Champions Cup: La Rochelle v Ulster, Stade Marcel Deflandre, Saturday, 5.30pm Irish time – Live BT Sport
Looking back to when the sides met before Christmas is a two-sided coin for Ulster. The omnishambles of having to concede home advantage and play in Aviva Stadium at short notice because of a frozen pitch in Belfast followed by a first half in which La Rochelle effectively won the match in front of a small band of French supporters, the only fans in an otherwise empty stadium, is no energy giver.
But the second half yielded four tries to Dan McFarland’s team, taking some of the sparkle off an otherwise beaming La Rochelle coach Ronan O’Gara, whose side won 29-36.
Ulster’s recent struggles have also been reflected in their results, five defeats from the last six matches, as well as a particularly damaging finish on New Year’s Day against Munster with Ben Healy scoring a winning try from the final play of the match.
McFarland’s reaction to that was a public dressing down of his team and their capacity to cough up scores from winning positions. The result is that Ulster are not in a good place with both players and coach under pressure and European qualification for next year also becoming an issue.
Ulster, with two points, sit in 10th place in 12-team Pool B with just London Irish on one point and Northampton Saints with zero points beneath them. The two points came from the Aviva meeting with the French side after Ulster hauled themselves back from 29-0 to claim the bonus points.
To that backdrop and a 39-0 defeat to Sale Sharks, Ulster will travel with restricted expectations against the reigning European champions, although all positivity has not vanished.
“We were a whisker away from winning our last three games,” said McFarland. “If we work hard, we will turn a corner and start playing better, and ultimately, we will win games.
“Stade Rochelais are a big team, both in terms of size and how many talented players they have. The players selected for Saturday will relish it, and it’s a great opportunity for us to go up against the best.”
Ian Madigan returns to outhalf after several months out with injury and partners 21-year-old Nathan Doak at scrumhalf. Ulster have experience among some fresh faces with Luke Marshall and Jacob Stockdale among the backs, Rory Sutherland and Rob Herring in the frontrow and lock Kieran Treadwell, who will come face to face with Ultan Dillane after his switch to France from Connacht.
It’s also a very strong looking Ulster backrow with captain Iain Henderson, Nick Timoney and Duane Vermeulen.
“I coached in Connacht when we lost 13 games in a row,” said a philosophical McFarland. “So you learn that that is part of the job.
“And there are times like now when there are some variables that lead you to get a little bit knocked down and there’s a little bit of momentum in the other direction and you have to build out of it.”
La Rochelle leads the pool, having thrashed Northampton Saints 46-12 at home in the first round before seeing off Ulster in the second match. Since then La Rochelle have recorded two victories from three Top 14 clashes.
Antoine Hastoy, the La Rochelle outhalf, controlled things last time out in a team which is a fine blend of real muscle and bulk in the pack and game-winning backline players such as Teddy Thomas on the wing and Australian born UJ Seuteni at outside centre.
Containment is likely to be the first task on the Ulster to-do list.
LA ROCHELLE: B Dulin; T Thomas, UJ Seuteni, J Favre, P Boudehent; A Hastoy, T Berjon; T Paiva, S Lagrange, G Henri Colombe; U Dillane, R Picquette; R Bourdeau, P Boudehent, G Alldritt (capt).
Replacements: Q Lespiaucq Brettes, R Wardi, J Sclavi, R Sazy, K Hatherell, T Kerr Barlow, P Popelin, R Rhule,
ULSTER: M Lowry; R Lyttle, S Moore, L Marshall, J Stockdale; I Madigan, N Doak; R Sutherland, R Herring, J Toomaga-Allen; A O’Connor, K Treadwell; I Henderson (c), N Timoney, D Vermeulen.
Replacements: J Andrew, E O’Sullivan, A Warwick, H Sheridan, D McCann, M McDonald, B Burns, E McIlroy.
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Verdict: La Rochelle win
