The bookies are making this afternoon's Toulouse-Ulster tie a 40-point match, which, given the home side's record 108-13 win over Ebbw Vale last week, is probably a reasonable call. Outside of Ulster, the province won't have too many backers but coach Harry Williams yesterday defiantly maintained: "We're not out here on a damage limitation exercise.

"Last Saturday's match was one of those games when everything Ebbw Vale tried backfired and everything Toulouse tried came off spectacularly. They were absolutely brilliant but they had the time and space to play."

When asked which Toulouse players caught his eye in the video, Williams practically purred with superlatives. "The full-back Stephane Ougier and the out-half (Christian) Deylaud are absolutely outstanding players. (Emile) N'tamack was out of this world. He started on the wing and then moved to centre." And Michel Marfaing, the substitute who scored four tries? "Oh yeah, him. He was like greased lightning."

Marfaing is accommodated on the wing today and Deylaud is rested for Yann Delaigue - a helluva replacement. Even without Marc Lievremont and Fabien Pelous in the back row, the team still has eight internationals and looks an awesome prospect after accumulating 246 points in five matches.

In the circumstances, this would not seem to be the game for Ulster to be without long-term casualty and defensive bulwark Mark McCall, not to mention Allen Clarke and, especially, the hugely influential Andy Ward.

So how do they counter the sheer pace of the Toulouse backs in particular? "We've just got to close the space down as fast as we can. But we're not overawed. We've had a couple of good workouts this week and the spirit is excellent."

Toulouse: S Ougier; E N'tamack, C Desbrosse, T Bondouy, M Marfaing; Y Delaigue, J Cazalbou; F Tournaire, K Bru, J-L Jordana, H Miorin, F Belot, D Lacroix, N Spanghero, C Labit.

UlsteR: S Mason; J Cunningham, J Bell, C van Rensberg, S Coulter; D Humphreys (capt), A Matchett; J Fitzpatrick, R Weir, G Leslie, M Rea, G Longwell, S McKinty, T McWhirter, D Macartney. Replacements: S McDowell, B Cunningham, S Bell, R Irwin, S Ritchie, M Blair, S Duncan.

Referee: W D Bevan (Wales).