Heineken Cup Preview: Ulster v Glasgow Warriors

HEINEKEN CUP POOL 4: Friday, January 11

ULSTER (1st) v GLASGOW WARRIORS (4th), Ravenhill, 8pm (live Sky Sports 2/HD2/BBC Radio Ulster MW/RTÉ Radio 1/highlights TG4)

Team News: Ulster head coach Mark Anscombe has made five changes in personnel for Friday night’s Heineken Cup Pool 4 match against Glasgow Warriors at Ravenhill.

Jared Payne returns from injury and is named at full-back, while Paddy Wallace replaces the injured Luke Marshall and is selected in the centre alongside Darren Cave.

Andrew Trimble, who will make his 150th appearance for Ulster in Friday’s game, starts on the right wing with fellow Ireland international Craig Gilroy lining out on the left. Paddy Jackson and Ruan Pienaar continue their half-back partnership.

There are two changes in the front row with Rory Best starting the game at hooker and New Zealander John Afoa named at tighthead prop.

Dan Tuohy has failed to recover from the calf strain that he sustained against the Scarlets and is replaced in the second row by Iain Henderson.

Robbie Diack, stand-in captain Chris Henry and the province’s man-of-the-match from last weekend, Nick Williams, all start in an unchanged back-row.

Declan Fitzpatrick is named on the replacements bench and is in line to make his first appearance since November having recovered from a head injury.

The game will see Pool 4 leaders Ulster taking on a Glasgow team who are bottom of the table and without a win in the competition this season.

However, the Scottish side were unfortunate not to beat Castres Olympique when a last minute penalty struck a post.

Trimble will become only the fourth player in history to make 150 appearances for Ulster, behind Paddy Wallace (185) Justin Fitzpatrick (155) and Bryn Cunningham (150).

Commenting on the milestone, Trimble said: “I never thought when I was starting out that I would ever make 150 appearances. When I was younger I supported Ulster and always wanted to play for the province, so to reach 150 is really special.”

Meanwhile, Glasgow Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend has opted for six changes from the side which defeated Benetton Treviso at Scotstoun Stadium last time out in the RaboDirect PRO12.

Young Scotland out-half Duncan Weir comes in to partner Henry Pyrgos at half-back while Peter Horne returns to the starting line-up at inside centre.

Alex Dunbar keeps his spot at outside centre with Peter Murchie taking up the full-back berth. Sean Maitland returns in place of Tommy Seymour with DTH van der Merwe on the opposite wing.

Tom Ryder starts alongside Al Kellock in the second row, while James Eddie will start in the back row after Ryan Wilson suffered a shoulder injury in the win over Treviso.

The front row remains the same for the third match in-a-row, but the Warriors will have to contend with a squad of just 22 players due to a number of propping options being unavailable for the game.

While Ofa Fainga’anuku was injured in the week leading up to round 4 of the Heineken Cup, Mike Cusack was injured during the game against Castres Olympique and George Hunter suffered a foot injury the following week away at Castres, robbing the Warriors of three Heineken Cup eligible front rows in a matter of a fortnight.

Neither Jon Welsh nor Ed Kalman have been available since the summer and therefore were not included in the Heineken Cup squad, leaving Gordon Reid as the only other fit and eligible prop available to the Warriors.

Following extensive discussions between the club and the competition organisers, the ERC confirmed that tournament rules would not allow another front row to be added to the list of eligible players.

Pat MacArthur joins Reid as front row cover on the bench and Nick Campbell and Tim Swinson provide further options in both the front and back five.

ULSTER: Jared Payne; Andrew Trimble, Darren Cave, Paddy Wallace, Craig Gilroy; Paddy Jackson, Ruan Pienaar; Tom Court, Rory Best, John Afoa, Lewis Stevenson, Iain Henderson, Robbie Diack, Chris Henry, Nick Williams.

Replacements: Rob Herring, Callum Black, Declan Fitzpatrick, Neil McComb, Roger Wilson, Paul Marshall, Michael Allen, Chris Cochrane.

GLASGOW WARRIORS: Peter Murchie; Sean Maitland, Alex Dunbar, Peter Horne, DTH van der Merwe; Duncan Weir, Henry Pyrgos; Ryan Grant, Doug Hall, Moray Low, Tom Ryder, Al Kellock (capt), James Eddie, Robert Harley, Josh Strauss.

Replacements: Pat MacArthur, Gordon Reid, Nick Campbell, Tim Swinson, Nikola Matawalu, Scott Wight, Stuart Hogg.

Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France)
Assistant Referees: Laurent Cardona, Stephan Pomarede (both France)
Television Match Official: Herve Dubes (France)

Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ulster to win: 1/20; Draw: 33/1; Glasgow Warriors to win: 10/1

Pre-Match Quotes: Mark Anscombe (Ulster) – “We have to win against Glasgow first and foremost. We have to make sure we prepare for the challenge that lies ahead. This week it is Glasgow and that is all we are concerning ourselves with.

“We lost our last game in the competition at home and we must ensure we bounce back from that. Yes, it is great to be in the position we are and yes it is great that we are able to control what happens in our group.

“But we are also not good enouigh yet to get ahead of ourselves about where we are. It is very much about understanding who we are playing this week, where we have to play, how we have to play and going about our jobs.”

Gregor Townsend (Glasgow Warriors) – “Ulster are clearly a very fine side, they’ve only been beaten once at Ravenhill in the last 14 Heineken Cup games but this is the kind of challenge we look forward to. It means we’re testing ourselves against the best sides around.

“We performed very well in the Heineken Cup last time out against Castres and we’re coming off a good run of wins in the league, so there’s a confidence about the squad at the moment that their hard work is paying off.

“We know our results in the Heineken Cup haven’t been good enough so we want to show that we’re capable of performing at an elite level regardless of the opponent or the situation.”

Current Form – Ulster – (RaboDirect PRO12): Won 18-10 at home to Glasgow Warriors; Won 16-13 away to the Ospreys; Won 20-19 at home to Munster; Won 48-19 away to the Cardiff Blues; Won 25-0 at home to Connacht; (Heineken Cup): Won 41-17 at home to Castres Olympique; Won 19-8 away to Glasgow Warriors; (RaboDirect PRO12): Won 46-19 away to the Newport Gwent Dragons; Won 45-20 at home to Edinburgh; Won 27-25 away to Zebre; Won 16-15 away to Benetton Treviso; Won 19-12 away to the Scarlets; (Heineken Cup): Won 25-6 away to Northampton Saints; Lost 10-9 at home to Northampton Saints; (RaboDirect PRO12): Won 27-19 at home to Leinster; Lost 24-10 away to Munster; Won 47-17 at home to the Scarlets

Glasgow Warriors – (RaboDirect PRO12): Lost 18-10 at home to Ulster; Lost 18-13 at home to the Scarlets; Won 28-10 away to the Ospreys; Won 27-17 at home to Connacht; Won 22-19 at home to Zebre; Won 18-3 away to the Cardiff Blues; (Heineken Cup): Lost 24-15 away to Northampton Saints; Lost 19-8 at home to Ulster; (RaboDirect PRO12): Won 24-13 away to Benetton Treviso; Won 37-6 at home to the Newport Gwent Dragons; Lost 6-0 at home to Leinster; Lost 31-3 away to Munster; (Heineken Cup): Lost 9-6 at home to Castres Olympique; Lost 10-8 away to Castres Olympique; (RaboDirect PRO12): Won 23-14 at home to Edinburgh; Won 21-17 away to Edinburgh; Won 41-7 at home to Benetton Treviso

Top Scorers – 2012/13 Heineken Cup: Ulster – Points: Paddy Jackson 49; Tries: Paul Marshall, Andrew Trimble 2 each; Glasgow Warriors – Points: Peter Horne 11; Tries: Josh Strauss, Sean Lamont, Niko Matawalu, John Barclay 1 each

Previous European Meetings: 3

Monday, September 8, 1997 – Pool B – Ulster 12 Glasgow 18, Ravenhill
Sunday, October 12, 1997 – Pool B – Glasgow 30 Ulster 15, Scotstoun Stadium
Friday, October 19, 2012 – Pool 4 – Glasgow Warriors 8 Ulster 19, Scotstoun Stadium

Match Facts And Figures –

– Glasgow have two victories to Ulster’s one in the history of this Heineken Cup fixture after the Irish province triumphed 19-8 at Scotstoun earlier this season

– Ulster hooker Rory Best has won 10 turnovers this season, the highest total for any player in the competition.
Props John Afoa and Tom Court have conceded the joint-most penalties in the competition this season (8)

– Defeat to Northampton ended a run of 13 consecutive Heineken Cup victories at home for the Ulstermen

– Glasgow have just four wins and a draw to their name from 42 away matches in the Heineken Cup. One of those wins came at Ulster (1997), their only win away in Ireland

Heineken Cup Records:

Ulster –
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

Glasgow Warriors –
2011/12: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2010/11: Failed to qualify from Pool 6
2009/10: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2008/09: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2007/08: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2005/06: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2004/05: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2002/03: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2001/02: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2000/01: Failed to qualify from Pool 6
1999/00: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
1998/99: Failed to qualify from Pool D
1997/98: Reached the quarter-final play-offs