[tag=image]http://i.rugbyrama.fr/2013/05/24/1015324.jpg[/tag][tag=content]If you enjoy those soppy romantic films, then you’ll know what I mean when I say “home is where the heart is.” Luckily for you, I’m no romantic, and we’ve got a massive game on our hands tomorrow night instead!
Nevertheless, I did bring that saying up for a reason – of course, it’s to highlight our plight for a home quarter-final in the Heineken Cup. And there is no doubt that the heart of Ulster Rugby lies at Ravenhill, so I don’t exaggerate when I say that for the lads to bring a quarter-final back to Belfast would be an incredible achievement, and a testament to how far this side has come in such a short time.
There are just two problems in the shape of Montpellier and Leicester.
Let’s leave Leicester for next week shall we? There’s no point in concentrating on a match a week away because we’ll get nowhere, no matter how big a game it will be, and whether it will decide the pool or not, because the side we face this week will cause us an infinite amount of problems themselves. Forget the fact that Montpellier are (effectively) out of the competition, they will want revenge for us turning them over at the Yves-du-Manoir three months ago, you can be sure of that.
And you can forget about the whole “weakened Montpellier” malarkey too. Montpellier’s squad is filled to bursting with international quality players, just look at the likes of Na’ama Leleimalefaga and Max Bustos in the front row, Robins Tchale-Watchou at lock, Johnnie Beattie at number eight, and also throw in capped All Black centre Anthony Tuitavaké and French full-back Anthony Floch at full-back for good measure. Although a few of their so-called first teamers may be having a week off, it still doesn’t mean this side will roll over and let us walk in the four tries we so desperately crave.
That said, they are French, they are renowned for being poor travellers, and this week we have to exploit that. We managed to grind out what was in the end a well-fought victory over Munster last week by getting a good lead on the scoreboard and then slowly keeping the points tally ticking over – this week if we do the same, the visitors’ interest will diminish very quickly with the Top14 their real target, and who knows, four tries may not be such an unrealistic possibility after all.
Therefore, we’ll be asking a big task of our players for the second week running, and we’ll have to do the same next week too. But in order to be the best, you have to compete with the best, and that continues this week. If we can get the bonus point win tomorrow then we are guaranteed a quarter-final spot regardless of what happens next week – what an incentive that is. Every player must be up for the next two weeks, or we could be left with egg on our faces, and we know how that feels after last season…
Mark Anscombe has chosen to make just three changes to the side that defeated Munster last week, most notably the returns of Rory Best and Johann Muller to the starting line-up. Best replaces Rob Herring at hooker, while Muller captains the side from lock in place of Iain Henderson. Nick Williams is the third change as he starts at number eight at the expense of Roger Wilson who drops to the bench.
It’s all change for Montpellier though, as they make thirteen changes to the side that lost at Brive on Saturday, as only Thomas Combezou and Kélian Galletier keep their places in their team. Anthony Floch, Yohann Artru and Lucas Dupont all come in to form a new back three, with Anthony Tuitavaké partnering Combezou in the centre. Eric Escande and Enzo Selponi form a youthful half-back partnership. Up front, Na’ama Leleimalefaga and Maximiliano Bustos join captain for the evening Charles Géli in the front row, with Mickael de Marco and the massive Robins Tchale-Watchou packing down behind them in the second row. Galletier is joined by Alexandre Bias and Johnnie Beattie in the back row.
The final two rounds of the Heineken Cup are always special because it’s at this point you start to work out what you need to qualify, where you could be heading in the quarter-finals, which games matter now, or whether you’ll be making an early exit. Luckily for Ulster, as Mark Anscombe said earlier in the week, our destiny is in our own hands, and we know exactly what needs to be done:
Two games, two wins. Let’s do it.
Ulster Rugby vs. Montpellier Herault
Friday 10th January, 20:00
Ravenhill
Heineken Cup – Pool Game 5
ULSTER RUGBY
15. Jared Payne, 14. Andrew Trimble, 13. Darren Cave, 12. Luke Marshall, 11. Craig Gilroy, 10. Paddy Jackson, 9. Ruan Pienaar; 1. Tom Court, 2. Rory Best, 3. John Afoa, 4. Johann Muller (c), 5. Dan Tuohy, 6. Robbie Diack, 7. Chris Henry, 8. Nick Williams.
16. Rob Herring, 17. Callum Black, 18. Declan Fitzpatrick, 19. Iain Henderson, 20. Roger Wilson, 21. Sean Doyle, 22. Paul Marshall, 23. Michael Allen.
MONTPELLIER HERAULT
15. Anthony Floch, 14. Yohann Artru, 13. Anthony Tuitavaké, 12. Thomas Combezou, 11. Lucas Dupont, 10. Enzo Selponi, 9. Eric Escande; 1. Na’ama Leleimalefaga, 2. Charles Géli (c), 3. Maximiliano Bustos, 4. Mickael de Marco, 5. Robins Tchale-Watchou, 6. Kélian Galletier, 7. Alexandre Bias, 8. Johnnie Beattie.
16. Thomas Bianchin, 17. Misha Nariashvili, 18. Paea Fa’anunu, 19. Mickael Ivaldi, 20. Fred Quercy, 21. Benoit Paillaugue, 22. Pierre Berard, 23. Timoci Nagusa.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)
Assistant Referees: Tim Wigglesworth, Stuart Terheege (both RFU)
TMO: Sean Davey (RFU)[/tag]
Match Preview: Ulster Rugby vs. Montpellier Herault
Moderator: Moderators
