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European Champions Cup Preview: Ulster v Bordeaux-Bègles

With only three defeats in their last 25 European outings in Belfast, Ulster are hoping to continue their proud home record and kick-start their season ahead of a crucial block of GUINNESS PRO12 games.

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP – POOL 5: Saturday, January 21

ULSTER (4th) v BORDEAUX-BEGLES (3rd), Kingspan Stadium, 1pm (live Sky Sports 3 HD/beIN Sports/BBC Radio Ulster MW/Newstalk/highlights TG4)

Team News: Director of rugby Les Kiss has named his team for Ulster’s concluding Champions Cup pool game against Bordeaux-Bègles at Kingspan Stadium.

Ulster’s chances of progressing to the knockout stages are all but gone following a 31-19 defeat at the hands of Exeter Chiefs last Sunday and there are six personnel changes to the side that lost at Sandy Park.

Four of the changes come in the tight five as the front row injury crisis continues, with Hughes Insurance Academy props Ross Kane and Tommy O’Hagan adding their names to the lengthy injury list.

Jonny Simpson (pictured below) will make his first start for the province at tighthead prop, having earned three previous caps as a replacement. Andrew Warwick will join Simpson in the front row and they will pack down alongside Ireland captain Rory Best.

Elsewhere in the pack, Robbie Diack and Franco van der Merwe will start together in the second row for the first time, while the loose forward trio of Iain Henderson, Chris Henry and Sean Reidy is retained.

Dave Shanahan and Paddy Jackson are named as the half-back pairing for the second consecutive week. Darren Cave, hugely impressive in the Ulster ‘A’ team’s 38-21 win over London Scottish last Friday night, is installed in the Ulster midfield alongside Stuart McCloskey.

Tommy Bowe returns to the starting line-up on the right wing, with captain Andrew Trimble selected on the left flank and Charles Piutau, the scorer of two tries in Exeter, reverting to full-back.

Ricky Lutton is set to make his first appearance of the season after recovering from a series of injuries. He will provide forward cover along with John Andrew, Callum Black, Kieran Treadwell and Clive Ross. Backs Paul Marshall, Brett Herron and Craig Gilroy are also included in the matchday 23 for Saturday’s game.

Meanwhile, Ireland international Ian Madigan features at out-half for Bordeaux in what is his first appearance on Irish soil since leaving Leinster last summer.

Madigan kicked two penalties during last week’s 9-6 home defeat to Clermont Auvergne, the dominant force in Pool 5. He will be partnered at half-back in Belfast by Yann Lesgourgues, one of three personnel changes in the backs. Full-back Geoffrey Cros and winger Blair Connor also return.

English lock Tom Palmer is one of only three players retained up front, along with back rowers Loann Goujon, who shifts from blindside to openside flanker, and Marco Tauleigne. Clement Maynadier will captain the visitors from hooker.

ULSTER: Charles Piutau; Tommy Bowe, Darren Cave, Stuart McCloskey, Andrew Trimble (capt); Paddy Jackson, Dave Shanahan; Andrew Warwick, Rory Best, Jonny Simpson, Robbie Diack, Franco van der Merwe, Iain Henderson, Chris Henry, Sean Reidy.

Replacements: John Andrew, Callum Black, Ricky Lutton, Kieran Treadwell, Clive Ross, Paul Marshall, Brett Herron, Craig Gilroy.

BORDEAUX-BEGLES: Geoffrey Cros; Nans Ducuing, Jean-Baptiste Dubié, Joe Wakacegu, Blair Connor; Ian Madigan, Yann Lesgourgues; Steven Kitshoff, Clement Maynadier (capt), Marc Clerc, Tom Palmer, Berend Botha, Louis Madaule, Loann Goujon, Marco Tauleigne.

Replacements: Benat Auzqui, Sébastien Taofifenua, Vadim Cobilas, Joe Edwards, Hugh Chalmers, Julien Audy, Simon Hickey, Julien Rey.

Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistant Referees: Luke Pearce, Gareth Copsey (both England)
Television Match Official: Geoff Warren (England)

Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ulster to win: 1/10; Draw: 30/1; Bordeaux-Bègles to win: 6/1

Pre-Match Quotes: Iain Henderson (Ulster) – “We’re making line busts. The likes of Stuart McCloskey and Charles Piutau are putting us in good positions, the forwards are too. We are making opportunities for ourselves but aren’t finishing enough of them.

“We’ve been doing the difficult parts, but the easy part of it may just be the last pass or cleaning a breakdown and that’s where we’ve let ourselves down. We’ve done all the right things to get to that point, it’s just ensuring that we as players have the ability and know-how to finish our opportunities off.

“I think our maul defence was great if you look at the amount of maul tries that Exeter score. We did well to nullify a good few of their threats. But there were technical errors in our defensive line and they capitalised on that very well. If you contrast our attack to Exeter’s, I think that they made only a few line breaks but they got a reward of five tries.

“I think we have to go back and have a good, hard look at ourselves and reassess what we’re doing in training and reassess what we’re delivering as a group of players. We need to change our mindset to ensure we become a great team at taking opportunities.”

Current Form – 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); (Champions Cup): Lost 31-19 v Clermont Auvergne (away)

Bordeaux-Bègles – (Top 14 Championship): Won 15-9 v Racing 92 (home); Lost 22-17 v Toulouse (away); Lost 32-15 v Montpellier (home); Won 40-20 v Bayonne (home); Lost 40-16 v Clermont Auvergne (away); Won 32-10 v Lyon (home); Won 30-28 v Pau (away); Won 27-25 v Brive (home); (Champions Cup): Won 28-13 v Ulster (home), Lost 49-33 v Clermont Auvergne (away); (Top 14 Championship): Lost 33-27 v Castres Olympique (away), Won 37-19 v Stade Francais (home), Won 24-22 v Grenoble (away), Won 26-0 v La Rochelle (home), Lost 37-10 v Toulon (away); (Champions Cup): Won 13-7 v Exeter Chiefs (away), Lost 20-12 v Exeter Chiefs (home); (Top 14 Championship): Lost 18-16 v Pau (home), Lost 19-16 v Lyon (away), Lost 31-26 v Montpellier (away); (Champions Cup): Lost 9-6 v Clermont Auvergne (home)

Top Scorers – 2016/17 European Champions Cup: Ulster – Points: Paddy Jackson 49; Tries: Charles Piutau 3; Bordeaux-Bègles – Points: Lionel Beauxis 23; Tries: Jean-Marcellin Buttin 2

Previous European Meetings: 2

Sunday, October 16, 2016 – Pool 5 – Bordeaux-Bègles 28 Ulster 13, Stade Chaban-Delmas
Wednesday, December 13, 1995 – Pool B – Ulster 16 Bordeaux 29, Ravenhill

European Cup Records:

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