
Australian international Christian Lealiifano, who will be playing in his last home match for Ulster before returning to the Brumbies later this month, will partner Cooney at half back.
Ludik joins Stuart McCloskey in midfield, while Gilroy, Jacob Stockdale and full-back Charles Piutau, who leads the way for metres made in this year’s Champions Cup with 454, will make up a potent back-three.
Alan O’Connor is reinstalled in the second row where he is paired with Iain Henderson. Abbey Insurance Academy player Nick Timoney will pack down at number 8, with Matthew Rea and Sean Reidy named as the other loose forwards.
Rory Best will again lead the side and he will combine with Callum Black and Rodney Ah You in the front row. Johnny McPhillips could make his European debut after being included among the replacements. He is joined on the bench by Rob Herring, Kyle McCall, Ross Kane, Kieran Treadwell, Chris Henry, David Shanahan and Darren Cave.
Tighthead prop Kane, who was initially named in the Ulster ‘A’ team for last night’s British & Irish Cup game against Cornish Pirates, has been called up to the senior squad as Wiehahn Herbst is ruled out due to a slight calf issue.
Meanwhile, La Rochelle boss Patrice Collazo has stuck mostly to the winning formula from the early rounds in the Champions Cup, with only three personnel changes to the team that started October’s 41-17 home win over Ulster.
Fijian international Kini Murimurivalu will start at full-back with Vincent Rattez moving to the left wing and Jérémy Sinzelle will fill the out-half berth with neither Ryan Lamb or Brock James travelling to Belfast. Geoffrey Doumayrou and Pierre Aguillon, who scored two tries each over the first four rounds, combine again in midfield.
There are only six starters retained from last week’s 38-all draw with Oyonnax in the Top 14, including Mathieu Tanguy who partners their Kiwi captain Jason East in the second row. 20-year-old hooker Pierre Bourgarit gets the nod for only his second European start.
The back row of Botia Veivuke, Kevin Gourdon and Victor Vito has been one of the best performing loose forward trios in Europe this season, while the visitors’ replacements bench includes All Black scrum half Tawera Kerr Barlow, who is poised for his Champions Cup debut, and the vastly-experienced Gregory Lamboley who turned 36 yesterday.
ULSTER: Charles Piutau; Craig Gilroy, Louis Ludik, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Christian Lealiifano, John Cooney; Callum Black, Rory Best (capt), Rodney Ah You, Alan O’Connor, Iain Henderson, Matthew Rea, Sean Reidy, Nick Timoney.
Replacements: Rob Herring, Kyle McCall, Ross Kane, Kieran Treadwell, Chris Henry, David Shanahan, Johnny McPhillips, Darren Cave.
LA ROCHELLE: Kini Murimurivalu; Gabriel Lacroix, Geoffrey Doumayrou, Pierre Aguillon, Vincent Rattez; Jérémy Sinzelle, Alexi Bales; Dany Priso, Pierre Bourgarit, Uini Atonio, Jason Eaton (capt), Mathieu Tanguy, Botia Veivuke, Kevin Gourdon, Victor Vito.
Replacements: Jean-Charles Orioli, Vincent Pelo, Mohamed Boughanmi, Gregory Lamboley, Afa Amosa, Tawera Kerr Barlow, Benjamin Nobles, Paul Jordaan.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant Referees: JP Doyle, Matthew O’Grady (both England)
Television Match Official: Geoff Warren (England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ulster to win: 13/10; Draw: 16/1; La Rochelle to win: 8/11
Pre-Match Quotes: Rory Best (Ulster) – “With this competition, we’ve put ourselves in a strong position and it’s up to us now that we make sure we take a step forward. While our season as a whole isn’t in the balance on Saturday, our European season is at crunch time now. Round five or six, everyone is jostling for position and this is when you take a big step forward.
“This is our last home game, so you lose this and you’re really on the back foot and you’re asking yourselves to go to Wasps and get a result and hope that other things go your way.
“We’ve been in that position before where we’ve lost out with teams scoring in last minutes and other teams you’re not expecting to win, winning. It’s not where you want to be and you keep your destiny in your control as much as you can.
“This is a new competition for us (on the back of the recent interpros) and a competition that we are in a good position in through good performances along the way and we need to carry that on now. (La Rochelle) will look at this as fresh for them as well. I know they lost away to Wasps but they’ll look at this as a great opportunity to rectify that and essentially qualify.
“But for us it’s about making sure that we dictate things and we don’t wait and see how much they offload or get their big carriers into the game. We’ve got to go in and test where they are. We’ve got to shock them with how tough it’s going to be to come to Belfast and win.”
Iain Henderson (Ulster) – “Things didn’t go our way (against Leinster last week), and it didn’t provoke a reaction amongst us. It’s been like that for the last three weeks, I feel anyway, in every game. I think everyone at some point has been guilty of it.
“It should be an easy ‘fix’, people should be working hard not only for themselves, but for others. It was rectified in training this week, people worked hard for each other, but I suppose, in a close match, it’s a completely different matter.
“I wouldn’t say it’s worrying, I’d say it’s more frustrating and it’s definitely annoying. I think we’re just at a rocky crossing, so to speak. It’s not an overnight thing, it’s something we’re going to have to work on.
“I feel it’s definitely the match that holds the most pressure (so far this season). It’ll be an interesting afternoon – the European games against big French teams, they always are. We need a proper performance. I’m not talking about winning, or scoring 50 points, I’m saying a team performance, solid in defence and in attack, sealing up a lot of those leaks we’ve had over the last number of weeks.”
Current Form – Ulster – (GUINNESS PRO14): Won 42-19 v Toyota Cheetahs (home), Won 21-14 v Benetton Rugby (away), Won 27-20 v Scarlets (home), Won 52-25 v Dragons (home), Lost 27-23 v Zebre (away), Won 16-8 v Connacht (home); (Champions Cup): Won 19-9 v Wasps (home), Lost 41-17 v La Rochelle (away); (GUINNESS PRO14): Lost 25-10 v Leinster (home), Won 43-36 v Southern Kings (away), Won 23-22 v Benetton Rugby (home), Drew 32-32 v Dragons (away); (Champions Cup): Won 17-5 v Harlequins (away), Won 52-24 v Harlequins (home); (GUINNESS PRO14): Lost 44-16 v Connacht (away), Won 24-17 v Munster (home), Lost 38-7 v Leinster (away)
La Rochelle – (Top 14 Championship): Won 19-10 v Brive (away), Lost 35-24 v Stade Francais (home), Won 51-20 v Clermont Auvergne (home), Won 20-15 v Agen (away), Won 57-12 v Oyonnax (home), Lost 26-20 v Toulon (away), Won 16-9 v Racing 92 (home); (Champions Cup): Won 34-27 v Harlequins (away), Won 41-17 v Ulster (home); (Top 14 Championship): Won 37-21 v Toulouse (home), Won 19-15 v Lyon (away), Lost 31-15 v Castres Olympique (away), Won 44-14 v Pau (home), Won 26-14 v Montpellier (home); (Champions Cup): Won 49-29 v Wasps (home), Lost 21-3 v Wasps (away); (Top 14 Championship): Lost 29-19 v Bordeaux-Begles, Won 47-6 v Agen (home), Drew 38-38 v Oyonnax (away)
Top Scorers – 2017/18 European Champions Cup: Ulster – Points: John Cooney 42; Tries: Jacob Stockdale, Stuart McCloskey 2 each; La Rochelle – Points: Ryan Lamb 20; Tries: Geoffrey Doumayrou, Pierre Aguillon, Vincent Rattez, Botia Veivuke 2 each
Previous European Meetings: 1
Sunday, October 22, 2017 – Pool 1 – La Rochelle 41 Ulster 17, Stade Marcel Deflandre
Match Facts –
– This will be the second meeting between the teams, with La Rochelle’s victory in round 2 representing Ulster’s heaviest defeat in Europe since they lost 60-22 in Toulon in round 5 during the 2014/15 season
– Ulster lost their last home game against Top 14 opposition but have not lost consecutive games against French sides at Kingspan Stadium since 2000 when they defeated by both Bourgoin and Toulouse
– This will be La Rochelle’s first Champions Cup match outside of France or England. They have travelled to Ireland once in the Challenge Cup, however, losing to Connacht in October 2014 (48-12)
– Ulster have won just 81% of their own lineouts this season, the lowest rate in the competition
– La Rochelle have a 92% goal-kicking success rate this season, the best of any team in the competition, while Ulster’s is 76%
European Cup Records:
Ulster –
2016/17: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2015/16: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2014/15: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2013/14: Reached the quarter-finals
2012/13: Reached the quarter-finals
2011/12: Runners-up
2010/11: Reached the quarter-finals
2009/10: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2008/09: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2007/08: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2006/07: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2005/06: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2004/05: Failed to qualify from Pool 6
2003/04: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2002/03: Failed to qualify from Pool 6
2001/02: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2000/01: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
1999/00: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
1998/99: Champions
1997/98: Failed to qualify from Pool B
1996/97: Failed to qualify from Pool C
1995/96: Failed to qualify from Pool B
La Rochelle –
N/A
This website uses cookies.
Read More