Ulster will become the first Irish province to play Oyonnax in a competitive fixture when they resume their European Champions Cup campaign this weekend. A third successive pool win would keep Les Kiss’ men on course to reach the knockout stages.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP – POOL 1: Sunday, January 10
OYONNAX (4th) v ULSTER (2nd), Stade Charles Mathon, 2pm local time/1pm Irish time (live Sky Sports 2 HD/beIN Sports/BBC Radio Ulster MW/highlights TG4)
Team News: Ulster director of rugby Les Kiss has made eight changes to the team for Sunday’s European Champions Cup tie with Oyonnax at Stade Charles Mathon.
In line with the player management programme which he and Neil Doak outlined earlier this week, Kiss will rest some established players who have completed a long sequence of games over December and the New Year.
The Ulster management team welcome Craig Gilroy back into the starting line-up. The Ireland winger will return to the team at full-back, with Louis Ludik providing cover from a strong replacements bench.
Sam Arnold will start his first European game on the right wing, with Stuart McCloskey and Luke Marshall continuing their centre partnership. Rory Scholes occupies the left wing berth.
Ian Humphreys and Paul Marshall are selected at half-back with Paddy Jackson and Ruan Pienaar named on an experienced bench.
Prop Wiehahn Herbst has not recovered from a knock he received last weekend, so Ricky Lutton takes his place in the front row alongside captain Rory Best and Kyle McCall. Callum Black, Rob Herring and Bronson Ross will provide front row cover.
Lewis Stevenson replaces Alan O’Connor, who is also nursing an injury he picked up against Munster, in the second row alongside Franco van der Merwe.
There is one change in the back row. After a physically demanding stretch of games, Nick Williams is replaced at number 8 by Roger Wilson. Williams will be joined by Sean Reidy on the bench. Robbie Diack and Chris Henry remain on the flanks.
Meanwhile, Oyonnax boss Johann Authier has made 11 changes in personnel from last weekend’s five-try 42-17 beating by Grenoble in the Top 14.
Winger Dug Codjo is only player retained in the back-line, while hooker Jeremie Maurouard and locks George Robson and Fabrice Metz continue in a starting pack that includes ex-Ulster player Pedrie Wannenburg at number 8.
Former Ireland underage international Eamonn Sheridan, who made three appearances for Leinster in 2010/11, features in the centre alongside Tonga’s Alaska Taufa, with the Wales-capped Nicky Robinson wearing the number 10 jersey. Stan Wright, a two-time European Cup winner with Leinster, is another familiar face on the bench.
Tournament newcomers Oyonnax are currently bottom of the pool after suffering back-to-back defeats against Saracens last month, plus a six-point loss to Toulouse in round 2.
OYONNAX: Quentin Etienne; Dug Codjo, Alaska Taufa, Eamonn Sheridan, Uwa Tawalo; Nicky Robinson, Julien Blanc; Laurent Delboulbès, Jeremie Maurouard, Marc Clerc, George Robson, Fabrice Metz, Pierrick Gunther, Maurie Fa’asavalu, Pedrie Wannenburg.
Replacements: Thomas Bordes, Stan Wright, Horace Pungea, Leon Power, Viliami Maafu, Arthur Aziza, Rory Clegg, Daniel Ikpefan.
ULSTER: Craig Gilroy; Sam Arnold, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Rory Scholes; Ian Humphreys, Paul Marshall; Kyle McCall, Rory Best (capt), Ricky Lutton; Lewis Stevenson, Franco van der Merwe, Robbie Diack, Chris Henry, Roger Wilson.
Replacements: Rob Herring, Callum Black, Bronson Ross, Nick Williams, Sean Reidy, Ruan Pienaar, Paddy Jackson, Louis Ludik.
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant Referees: Paul Dix, Andrew Small (both England)
Television Match Official: Geoff Warren (England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Oyonnax to win: 6/1; Draw: 25/1; Ulster to win: 1/10
Pre-Match Quotes: Les Kiss (Ulster) – “The performance against Munster (last week) was not really up to the standards we expect and with some big games coming up we have got to look for solutions.
“We have got a good few training sessions and good honest video sessions in front of us to put things right. We have been very honest with ourselves as a group this season and that has been one of the things that has helped us get on the good run we have been on.
“We did not over-react when we lost games before and we need to show that same attitude now, to look over things in a pragmatic fashion, grow from this defeat and learn the lessons before we face Oyonnax.”
Neil Doak (Ulster) – “The loss (to Munster) brought us back to earth with a little bit of a bang, but it happened because of mistakes we made, chances we didn’t take, and that it was a match we could have – and should have – won.
“We’ve got to get back to basics, remind ourselves of what we do well and what we have to work on, and there’s still a real confidence in the group. Three European games in a row aren’t what we had planned for, we know it’s going to be difficult, that we look after ourselves post-games and recover as well as we can, it’s tough on the bodies, tough on the mind.
“It did put a bit of a spanner in the works when this game with Oyonnax didn’t happen first up in terms of our planning and player management, because we had ‘prepped’ well for the game. But the plus is that we know the ground and the environment after being there even though the game was rightly postponed.
“Oyonnax have some very good players, they’re a dangerous outfit. They’ve done really well to qualify for Europe, and although the Top 14 hasn’t gone as well as it might have wanted, they did beat Stade Francais a few weeks ago, and Stade then beat Toulouse last weekend, so they can’t be underestimated.
“If we get our structures right, manage the ball as we did in Toulouse and give disciplined performances as we have in the last four games, then we should be alright.”
Current Form – Oyonnax – (Top 14 Championship): Lost 35-19 away to Montpellier; Won 37-19 at home to Bordeaux-Begles; Lost 41-24 at home to Clermont Auvergne; Lost 35-26 away to Castres Olympique; Lost 18-9 at home to Racing 92; Lost 61-3 away to Toulon; Won 42-23 at home to Pau; Lost 38-3 away to La Rochelle; (European Champions Cup): Lost 24-18 away to Toulouse; (Top 14 Championship): Lost 34-9 at home to Brive; Lost 27-3 away to Toulouse; (European Champions Cup): Lost 45-10 at home to Saracens; Lost 55-13 away to Saracens; (Top 14 Championship): Won 25-12 at home to Stade Francais; Lost 42-17 away to Grenoble
Ulster – (GUINNESS PRO12): Won 28-6 at home to the Ospreys; Lost 22-12 away to the Scarlets; Won 48-7 at home to Benetton Treviso; Lost 16-10 away to Edinburgh; Won 24-17 at home to Cardiff Blues; Lost 32-28 away to Munster; Won 19-12 away to Newport Gwent Dragons; (European Champions Cup): Lost 27-9 at home to Saracens; (GUINNESS PRO12): Lost 8-3 away to Leinster; Won 14-7 at home to Edinburgh; (European Champions Cup): Won 38-0 at home to Toulouse; Won 25-23 away to Toulouse; (GUINNESS PRO12): Won 10-3 away to Connacht; Lost 9-7 at home to Munster
Top Scorers – 2015/16 European Champions Cup: Oyonnax – Points: Regis Lespinas 14; Tries: Vincent Martin, Fabien Cibray, Arthur Aziza, Fetu’u Vainikolo 1 each; Ulster – Points: Paddy Jackson 30; Tries: Andrew Trimble, Luke Marshall 2 each
Previous European Meetings: 0
Match Facts –
– This will be the first ever meeting between the sides in European competition while Oyonnax will be facing Irish opposition for the first time
– Oyonnax lost their first home game of this season’s competition; however they lost just once in their six Challenge Cup home fixtures (W4, D1)
– Having won none of their first 14 away games in France (L13, D1) in the European Cup, Ulster have now won three of their last four
– Leon Power is one of two players to have managed three lineout steals in this season’s competition so far (with Bath’s Dave Atwood)
– Ulster have been forced to make more tackles per game (151) than any other side so far, yet they still have the second best tackle success rate (91%)
– Oyonnax, on the other hand, have the worst tackle success rate (79%) in the competition this season, missing an average of 27 hits per game so far
– This will mark the second time Ulster have played French opposition in three consecutive Champions Cup games, having played teams from France in each of their knockout games on the way to their solitary European title back in 1998/99
– Regis Lespinas (5/5) is one of four players to attempt five-plus shots at goal without missing this season
– Nine of the 17 tries that Oyonnax have conceded have come from first phase ball, more than any other side in the competition
– Stuart McCloskey has beaten 18 defenders from just 26 carries this season, only two players have notched up more defenders beaten in total than this
European Cup Records:
Oyonnax –
N/A
Ulster –
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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