HEINEKEN CUP:THERE IS a sense that because Edinburgh beat Ulster in Belfast in the Magners League and also in their Murrayfield Heineken Cup Pool meeting that they arrive in Belfast with a psychological edge over Brian McLaughlin's side.
With both teams on nine points in Pool Four, four behind leaders Stade Français, this is a must-win match for Ulster if they wish to play any further part in the competition. Only a win would give any hope to Ulster of a place in the knock-out stages. Qualification for the Amlin Challenge Cup is a secondary concern.
Edinburgh also arrive having managed to play the only Magners League game to have survived the big freeze last weekend, in which they buried Cardiff Blues 21-12. Ulster, as they have done all season, field a team that can be strong and abrasive and also quick with winger Simon Danielli on a bit of try-scoring run.
McLaughlin has made two changes to the side that defeated Munster in the league over Christmas, with Darren Cave coming into outside centre to partner Paddy Wallace in place of Ian Whitten and David Pollock in at openside flanker for the injured Willie Faloon.
Andrew Trimble and Danielli are preferred on the wing, with Timoci Nagusa starting on the bench and Chris Henry again captaining the side.
Edinburgh arrive knowing Belfast is a different prospect to Murrayfield but are piqued by the possibility of making it out of the pool. Scotland’s Chris Paterson was at the heart of the win over Cardiff and like McLaughlin, he expects a tight match between two sides who know each other’s game well.
“We know full well that if we lose at Ravenhill we will be as good as out,” he said.
Ulster almost turned a good advantage over Munster into a backs-to-the-wall defending game and will have to keep their tempo high. Ian Humphreys will be critical, from penalties and in placing Ulster in decent territorial space. Trimble is finally back on form, while Chris Henry has emerged as an important team leader in a pack with a now feared scrum.
ULSTER:J Smith; A Trimble, D Cave, P Wallace, S Danielli; I Humphreys, I Boss; T Court, N Brady, BJ Botha, D Tuohy, E O'Donoghue, S Ferris, D Pollock, C Henry (capt). Replacements: A Kyriacou, B Young, D Fitzpatrick, R Caldwell, TJ Anderson, C Willis, N O'Connor, T Nagusa.
EDINBURGH:C Paterson (capt); J Thompson, B Cairns, J Houston, T Visser; P Godman, G Laidlaw; A Jacobsen, R Ford, D Young, S MacLeod, J Hamilton, S Newlands, A Mac Donald, R Grant. Replacements: A Kelly, K Travnor, G Cross, C Hamilton, D Callam, R Samson, N De Luca, M Robertson.
Referee:C Berdos (France).
Leading points scorers:Ulster – I Humphreys 38 pts; Edinburgh – C Paterson 18 pts
Leading try scorers:Ulster – T Nagusa 2; Edinburgh – B Cairns 1, T Visser 1
Results so far:Ulster – Bath (a) W 26-12; Edinburgh (h) L 13-17; Stade Français (h) W 23-13; Stade Français (a) L 29-16; Edinburgh – Stade Français (a) L 31-7; Ulster (h) W 17-13; Bath (a) L 16-9; Bath (h) W 9-6.
Last meetings:Edinburgh 17 Ulster 13.
Verdict:Ulster
Odds:Ulster: win 2/7, Edinburgh win 5/2. Handicap: Ulster (-8, 10/11), Edinburgh (+8, 10/11).
