Sunday
Champions Cup: Bordeaux Bègles v Ulster, Stade Chaban-Delmas, 12.30pm (live on Premier Sports)
Bordeaux-Begles head coach Yannick Bru’s decision to rest the Six Nations player of the tournament, try-scorer extraordinaire Louis Bielle-Biarrey and French international flanker Marko Gazzotti is either braggadocio or a realistic appraisal of the task that lies in front of them. Ulster get a shot at determining which is closer to the truth.
The French club trimmed Ulster 40-19 in Belfast at the pool stage of the tournament but both teams are much changed from that match, Bordeaux with six survivors, Damian Penaud, Yoram Moefana, halfbacks Joey Carbery and Maxime Lucu, Jefferson Poirot and Argentina’s Guido Petti who switches from secondrow to flanker for this game.
Bru’s selection is informed to a point by injuries, centre Nicolas Depoortere, wing Arthur Retiere, prop Carlu Sadie, secondrow Jonny Gray, flanker Lachie Swinton and number eight Tevita Tatafu are enforced absentees. Carbery, who had a super game at the Kingspan Stadium retains the 10 jersey with French international Matthieu Jalibert on the bench.
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Richie Murphy’s side boast eight who lined out the last day, Mike Lowry, Zac Ward, Stuart McCloskey, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Kieran Treadwell, Nick Timoney and Dave McCann. Rob Baloucoune, a try scorer on his return from hamstring injuries last weekend, limped off during the game.
Centre James Hume, a late withdrawal in the win over the Stormers, returns in place of Ben Carson, while James McNabney takes over from Matty Rea at blindside flanker. Eric O’Sullivan, Cormac Izuchukwu, Jude Postlethwaite, Iain Henderson and Ethan McIlroy are at different stages of the rehabilitation journey.
Ulster led 19-14 at half-time in the pool match between the sides but conceded four tries, three converted in the last 20 minutes, as the French side gave full vent to their attacking prowess to which Irishman Noel McNamara has a significant input as backs coach.
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Bordeaux proved to be unplayable for all their pool opponents, racking up 177 points in the other three matches as they trounced Leicester Tigers (42-28), Exeter Chiefs (69-17) and the Sharks (66-12). Their inclination is to play at a high tempo and if the visitors afford them that latitude – it’s going to be a long afternoon.
Ulster’s set piece is going to have to improve, particularly the scrum, where they need to find a way to present reasonable pictures to referee Luke Pearce. The giant Tongan tighthead Ben Tameifuna, all 150kg of him, is a handful on his own but the home side have opted for an outsize backrow too by shifting Puma Petti to flanker alongside Mahamadou Diaby and Wallaby international Pete Samu.
Maxime Lucu underlined his quality when replacing the injured Antoine Dupont in the Six Nations game against Ireland, a match in which Moefana and Penaud, as try scorer, also excelled.
Ulster demonstrated character in the way they came back from a 17-0 deficit to win last weekend against the Stormers, but they won’t want to repeat that soft opening. The Irish province need to get Jacob Stockdale, Stuart McCloskey and Mike Lowry, into the game in a meaningful way, players capable of breaking open a match.
The pack has to front up if the visitors are to have any chance; it would be great to see Nick Timoney and his two promising aides-de-camp in the backrow James McNabney and Dave McCann prominent in all facets. Ulster are huge underdogs but that doesn’t mean they have to be hobbled by outside expectations. Time to stand up and see where it takes them.
Bordeaux-Begles: R Buros; D Penaud, Y Moefana, B Tapuai, P Uberti; J Carbery, M Lucu (capt; J Poirot, M Lamothe, B Tameifuna; C Cazeaux, A Coleman; M Diaby, G Petti, P Samu. Replacements: R Latterrade, M Perchaud, S Falatea, P Bochaton, B Vergnes-Taillefer, Y Lesgourgues, R Janse van Rensburg, M Jalibert.
Ulster: M Lowry; Z Ward, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; J Murphy, J Cooney; A Warwick, R Herring, T O’Toole; A O’Connor (capt), K Treadwell; J McNabney, N Timoney, D McCann. Replacements: T Stewart, C Reid, S Wilson, M Dalton, M Rea, N Doak, A Morgan, S Moore.
Referee: L Pearce (England).
