Champions Cup: Ulster v La Rochelle, Aviva Stadium, Saturday, 5.30 – Live on BT Sport
The arrival of European champions La Rochelle to Dublin’s Aviva Stadium will ring in Christmas with a little French glamour for round two of the Champions Cup. That’s the myth though. The French are not afraid to roll up their sleeves, wherever they play.
The match, originally scheduled for Belfast, was switched on Friday night and will take place behind closed doors in the Aviva due to freezing weather and concerns over the safety of players.
A statement released by tournament organisers EPCR on Saturday morning confirmed the venue for today’s game.
“Following close consultation between Ulster Rugby and EPCR in recent days, and despite the efforts of the Kingspan Stadium ground staff, the decision was taken to move the fixture as the Kingspan playing surface was deemed unsafe due to the freezing conditions in Belfast.”
La Rochelle coach Ronan O’Gara will know what to expect from a wounded Ulster side. As a former Munster player O’Gara understands the character of the beast despite the embarrassment of Ulster being nilled last week.
Getting pumped by 39 points to zero by Sale Sharks last week and losing to Leinster the week before has demanded Ulster ask questions of themselves. In contrast, La Rochelle seamlessly began this season where they left off last year when they beat Leinster in the Champions Cup final.
Polishing off Northampton 46-12 was quite the statement from a side that Ulster coach Dan McFarland ominously said will provide a bigger physical challenge than the one served up by last week’s English team.
“They [La Rochelle] offer bigger physical attributes,” said the Ulster coach. “We need to work harder than them and try and not let the juggernaut get up and running.”
McFarland might have had French number eight Greg Aldritt or lock Will Skelton in mind. The 30-year-old Australian international Skelton will bring 6′ 8″ and over 300 pounds to the La Rochelle secondrow.
New Zealand-born Uini Atonio, the French tight head prop, is, depending on what weight you want to believe, around 25 stone and has to have his jerseys specially made.
McFarland’s warning was also borne out last weekend when La Rochelle won 14 turnovers against Northampton, more than any other team in round one. They converted that dominance too, scoring two tries from turnovers, again more than any other team in the first round.
But La Rochelle are not a one-trick pony. The veteran French fullback Brice Dulin returned to France reckoning last season, while 29-year-old Jonathan Danty is a line-breaking centre. His presence on the gainline and his decision-making have made him into an important cog in the La Rochelle and France set-ups.
Ulster have pointedly said they have avoided self-pity after last weekend and that’s a good thing. But confidence is something altogether different and also tends to be a more fragile piece of kit. McFarland knows it too.
“Confidence is a funny thing,” he said. “It can only take a small thing to re-spark it or it can get knocked by a couple of things that don’t go your way. We have certainly got to find our mojo and get back to doing the things that we are good at which we didn’t see.”
Iain Henderson returns to captain Ulster and joins Duane Vermeulen and Nick Timoney in the backrow in preparation for the expected physical examination. Henderson and scrumhalf John Cooney passed HIA protocols following Ulster’s United Rugby Championship loss to Leinster.
Rory Sutherland makes his first start for Ulster as loose head prop, with Dubliner Marty Moore in at tight head with hooker Tom Stewart, who makes his first European start.
Cooney returns at scrumhalf, while Rob Lyttle is named on the left wing and Luke Marshall comes in to form a centre partnership with Stuart McCloskey.
“We’ve knocked over big English, French and Irish teams in the past and there is no question what this team is capable of,” said McFarland.
“With any team in any sport there are times when you don’t quite put things together and at the level we are playing at you don’t have to be far off for it to look nasty.”
Tonight though, with no crowd and a changed venue, the outcome could be decided by whoever reacts to the changes best.
ULSTER: M Lowry; E McIlroy, L Marshall, S McCloskey, R Lyttle; B Burns, J Cooney; R Sutherland, T Stewart, M Moore; A O Connor, S Carter; I Henderson, N Timoney, D Vermeulen.
Replacements: R Herring, E O’Sullivan, G Milasinovic, K Treadwell, D McCann, N Doak, S Moore, B Moxham.
LA ROCHELLE: B Dulin; D Leyds, U Seutini, J Danty, P Boudehent; A Hastoy, T Kerr Barlow; R Wardi, P Bourgarit, U Antonio; R Sazy, W Skelton; R Bourdeau, Y Tanga, G Aldritt.
Replacements: Q Lespiaucq Brettes, T Paiva, J Sclavi, U Dillane, P Boudehent, T Berjon, L Botia, R Rhule.
Referee: L Pearce (RFU).
