Heineken Cup Preview: Benetton Treviso v Ulster

HEINEKEN CUP POOL 5: Saturday, December 14

BENETTON TREVISO (4th) v ULSTER (1st), Stadio di Monigo, 2.35pm local time/1.35pm Irish time (live Sky Sports 2 red button/BBC Radio Ulster MW/highlights TG4)

Team News: Ulster head coach Mark Anscombe has selected an unchanged team for Saturday’s Heineken Cup round 4 match against Benetton Treviso at Stadio di Monigo.

The province beat the same opposition 48-0 at Ravenhill last weekend. It is the first time in his year-and-a-half in charge of the Ulstermen that Anscombe has named the same 23 players for two consecutive matches.

The game will be particularly significant for second row Dan Tuohy, who makes his 100th appearance for the province.

Commenting on reaching the milestone, Ireland international Tuohy said: “I was aware at the end of last season that I was sitting in the high 80s so I knew I was going to hit it at some point this year.

“It’s nice and it’s something that I will look back on at the end of my career and be proud of. Having reached 100 appearances for Ulster is definitely special.”

The match will also see tighthead prop John Afoa make his 50th appearance for Ulster and Andrew Trimble will play his 57th game in the Heineken Cup, equalling David Humphreys’ Ulster appearance record in the competition.

The game is live on Sky Sports 2 Interactive (red button) and BBC Radio Ulster (Medium wave).

Ulster Rugby match bundles, taking in seven games including Ulster’s next home Heineken Cup fixture against Montpellier, remain on sale and are available via Ticketmaster and the Ulster Rugby Ticket Office at Ravenhill.

Meanwhile, for Franco Smith’s last game in charge, the selected Benetton Treviso team shows four changes to the side that slumped to a seven-try defeat in Belfast.

Nippy full-back Brendan Williams starts in a rejigged back-three, with Luke McLean moving to the left wing to replace Anglea Esposito. Alberto di Bernardo also gets the nod at out-half.

Michele Rizzo will scrum down on the loosehead side of the scrum, facing off against New Zealander Afoa, while Fijian Manoa Vosawai takes over from Dean Budd at openside flanker.

Smith, who will hand the coaching reins to assistant Marius Goosen, said: “It has been a privilege to work at the club and I want to thank everyone involved, the fans and the players who have worked with me and believed in me.

“I tried to change the way we play and we have gone through blood, sweat and tears but it has been a dream come true.”

BENETTON TREVISO: Brendan Williams; Ludovico Nitoglia, Michele Campagnaro, Alberto Sgarbi, Luke McLean; Alberto di Bernardo, Edoardo Gori; Michele Rizzo, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Lorenzo Cittadini, Antonio Pavanello (capt), Corniel van Zyl, Alessandro Zanni, Manoa Vosawai, Robert Barbieri.

Replacements: Giovanni Maistri, Alberto de Marchi, Ignacio Fernandez Rouyet, Valerio Bernabo, Dean Budd, Paul Derbyshire, Tobie Botes, James Ambrosini.

ULSTER: Jared Payne; Andrew Trimble, Darren Cave, Luke Marshall, Craig Gilroy; Paddy Jackson, Ruan Pienaar; Tom Court, Rob Herring, John Afoa, Johann Muller (capt), Dan Tuohy, Robbie Diack, Sean Doyle, Roger Wilson.

Replacements: Niall Annett, Callum Black, Declan Fitzpatrick, Neil McComb, Mike McComish, Paul Marshall, Michael Allen, David McIlwaine.

Referee: Greg Garner (England)
Assistant Referees: Steve Lee, Roy Maybank (both England)
Television Match Official: Trevor Fisher (England)

Match Odds (Paddy Power): Benetton Treviso to win: 9/2; Draw: 25/1; Ulster to win: 1/8

Pre-Match Quotes: Luke Marshall (Ulster) – “As a team performance it was reasonably complete, the forwards were impressive up front and we were clinical in the backs, there were a lot of good individual performances but only half the job is done.

“It was nice to score two tries, I think before this season I had only scored two in my whole career for Ulster so it was nice to double that tally in one night.

“There were two easy enough finishes and the back-line had done most of the work – Darren (Cave), Jared (Payne) and Paddy (Jackson) – so it was nice to get on the end of a couple.

“It’s massively pleasing coming off the pitch having won 48-0 and you’re pleased with yourself. It’s a massive challenge on the Monday not to get ahead of yourself, the nature of the Heineken Cup the home and the away games are so different.

“We could easily go out this week play under par and lose, Treviso are a good enough side to do that and they are the only team to beat Munster (in the league) this year.

“It’s a big challenge for us to keep our feet on the ground, we’ll train well and take our form with us and put in another good performance in Italy.

“There will be a few things happening that will inspire them, Italian teams are very proud and after last week they will be hurting. They are so passionate at home, it’s Franco Smith’s last game and they will want to give him a good send-off.

“They are going to be really up for this game. We just have to bring the same intensity as we did last week and hopefully get the win.”

Current Form – Benetton Treviso – (RaboDirect PRO12): Lost 24-19 at home to the Ospreys; Lost 26-10 away to the Scarlets; Won 29-19 at home to Benetteon Treviso; Lost 32-13 away to Ulster; Won 23-3 at home to Connacht; (Heineken Cup): Lost 27-10 at home to Montpellier; Lost 34-3 away to Leicester Tigers; (RaboDirect PRO12): Lost 20-13 away to Edinburgh; Lost 17-13 away to Cardiff Blues; Lost 21-20 at home to Leinster; Drew 26-26 at home to Cardiff Blues; (Heineken Cup): Lost 48-0 away to Ulster

Ulster – (RaboDirect PRO12): Lost 15-8 away to the Newport Gwent Dragons; Lost 13-12 at home to Glasgow Warriors; Won 18-7 away to Connacht; Won 32-13 at home to Benetton Treviso; Won 18-12 away to the Ospreys; (Heineken Cup): Won 22-16 at home to Leicester Tigers; Won 25-8 away to Montpellier; (RaboDirect PRO12): Won 39-21 at home to Cardiff Blues; Lost 17-9 away to the Scarlets; Won 41-17 at home to Edinburgh; Won 19-11 away to Zebre; (Heineken Cup): Won 48-0 at home to Benetton Treviso

Top Scorers – 2013/14 Heineken Cup: Benetton Treviso – Points: Tobie Botes 8; Tries: Christian Loamanu 1; Ulster – Points: Paddy Jackson 40; Tries: Andrew Trimble, Luke Marshall 2 each

Previous European Meetings: 5

Saturday, December 7, 2013 – Pool 5 – Ulster 48 Benetton Treviso 0, Ravenhill
Saturday, January 21, 2006 – Pool 4 – Benetton Treviso 26 Ulster 43, Stadio di Monigo
Friday, October 21, 2005 – Pool 4 – Ulster 27 Benetton Treviso 0, Ravenhill
Friday, January 11, 2004 – Pool 2 – Ulster 59 Benetton Treviso 3, Ravenhill
Saturday, September 29, 2001 – Pool 2 – Benetton Treviso 28 Ulster 33, Stadio di Monigo

Heineken Cup Records:

Benetton Treviso –
2012/13: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2011/12: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2010/11: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2009/10: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2008/09: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2007/08: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2006/07: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2005/06: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2004/05: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2003/04: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2001/02: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
1999/00: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
1998/99: Failed to qualify from Pool D
1997/98: Failed to qualify from Pool E
1996/97: Failed to qualify from Pool A
1995/96: Failed to qualify from Pool A

Ulster –
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