Champions Cup: Ulster v Bordeaux-Begles,
Kingspan Stadium, Saturday, 3.15pm,
Live on Premier Sports
There is no hiding place after last Sunday’s 61-21 defeat in Toulouse, where everything that could go wrong did, from moment one. The home side were excellent at times but facilitated by an Ulster that panicked and ultimately submerged in a morass of basic mistakes. It happens, it’s sport.
A performance of substance is the only salve, where actions must supersede words. The players came home and unpacked anger and disappointment and took them into the gym sessions in the early part of the week.
The review was painful, but the subsequent meetings focused on solutions not problems. No one was looking for mitigation despite an exhaustive injury profile, particularly in the back three positions and also the issues that surfaced in the game.
Ulster and Ireland hooker Rob Herring offered a window into the process when he said: “It’s about changing the energy, I came in [on Tuesday] p****d off, most of the boys did, but it is rugby, and we have to move on. We have a great challenge at home this weekend, it is the first European game in front of our fans, so we have that to look forward to and try to put in a good performance.”
Ulster head coach Richie Murphy has made 10 changes with just Michael Lowry — he switches from wing to fullback to replace the injured Stewart Moore — Werner Kok, Stuart McCloskey and halfbacks Aidan Morgan and Nathan Doak remain from last week’s starting team. The entire pack is changed. Erstwhile Ireland Sevens player Zac Ward will make his senior debut on the left wing.
Eric O’Sullivan, Herring and Tom O’Toole form a new frontrow, captain Iain Henderson is partnered by fellow Irish international Kieran Treadwell in the secondrow while Cormac Izuchukwu, Nick Timoney and Dave McCann will want to bring their considerable talents to bear.
John Andrew is promoted to the bench as young hooker James McCormick drops out of the squad while a couple of Ulster academy players, James Humphreys and Rory Telfer — he is set for an Ulster debut — provide backline cover alongside Dave Shanahan.
Leicester Tigers had the temerity to lead 21-14 at halftime in Bordeaux last week before the French club accelerated to a 42-28 victory.
French international Louis Bielle-Biarrey put together another highlight reel that showcased his blistering pace in a back line that contains some of the best talent in France including Damian Penaud and the elegant young centre Nicolas Depoortere. Irish man Noel McNamara holds the backline baton in coaching terms.
There is one change from last week with Ireland’s Joey Carbery replacing French international Mathieu Jalibert at outhalf; the latter doesn’t travel. French scrumhalf Maxime Lucu is a very good tactician.
There are five changes to the pack, the pick of which is flanker Marko Gazzotti, a young man with huge potential. There is experience too in the form of former French prop Jefferson Poirot, and the Argentinian-Scottish secondrow axis of Guido Petti and Jonny Gray.
One week after facing the top side in the French Top 14, Toulouse, Ulster have to stare down the team that’s second, Bordeaux. The home side are 11-point underdogs with the bookies. Ulster must pull together all the strands of a performance, set piece, kicking, handling, tackling, decision making and let that take them where it will, irrespective of whether it’s good enough or not to win.
Ulster: M Lowry; W Kok, J Postlethwaite, S McCloskey, Z Ward; A Morgan, N Doak; E O’Sullivan, R Herring, T O’Toole; I Henderson, K Treadwell; C Izuchukwu, N Timoney, D McCann. Replacements: J Andrew, A Warwick, S Wilson, H Sheridan, Marcus Rea, D Shanahan, J Humphreys, R Telfer.
Bordeaux-Begles: L Bielle-Biarrey: D Penaud, N Depoortere, Y Moefana, A Retiere; J Carbery, M Lucu (capt); J Poirot, R Latterrade, C Sadie: G Petti, J Gray; M Gazzotti, L Swinton, T Tatafu. Replacements: M Lamothe, U Boniface, B Tameifuna, A Coleman, A Ricard, B Vergnes, R Janse van Rensburg, M Garcia.
Referee: G Gnecchi (Italy).
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