Ulster have the honour of hosting the opening match of this season’s Champions Cup, entertaining fellow former European champions Wasps in a mouth-watering Pool 1 contest in Belfast.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP – POOL 1: Friday, October 13
ULSTER v WASPS, Kingspan Stadium, 7.45pm (live BT Sport 2/beIN Sports/BBC Radio Ulster MW/RTÉ 2FM/highlights TG4)
Team News: Iain Henderson will captain Ulster for the first time on Friday night as Ulster opens their Champions Cup campaign against Wasps at Kingspan Stadium.
Henderson, with 77 Ulster caps to his name, will lead a starting XV that features 12 internationals. Ulster director of rugby Les Kiss has made three personnel changes, while the one positional switch will see Henderson move from blindside flanker to the second row.
Two of the new faces are among the loose forwards as Robbie Diack and Sean Reidy are introduced alongside Jean Deysel, who will make his Champions Cup bow for Ulster. John Cooney and Christian Lealiifano will also make their European debuts for the province.
Kieran Treadwell will partner Henderson in the engine room, while the front row of Kyle McCall, Rob Herring and Wiehahn Herbst is unchanged from last week’s 16-8 GUINNESS PRO14 derby victory over Connacht.
The one back-line change sees winger Louis Ludik earn selection in the back-three along with Charles Piutau and Jacob Stockdale, who will be aiming to build on his impressive strike-rate of four tries in four games so far this season.
Cooney, a Heineken Cup winner with Leinster in 2012, is paired with Lealiifano at half-back for the sixth time, while the strong-carrying duo of Stuart McCloskey and Luke Marshall will combine in midfield once again.
John Andrew, Rodney Ah You, Paul Marshall and Peter Nelson are retained for bench duty, with Callum Black, Matthew Rea, Clive Ross and Tommy Bowe also named in the matchday 23.
A limited number of tickets for the Pool 1 clash are available via ulsterrugby.com/buytickets. Henderson takes the captaincy reins in the absence of both Rory Best (hamstring) and Chris Henry (larynx). Marcell Coetzee (knee), Craig Gilroy (back), Robert Lyttle (shoulder), Alan O’Connor(concussion), Jared Payne (headaches), Dave Shanahan (hamstring), Nick Timoney (ankle) and Schalk van der Merwe (shoulder) are also unavailable for selection.
Meanwhile, Wasps director of rugby Dai Young has made seven personnel changes and one positional switch to the team that lost 38-19 to current European champions Saracens in the Aviva Premiership last Sunday.
Wasps are boosted by the return of captain Joe Launchbury, Nathan Hughes and Jimmy Gopperth, while there is also a return to the starting line-up for Christian Wade and Dan Robson in the back-line and Jake Cooper-Woolley and Tom Cruse in the front row.
Former Leinster players Brendan Macken and Marty Moore are also part of the matchday squad, as injury-hit Wasps, who were Champions Cup quarter-finalists last season, look to bounce back from a poor run of domestic results – four losses on the trot to Harlequins, Exeter Chiefs, Bath and Saracens. They did win pre-season game against Ulster in August, taking a 26-15 verdict.
ULSTER: Charles Piutau; Louis Ludik, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Christian Lealiifano, John Cooney; Kyle McCall, Rob Herring, Wiehahn Herbst, Kieran Treadwell, Iain Henderson (capt), Robbie Diack, Sean Reidy, Jean Deysel.
Replacements: John Andrew, Callum Black, Rodney Ah You, Matthew Rea, Clive Ross, Paul Marshall, Peter Nelson, Tommy Bowe.
WASPS: Willie le Roux; Christian Wade, Elliot Daly, Brendan Macken, Josh Bassett; Jimmy Gopperth, Dan Robson; Matt Mullan, Tom Cruse, Jake Cooper-Woolley, Joe Launchbury (capt), Will Rowlands, James Haskell, Thomas Young, Nathan Hughes.
Replacements: Ashley Johnson, Simon McIntyre, Marty Moore, James Gaskell, Jack Willis, Joe Simpson, Rob Miller, Marcus Watson.
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Rhys Thomas, Wayne Davies (both Wales)
Television Match Official: Jon Mason (Wales)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ulster to win: 8/15; Draw: 19/1; Wasps to win: 13/8
Pre-Match Quotes: Les Kiss (Ulster) – “We played Wasps in a (pre-season) friendly and the way they got the width early was a challenge for us. We know that is going to be a challenge. They are quick and they play with their big thrusting forwards like (Nathan) Hughes and (Joe) Launchbury to get the ball to (Jimmy) Gopperth.
“They are missing (Danny) Cipriani but they get into that shape and there are three guys in the wide channels who have blistering speed, so it is going to be a tough ask for us in that area. We have got to slow their momentum somehow and then make sure we are balanced in our defensive line.
“We want to make sure our scrum gets in front of a few little things that have been mentioned, and probably just make sure when we get down into the opposition 22 that we make sure we are a little more clinical.
“Dwayne (Peel) has had a lot of experience of Wasps and ‘Quins from his time in England so there’s a good knowledge base that we can work from for those teams. Jono (Gibbes) has a fair bit of experience of La Rochelle and we saw a few weeks ago they put 50-odd points on Clermont. They’re a massively talented team, especially at home.
“La Rochelle are a big team, physically, that’s one thing has already came through from Jono. They work collectively, but they have individuals that can do things from 100 metres out too. It’s a massive challenge so I’m happy to have two coaches with me who have a lot of experience of what’s ahead (in Europe).”
Dai Young (Wasps) – “Kingspan Stadium is a great venue to play rugby, as I always found during my time coaching Cardiff, and our squad really enjoyed the atmosphere there in our pre-season game (in August). It’s a fantastic stadium, always ram-packed and the supporters really get behind the team.
“Ulster have a quality squad, with threats throughout, so you have to be at your best if you’re to get a result there. I’m sure they will have ordered some rain in again as well – I don’t think I’ve ever been there on a Friday night when it hasn’t been bucketing down!
“We’ve parked the Premiership to one side for now and we’re really looking forward to getting stuck into a new tournament. We’ve dusted ourselves down and it’s a good time for us to switch to a new competition with the slate wiped clean.
“We go to Belfast with a smile on our faces, ready to enjoy the experience as that’s when we play our best rugby. If we can produce the standard of rugby we know we’re capable of, there’s no reason why we can’t get a result.”
Current Form – Ulster – (GUINNESS PRO14): Won 42-19 v Toyota Cheetahs (home), Won 21-14 v Benetton Rugby (away), Won 27-20 v Scarlets (home), Won 52-25 v Dragons (home), Lost 27-23 v Zebre (away), Won 16-8 v Connacht (home)
Wasps – (Aviva Premiership): Won 50-35 v Sale Sharks (home), Won 24-10 v Worcester Warriors (away), Lost 24-21 v Harlequins (home), Lost 31-17 v Exeter Chiefs (away), Lost 25-9 v Bath (home), Lost 38-19 v Saracens (away)
Top Scorers – 2016/17 European Champions Cup: Ulster – Points: Paddy Jackson 56; Tries: Charles Piutau 3; Wasps – Points: Jimmy Gopperth 59; Tries: Josh Bassett 4
Previous European Meetings: 6
Sunday, January 6, 2002 – Pool 2 – Wasps 36 Ulster 32, Loftus Road Stadium
Friday, October 5, 2001 – Pool 2 – Ulster 42 Wasps 19, Ravenhill
Sunday, January 9, 2000 – Pool 3 – Wasps 49 Ulster 17, Vicarage Road
Friday, November 26, 1999 – Pool 3 – Ulster 6 Wasps 19, Loftus Road Stadium
Friday, October 3, 1997 – Pool B – Ulster 21 Wasps 38, Ravenhill
Sunday, September 21, 1997 – Pool B – Wasps 56 Ulster 3, Loftus Road Stadium
Match Facts –
– Wasps have won five of the six meetings between the two teams in European competition
– Ulster prevailed in their last home meeting in 2001/02
– Ulster have won 13 of their last 17 home matches against English opposition at Kingspan Stadium
– No player beat as many defenders in the pool stages last season as Ulster’s Charles Piutau (28). The former All Black is well known to his opponents this week, having also topped this chart two seasons ago in the colours of Wasps
European Cup Records:
Ulster –
2016/17: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
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
Wasps –
2016/17: Reached the quarter-finals
2015/16: Reached the semi-finals
2014/15: Reached the quarter-finals
2010/11: Failed to qualify from Pool 6
2008/09: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2007/08: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2006/07: Champions
2005/06: Failed to qualify from Pool 6
2004/05: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2003/04: Champions
2001/02: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2000/01: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
1999/00: Reached the quarter-finals
1997/98: Reached the quarter-finals
1996/97: Failed to qualify from Pool D
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