Ulster v Racing 92
European Champions Cup, Pool Two, round two, Ravenhill, Saturday, 8pm.
Ulster could really do with tapping into Belfast’s European nights of old; the traditionally foul nights of weather and raucous atmospheres contributing while, on the field, the cussed hosts would unhinge those in front of them, particularly those from France.
But then not all these key components seem available any more. True, the weather can still be awful – the forecast for tonight is reasonably benign – but then the new artificial surface is likely a leveller here and in terms of intimidating atmosphere and, most crucially, the team’s form, well, things just aren’t what they used to be.
Since the start of the season, Ulster just haven’t looked quite right. The much talked of attempt to evolve a new game plan, doubtless also inspired by the appearance of their new Kingspan surface, has had the northern province struggling to put teams to the sword when winning which, almost predictably, has led to the appearance of defeats.
Dan McFarland’s tenure again looks under some strain, 12 months on since the first crisis hit as well, and should Ulster lose to Racing 92 this evening then that will be four in a row; two in the URC and the same in Europe but, in total, a fifth from nine as they also lost out in Connacht in round three of the league.
Ulster must make a statement of some description against Stuart Lancaster’s side who come fully loaded with Siya Kolisi, Gael Fickou, Cameron Woki as well as Henry Arundell all starting and hurting from Sunday’s narrow opening loss – from which Racing still claimed two points – at home to Harlequins.
With a creaking scrum cruelly exposed in Ulster’s 37-14 dismissal at Bath, even with the presence of Steven Kitshoff, an ineffective lineout and maul, poor discipline and defence and coughing up a horrible 29 unanswered points in the second half at the Rec, all the pressure is on the northern province to find something of substance to take this game to the Top 14 leaders.
Another heavy reverse would inflict severe damage not only on whatever ambition they may have for making a mark in Europe but also further undermine their belief ahead of the URC return – Ulster are in a lowly seventh in the table – and the festive interpros to be played before having to face Toulouse and Harlequins to complete the Champions Cup pool stages.
McFarland has made four alterations to his starting side for tonight in the hope of finding a way to turn things around.
Experience has won out in key spots, John Cooney now at nine ahead of Nathan Doak while Rob Herring comes in for Tom Stewart with the scrum likely to be factor here.
Elsewhere, Matty Rea is reintroduced to the back row but this time at number eight as James McNabney makes way. Michael Lowry is preferred to Stewart Moore at fullback for only his second start of the campaign.
“First and foremost, we need a performance, we need a performance we can be proud of,” is how new Ulster signing Dave Ewers put it in terms of approach for this evening.
“You can see by the way Racing have been scoring their points that they are unbelievable off turnovers; you make a mistake you have to be on high alert,” added the backrower who was part of the Exeter Chiefs side who defeated Racing in 2020 to lift the Champions Cup in a final played behind closed doors because of Covid.
“We have to respect them but that also means not allowing them to do what they want to do. We need to be taking time and space away from them because give them an inch and they’ll take a mile.”
“I think it is an exciting prospect for us to test ourselves up against the best, us as players, we want that performance and with a performance the results will come,” he said.
How they could do with both an uplifting effort and the right outcome. Getting them both doesn’t look all that likely though.
Ulster: M Lowry, R Baloucoune, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale, B Burns, J Cooney; S Kitshoff, R Herring, T O’Toole, A O’Connor, I Henderson (capt), D Ewers, N Timoney, Matty Rea. Replacements: T Stewart, E O’Sullivan, M Moore, K Treadwell, H Sheridan, N Doak, J Flannery, S Moore.
Racing 92: M Spring, H Arundell, G Fickou, H Chavancy, J Imhoff, A Gibert, N le Garrec, H Kolingar, J Tarrit, T Nyakane, B Chouzenoux, W Rowlands, C Woki, S Kolisi, W Lauret. Replacements: E-B Arous, G Gogichashvili, G Kharaishvili, F Sanconnie, I Diallo, M Baudonne, T Tedder, I Tabuavou
Referee: L Pearce (Eng)
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