It doesn't require a degree in sports psychology to interpret the body language of Ulster coach Neil Doak. Shoulders sagged, eyes to ground, Doak claimed his team "stretched" Toulon last Saturday.
Losing 60-22 is hardly stretching. They temporarily built a lead but “stretched” the European champions just sound like someone stretching to clutch at straws.
The obliteration reflected just how susceptible Ulster have become to heavyweight blows in Europe.
Yes, there are multiple excuses and the cruel, intolerable injury toll was added to when by Paddy Jackson, Stuart Olding and Louis Ludi were all forced off at Stade Felix Mayol.
Injury to the South African fullback sees Jared Payne at 15 with Darren Cave at centre. Luke Marshall returns to midfield, after his latest concussion, as 21-year-old Olding enters his second long-term injury period.
The only crumb of comfort is the return of Iain Henderson following a hip problem. He’s playing blindside flanker.
The fixture still matters to Leicester as they come chasing five points while also needing results to fall kindly elsewhere in order to reach the quarter-finals.
“It’s a long shot,” said Tigers backs coach Geordan Murphy. “We know we are up against it because of results earlier in the campaign but we have an outside chance.”
Injury list
Murphy feels Ulster’s pain regarding a chronic injury list. “We have had our share of the curse. In my time in rugby this season has been pretty much a nightmare. It is part and parcel of rugby at the moment – all teams have their injuries.”
At least the other Irishman exiled in Leicester, Niall Morris, returns to fitness wearing number 23 but there will be no Brad Thorn (calf). Two England secondrows, Graham Kitchener and Geoff Parling, deputise so Leicester's pack have enough about them to dominate in Belfast.
Such a sentence would never have been typed in years gone by but the Ulster coach hardly inspired confidence this week when speaking to the Belfast Telegraph website about working to expose Leicester with a counter punching game plan despite having home advantage.
“The Leicester Tigers will be looking to dominate, get a foothold in the game and maybe chase that bonus point that may give us opportunities defensively to put them under pressure,” said Doak.
“If they chase it a little bit we can get in between them. It’s something that we have been working on all week.
“But we know it is going to be a mammoth game, they’re a quality side, a big European team but so are Ulster. We want to finish the campaign on a high.”
Unfortunately, Ulster are no longer a “big European team.”
It’s easy to kick them when they are down. They will rise again but for now remain cursed by injury.
As are Leicester. But they found a way to survive, albeit barely. That’s the difference. And should prove so again today.
ULSTER: J Payne; T Bowe, D Cave, L Marshall, C Gilroy; I Humphreys, R Pienaar; C Black, R Best (capt), W Herbst; A O'Connor, F Van der Merwe; I Henderson, M McComish, R Wilson. Replacements: R Herring, A Warwick, B Ross, L Stevenson, C Ross, N McComb, P Marshall, M Allen. LEICESTER: M Tait; A Thompstone, V Goneva, S Bai, M Benjamin; F Burns, Ben Youngs (capt); M Ayerza, T Youngs, L Mulipola, G Kitchener, G Parling; T Croft, J Salvi, J Crane. Replacements: L Ghiraldini, M Rizzo, F Balmain, S De Chaves, R Barbieri, S Harrison, O Williams, N Morris. Referee: P Gauzere (France). Forecast: Leicester win, no bonus point.
