United Rugby Championship,
Ulster v Toulouse,
Stade Ernest-Wallon,
Sunday, 3.15pm — Live on Premier Sports 1
Stuart McCloskey did not make light of the task facing Ulster on Sunday. The province takes on the reigning European and French Top 14 league champions in France in the first match of this season’s Champions Cup.
Not easily forgotten, Toulouse beat Leinster last season in extra-time to win the trophy at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“It’s basically the full France team, isn’t it?” said the Ireland and Ulster centre this week. Well almost, with one or two strengthening additions like England flanker Jack Willis, Argentinian centre Santiago Chocobares and Italian fullback Ange Capuozzo, who starts on the right wing with French international fullback Thomas Ramos at number 15.
Coach Richie Murphy was cautiously optimistic that if Ulster could temper their game and play more consistently, and without the lapses they have shown, the task at Stade Ernest Wallon might not be the mountain his side sometimes makes games out to be.
Man-for-man the French club, short of having one of those implausibly bad days, ought to see it as a chance to show how serious they are about defending their title. And as McCloskey said they have picked a team to do just that with an impressive squad of international players.
The game could be the occasion when former Irish secondrow and flanker Trevor Brennan’s son Joshua comes on from the bench, along with Theo Ntamack, son of French fullback Émile and brother of Romain, who starts at outhalf.
Not to be outdone by the family connections, the Ulster backrow has Matty Rea at blindside flanker, with his brother Marcus on the openside.
Ntamack’s partner in the halfbacks is captain and Olympic gold medallist Antoine Dupont — the first player to win World Player of the Year in Sevens and XV rugby — which in itself is a challenging Toulouse combination for Ulster to counter.
Murphy has left four of his Irish contingent on the bench, with Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Iain Henderson and Cormac Izuchukwu among the replacements. Out wide Ulster have some firepower in South African Werner Kok on the right wing and Michael Lowry on the opposite flank.
An obvious challenge will be how to get those wide players and Ben Carson, who scored two tries in last weekend’s interprovincial derby versus Leinster, into space and on the ball against such a credentialed French pack.
Murphy knows what is in store. From his point of view the scrum and maul of Toulouse are the danger parts of their game, with lightning attack runners such as Capuozzo, Ramos and left wing Matthis Lebel.
How to counter that immense power as well as the speed around the fringes will place huge demands on the Ulster pack, with the string of Irish players on the bench certain to come into the game early in the second half.
Toulouse have won eight of their 11 games in the Top 14 and sit at the head of the table above Bordeaux Begles, who are two points behind.
“Our job is to try and be more consistent in the moment,” said Murphy. “We played some really good stuff and then we have moments, lapses of concentration. If we have those lapses this week, it will cost us. They are the best team in transition, have a massive scrum and a massive maul. We will have to be very good to get something out of the game.
“We are under no illusions as to how tough that is going to be, but if we can get our primary possession, get ball around the park, we will be looking to play the way we have all year but with more accuracy. If you look at their team they are probably two of three internationals deep in every position but there are areas of their game that you can look at and see opportunity. But it’s whether you are good enough to take that.”
All told there are five changes to the Ulster side that lost to Leinster last week. Ulster hooker James McCormick along with Carson and summer signings Aidan Morgan and Kok are making their first appearances for Ulster in the Champions Cup, while more experienced operators such as Kieran Treadwell and David McCann in the pack are not included.
It is also Murphy’s first Champions Cup campaign as head coach of the province, a contrast to Toulouse coach Ugo Mola, the former French winger who goes into his 10th season with the French club, having begun in 2015.
TOULOUSE: Thomas Ramos; Ange Capuozzo, Pierre-Louis Barassi, Santiago Chocobares, Matthis Lebel; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (capt); David Ainu’u, Peato Mauvaka, Dorian Aldegheri; Thibaud Flament, Emmanuel Meafou; Jack Willis, Leo Banos, Alexandre Roumat.
Replacements: Julien Marchand, Rodrigue Neti, Joel Merkler, Joshua Brennan, Théo Ntamack, Paul Graou, Paul Costes, Juan Cruz Mallia.
ULSTER: Stewart Moore; Werner Kok, Ben Carson, Stuart McCloskey, Michael Lowry; Aidan Morgan, Nathan Doak; Andrew Warwick, James McCormick, Scott Wilson; Alan O’Connor (capt), Harry Sheridan; Matty Rea, Marcus Rea, James McNabney.
Replacements: Rob Herring, Eric O’Sullivan, Tom O’Toole, Iain Henderson, Cormac Izuchukwu, Dave Shanahan, Jude Postlethwaite, Nick Timoney.
Referee: Adam Leal (RFU).
Verdict: Toulouse win.
