Champions Cup Pool 2: Harlequins v Ulster, The Stoop, Saturday, 1.0 – Live on TNT Sports
Ulster need to win if they are going to prolong their interest in the Champions Cup; it’s not the only way but it is the most straightforward. Mentally they will have binned an at-times lacklustre and disjointed performance last weekend in Belfast when they succumbed to a 48-24 defeat to Toulouse.
The French side, inspired by Antoine Dupont, were excellent but Ulster gave them a fair amount of latitude to express themselves in attack. Forwards coach Roddy Grant admitted: “Bits of frustration that there were inaccuracies from us, obviously being aware and complimenting how Toulouse are as a team but they also capitalised on our errors.
“We are not naive to think it was all us, but we could have helped ourselves with less errors. If you have a slight lapse against good sides, they capitalise. We had a couple of poor lapses in defence, and they got a couple of quick tries. We lost the ball in contact a couple of times, lost it [at] set pieces, so there wasn’t one specific area.”
Grant was adamant that Ulster are not cowed by Saturday’s challenge at a southwest London venue where they have enjoyed some good results.
“It’s exciting, there is pressure in every game you play in professional rugby. It’s an opportunity for us against a good Premiership team full of internationals, they will be highly motivated, and we are ourselves. We are confident.”
The Irish province will have to live those words. All six Ulster players who were included in Andy Farrell’s Ireland squad start in a team led by Iain Henderson.
There are two changes in the backrow, with Matty Rea and a fit-again Dave McCann replacing the injured Dave Ewers and Sean Reffell. The backline is retained en bloc. Marcus Rea and 22-year-old secondrow-cum-backrow Harry Sheridan come into the replacements.
[ Ulster count cost of heavy Toulouse defeat ahead of trip to HarlequinsOpens in new window ]
Harlequins make three changes to the side that thumped Cardiff 54-15 in the Welsh capital last weekend. England international Joe Marler returns at loosehead prop, Irné Herbst replaces Joe Launchbury in the secondrow, with the former Wasps player dropping to the bench, while the promising former underage international Chandler Cunningham-South takes over from the injured James Chisholm in the backrow.
The home side, already qualified for the round of 16, are chasing home advantage in the playoffs, so have plenty of incentive, as director of rugby Billy Millard, once of Connacht, outlines.
“We’re pleased to have qualified from our pool. It’s been a tough set of matches for our boys, and we’ve been impressed with the way they have responded. Saturday is another huge challenge for our squad against a good Ulster side.”
Quins have big ball carriers, a potent jackal threat in flanker Will Evans, and in Marcus Smith an outhalf who has the courage and talent to rip sides apart with the ball in hand. André Esterhuizen’s tussle with Stuart McCloskey will be pivotal while the home side’s three-quarter line has the pace to do serious damage in double-quick time.
Ulster have enjoyed some good wins this season, but a victory here would be their best.
HARLEQUINS: T Green; N David, O Beard, A Esterhuizen, C Anderson; M Smith, D Care; J Marler, J Walker, W Collier; I Herbst, J Hammond; C Cunningham-South, W Evans, A Dombrandt (capt).
Replacements: S Riley, F Baxter, D Lewis, J Launchbury, A White, W Porter, L Anyanwu, W Joseph.
ULSTER: M Lowry; R Baloucoune, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; B Burns, J Cooney; S Kitshoff, T Stewart, T O’Toole; K Treadwell, I Henderson (capt); Matty Rea, D McCann, N Timoney.
Replacements: J Andrew, A Warwick, M Moore, H Sheridan, Marcus Rea, N Doak, L Marshall, W Addison.
Referee: M Raynal (France).
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