Ulster know they need to beat Exeter Chiefs, and ideally with a bonus point, to have any change of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions Cup this season.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP – POOL 5: Sunday, January 15
EXETER CHIEFS (4th) v ULSTER (3rd), Sandy Park, 5.30pm (live BT Sport 2 HD/beIN Sports/RTÉ Radio 1/BBC Radio Ulster MW/highlights TG4)
Team News: Ulster director of rugby Les Kiss has made three personnel changes for the Champions Cup round 5 trip to play Exeter Chiefs this weekend.
With Ruan Pienaar having undergone minor knee surgery, young scrum half Dave Shanahan will make his first senior start for Ulster, while Charles Piutau and Peter Browne are also brought into the starting line-up.
The Dublin-born 23-year-old Shanahan, a former Ireland Under-20 international, has made 10 previous appearances for the province, all of which have come from the bench.
He will be partnered at half-back by Paddy Jackson, who kicked the match-winning drop goal when the two sides met at Kingspan Stadium in round 2 in October. Luke Marshall and Stuart McCloskey will continue their midfield combination outside the Ireland out-half.
Piutau, ranked second in this season’s Champions Cup for metres made in attack, is selected on the right wing, with captain Andrew Trimble moving to the opposite flank. Louis Ludik, who was impressive in last week’s game at Parc y Scarlets, is retained at full-back.
Ross Kane will make his first European start after being selected in an unchanged front row that also includes Ireland skipper Rory Best and Callum Black.
Browne’s inclusion in the second row alongside Kieran Treadwell means that Iain Henderson will shift to the back row and will wear the number 6 jersey. Chris Henry and Sean Reidy are the other loose forwards named by Les Kiss.
Clive Ross, Paul Marshall and Jacob Stockdale make way for the new faces in the starting side, but the trio are included among the replacements. John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Jonny Simpson, Franco van der Merwe and Brett Herron also remain in the matchday squad.
Meanwhile, Exeter boss Rob Baxter has selected a strong starting line-up with Ian Whitten and captain Gareth Steenson again set to face their native province. Steenson kicked five penalties and a drop goal in October’s 19-18 loss to Ulster at Kingspan Stadium.
Compared to the side that drew 13-all with Saracens in the Aviva Premiership, Ben Moon, Mitch Lees and Jonny Hill all return to the fray up front, while behind Dave Lewis comes in at scrum half for the injured Will Chudley.
Former Ireland international Whitten will form a new centre partnership with Italy’s Michele Campagnaro. The only other change sees Olly Woodburn given the nod on the left wing ahead of James Short.
EXETER CHIEFS: Phil Dollman; Jack Nowell, Michele Campagnaro, Ian Whitten, Olly Woodburn; Gareth Steenson (capt), Dave Lewis; Ben Moon, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Greg Holmes, Mitch Lees, Jonny Hill, Tom Johnson, Don Armand, Thomas Waldrom.
Replacements: Jack Yeandle, Moray Low, Harry Williams, Dave Dennis, Kai Horstmann, Stuart Townsend, Joe Simmonds, Ollie Devoto.
ULSTER: Louis Ludik; Charles Piutau, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Andrew Trimble (capt), Paddy Jackson, Dave Shanahan; Callum Black, Rory Best, Ross Kane, Kieran Treadwell, Peter Browne, Iain Henderson, Chris Henry, Sean Reidy.
Replacements: John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Jonny Simpson, Franco van der Merwe, Clive Ross, Paul Marshall, Brett Herron, Jacob Stockdale.
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant Referees: Pierre Brousset, Stephane Boyer (both France)
Television Match Official: Arnaud Blondel (France)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Exeter Chiefs to win: 3/10; Draw: 25/1; Ulster to win: 13/5
Pre-Match Quotes: Louis Ludik (Ulster) – “It’s another away game and Exeter are playing very well at the moment. They’re currently third in the English Premiership, so we know it will be another difficult game.
“We’ve got a point to prove but with it being a Sunday game, that will give us plenty of time to work hard and prepare for what will be another big challenge. It’s a ‘must win’ game. I think we owe the supporters a lot and we have to go out there and make them proud.
“We know Exeter will want to finish the pool stages strongly. Anything can happen, particularly in this competition because all the teams are capable of beating each other. We’ll not give up without a fight.
“We played at Sandy Park in pre-season and then against Exeter at home in the Champions Cup and on both occasions it was extremely difficult. They are a big, physical side.”
Rob Baxter (Exeter Chiefs) – “It’s going to be a high intensity game this weekend because it’s two very good sides who are going well. Ulster have probably got a bit more to play for than we have, but we’re used to facing that in the Champions Cup and we’ve got to make sure that’s something that brings the best out of us.
“What I’d be really disappointed about is if any players relax or the team relax because we’ve got ourselves to a level of intensity and level of quality of play now in the Premiership that’s held us in good stead; you don’t want to slip off those standards.
“I don’t want to be saying to the team in two weeks’ time that we’ve got to kick-start ourselves again. When you enter these blocks at this time of year with varying results so far, you know it’s going to be very hard to go through.
“We got ourselves in the same situation last year and we didn’t talk about what winning the games would give us, we talked about what qualities we wanted to show in the games and why it was important for us to play well at home.
“I’m not saying the same thing is going to happen again this year, but driving ourselves in that way created some very positive things for us. Ultimately it created us winning the games and ultimately created us going through. That’s how we’re going to approach these two (European) games.”
Current Form – Exeter Chiefs – (Aviva Premiership): Lost 25-20 v Wasps (away), Lost 34-13 v Saracens (home), Won 36-25 v Harlequins (home), Won 41-17 v Bristol (away), Lost 20-19 v Northampton Saints (home), Drew 27-27 v Gloucester (home); (Champions Cup): Lost 35-8 v Clermont Auvergne (home), Lost 19-18 v Ulster (away); (Aviva Premiership): Lost 13-10 v Bath (home); (Anglo-Welsh Cup): Lost 29-15 v Harlequins (away), Won 62-25 v Cardiff Blues (home); (Aviva Premiership): Won 32-19 v Newcastle Falcons (away), Won 57-22 v Worcester Warriors (home), Won 21-3 v Sale Sharks (away); (Champions Cup): Lost 13-7 v Bordeaux-Bègles (home), Won 20-12 v Bordeaux-Bègles (away); (Aviva Premiership): Won 31-10 v Leicester Tigers (home), Won 17-11 v Bath (away), Drew 13-13 v Saracens (away)
Ulster – (GUINNESS PRO12): Won 29-8 v Newport Gwent Dragons (home), Won 22-11 v Benetton Treviso (away), Won 19-8 v Scarlets (home), Won 22-17 v Glasgow Warriors (away), Won 9-7 v Ospreys (home), Lost 30-25 v Connacht (away); (Champions Cup): Lost 28-13 v Bordeaux-Bègles (away), Won 19-18 v Exeter Chiefs (home); (GUINNESS PRO12): Lost 15-14 v Munster (home), Lost 28-17 v Edinburgh (away), Won 35-22 v Cardiff Blues (away); (Champions Cup): Won 39-32 v Clermont Auvergne (home), Lost 38-19 v Clermont Auvergne (away); (GUINNESS PRO12): Won 23-7 v Connacht (home), Lost 22-7 v Leinster (away), Lost 16-13 v Scarlets (away)
Top Scorers – 2016/17 European Champions Cup: Exeter Chiefs – Points: Gareth Steenson 33; Tries: Sam Hill, Jack Maunder, Thomas Waldrom, Luke Cowan-Dickie 1 each; Ulster – Points: Paddy Jackson 45; Tries: Luke Marshall, Tommy Bowe 2 each
Previous European Meetings: 1
Saturday, October 22, 2016 – Pool 5 – Ulster 19 Exeter Chiefs 18, Kingspan Stadium
European Cup Records:
Exeter Chiefs –
2015/16: Reached the quarter-finals
2013/14: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2012/13: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
Ulster –
2015/16: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2014/15: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2013/14: Reached the quarter-finals
2012/13: Reached the quarter-finals
2011/12: Runners-up
2010/11: Reached the quarter-finals
2009/10: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2008/09: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2007/08: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2006/07: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2005/06: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2004/05: Failed to qualify from Pool 6
2003/04: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2002/03: Failed to qualify from Pool 6
2001/02: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2000/01: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
1999/00: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
1998/99: Champions
1997/98: Failed to qualify from Pool B
1996/97: Failed to qualify from Pool C
1995/96: Failed to qualify from Pool B
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