Match thread: Ulster Rugby v Toulon, Sat 25 Oct 2014 1300 Ravenhill

awec

15. Louis Ludik 15. Leigh Halfpenny
14. Tommy Bowe 14. Delon Armitage
13. Jared Payne 13. Mathieu Bastareaud
12. Stuart Olding 12. Maxime Mermoz
11. Craig Gilroy 11. Bryan Habana
10. Paddy Jackson 10. Matt Giteau
9. Paul Marshall 9. Michael Claassens
1. Andy Warwick 1. Alexandre Menini
2. Rory Best (c) 2. Guilhem Guirado
3. Wiehahn Herbst 3. Carl Hayman (c)
4. Lewis Stevenson 4. Jocelino Suta
5. Franco Van Der Merwe 5. Romain Taofifenua
6. Robbie Diack 6. Juan Fernandez Lobbe
7. Chris Henry 7. Steffon Armitage
8. Roger Wilson 8. Chris Masoe
16. Rob Herring 16. Craig Burden
17. Callum Black 17. Fabien Barcella
18. Declan Fitzpatrick 18. Levan Chilachava
19. Clive Ross 19. Bakkies Botha
20. Nick Williams 20. James O'Connor
21. Michael Heaney 21. Ali Williams
22. Ian Humphreys 22. Sebastien Tillous-Borde
23. Darren Cave 23. Juan Smith

Are you ready for it? The tie of the round takes place in Belfast this Saturday lunch time with Ulster up against comic book guy's team of all stars.

Ulster, hopefully reeling from a very poor defeat away to Leicester last week know that failure to win will make qualification from the pool an almost impossible task. Ulster would surely have preferred a Saturday night fixture to get a run at Toulon under the Ravenhill lights, but no doubt the Ulster men and women will be in full voice anyway.

In terms of changes Stuart Olding replaces Stuart McCloskey at number 12, with Neil Doak going for skill over brute force. Roger Wilson comes in at 8 to replace Nick Williams who drops to the bench, with Wilson seen as offering a more controlled performance at the base of the scrum. Darren Cave starts on the bench.

Worryingly for Ulster the cover available for the wings is very limited. The only two recognised wingers in the squad are starting so an injury at 11 or 14 would throw the cat amongst the pigeons.

For Toulon what can you really say. A team of stars. Andrew Warwick is going to have his work cut out dealing with Carl Hayman. Basteraud is going to be a handful for both Ulster centres. Juan Fernandez Lobbe will make a nuisance of himself all over the pitch. Former Australia international out half James O'Connor sits on the bench, and joining him there is Bakkies Botha

This game could turn out to be an absolute cracker.

Prediction

I think we'll see a response from Ulster. I think we'll win but it will be very, very close. Get Willie John in to give the team talk.

bilston

Good write up awec

I just worry about us up front. Henderson and Tuohy would have been massive for us in this game. Franco will have to perform at a level that we haven't quite seen yet and Best and Henry will need to stay on the pitch for 80bmims slowing Toulon's packndown as best as possible. If ever there was a game for a centre like Cave this is it as he would be more useful at the breakdown than Payne.

I'm quite pessimistic to be honest. Our backs will give them a good run for their money when they get the ball but right now I'm not even sure we will get a LBP.

How's that for dampening your enthusiasm Awec?!

awec

bilston wrote: »

Good write up awec

I just worry about us up front. Henderson and Tuohy would have been massive for us in this game. Franco will have to perform at a level that we haven't quite seen yet and Best and Henry will need to stay on the pitch for 80bmims slowing Toulon's packndown as best as possible. If ever there was a game for a centre like Cave this is it as he would be more useful at the breakdown than Payne.

I'm quite pessimistic to be honest. Our backs will give them a good run for their money when they get the ball but right now I'm not even sure we will get a LBP.

How's that for dampening your enthusiasm Awec?!

Come on bilston. Join me in the blind optimism club. There's no room for your well reasoned worry! :pac:

leonard7

I said it in the ulster team thread and i'll say it again here... only best and bowe make that toulon squad for me. with close calls for olding and henry.

Its a worrying thought and hopefully ravenspan or kingshill can work its magic.
the magic 8 ball says outlook not so good

Gordon Minard

Delighted for Rory Best . . . The Big 50?

Gordon

mfceiling

Nice one awec...

Huge ask needed here. Would mccloskey have been a better call in the centre with cave? Physicality will have to be maintained for the full 80 here...one missed tackle or one sloppy pass (looking at you wee paul) and you could be 7 or 14 behind in a blink.

UnitedWeStand

Two years on I always get surprised whenever I see the Toulon team. Such a collection of names, probably better man for man in the entire 22 with the possible exceptions being Best and Bowe. Somehow I can still see Ulster winning this, as a team they're superb and dynamic.

Given Toulons poor away form and comparatively tame start to the season, I would hope Ulster can go beyond denying them a losing bonus point if they play to their potential. After all they almost beat Saracens with 14 men at this venue last year with the same team. Tear those mercenaries a new one!

bilston

UnitedWeStand wrote: »

Two years on I always get surprised whenever I see the Toulon team. Such a collection of names, probably better man for man in the entire 22 with the possible exceptions being Best and Bowe. Somehow I can still see Ulster winning this, as a team they're superb and dynamic.

Given Toulons poor away form and comparatively tame start to the season, I would hope Ulster can go beyond denying them a losing bonus point if they play to their potential. After all they almost beat Saracens with 14 men at this venue last year with the same team. Tear those mercenaries a new one!

Ah look we have a real chance of the win and we are a good team, top 10 in Europe possibly, but I just think we are lacking something in the pack with Tuohy and Hendo on the injury list and I think that could be costly. I'm looking forward to seeing Olding tomorrow. I hope he announces himself to Europe tomorrow afternoon.

SHUT UP AND BELIEVE

awec

Deleted User wrote: »

SHUT UP AND BELIEVE

bilston - this is your new motto for the weekend.

George Hook

We can do this!

http://youtu.be/kVaLpakiCsI

awec

Who uploaded that video? It says 2012 Heineken Cup final? There was no Heineken cup final that year sure.

George Hook

Haha, goodness knows.. I was only looking for a video of people chanting for Ulster to get into the mood.

Tox56

This is going to be savage, there will be some filthy backline talent out there

Not that surprised Olding is starting, he was doing the media stuff earlier in the week and made a good impact when he came on last week

badknees

We will need to get our set piece functioning right from the start,we will need Marshall to concentrate on eliminating his brain farts,if that happens and Best n Henry do their mongrel best to disrupt the opposition then I think the crowd will respond and intimidate the all stars.in relation to Olding starting he does bring that something special to the team,he is still an unknown quantity for opposition teams and he may just provide the space for Payne which he needs to excel.I think that if we had of gone for th physical presence of McCloskey then the allstars would be better prepared as they are quite use to that in their league.I believe that we can win and even deny them a bonus point.

CatFromHue

Cardiff beat Toulon in Cardiff last season with what could arguably have been a stronger Toulon team out too. In the other two away games the home team got LBP's.

bilston

CatFromHue wrote: »

Cardiff beat Toulon in Cardiff last season with what could arguably have been a stronger Toulon team out too. In the other two away games the home team got LBP's.

Yeah but you'd think that Toulon may have been a wee bit complacent last year in Cardiff, I doubt they will be complacent tomorrow.

postitnote

Ulster as underdogs on any day of the week at any time of day at Ravenspan. I cannot wait for this game. Never worry about Bastareaud in centre. Give the ball to Olding and run it round him.

On a bus in Belfast going to a mates house. Watching those last few fans frantically trying to hail taxis to the game.

MON ULSTER!!!!!!!

phog

Hard to know how this will go, Toulon are a difficult team to beat but they showed some frailty last week but then Ulster weren't on top form either. Hope for a home win. I think it's a big ask but would think a error free Ulster can manage it.

#SUFTUM

awec

Lobbe off after 1 minute injured.

shuffol

It's games like this where you really miss Ferris.

its_phil

Huge that Lobbe is gone

awec

Outstanding Lewis Stevenson.

Kanrith

He may have brought it back, but hardly fair as he said he was inside.

phog

Kanrith wrote: »

He may have brought it back, but hardly fair as he said he was inside.

Ref said he was inside, AR corrected him. Player knew he brought it back.

phog

Nice break by Gilroy

awec

Toulon are killing us at the breakdown.

Swan Curry

Don't think Masoe was on his feet at all at the start of that

Tox56

Awful decision, no way he was supporting his weight

shuffol

Gilroy is looking very dangerous the last few weeks.

Kanrith

Too many turnovers.

awec

Another turnover! :mad:

WTO

awec wrote: »

Toulon are killing us at the breakdown.

They are, yeah. Needs to be fixed pronto.

Swan Curry

Sommething needs to be done about Bastareaud hitting tacklers in the head with his forearm/elbow,it's seriously dangerous and he gets away with it.

Kanrith

Olding not handling Basteuraud well at all.

matthew8

Ulster look much much worse. Need to get to half time only one score down.

j8wk2feszrnpao

Blocked kick, so all onside.
Why did Barnes give a scrum to Tolon when Best recovered?

awec

Almost another turnover ffs!

WTO

munstermagic11 wrote: »

Blocked kick, so all onside.
Why did Barnes give a scrum to Tolon when Best recovered?

Accidental offside. In front of an Ulster player who last touched the ball. Doesn't matter that it was a charge down

edit: or does it? will check the laws at half time

shuffol

Fair kamikaze clear outs there.

j8wk2feszrnpao

WTO wrote: »

Accidental offside. In front of an Ulster player who last touched the ball. Doesn't matter that it was a charge down

From a blocked charge down, offside line disappears.

WTO

munstermagic11 wrote: »

From a blocked charge down, offside line disappears.

Yeah will check later. But was it a chargedown? Can't remember, but think not.

awec

WTO wrote: »

Yeah will check later. But was it a chargedown? Can't remember, but think not.

The kick just came off his head.

matthew8

munstermagic11 wrote: »

From a blocked charge down, offside line disappears.

That's not the rule, it seems like it because the charge down usually goes backwards.

awec

Wrong decision!

j8wk2feszrnpao

awec wrote: »

The kick just came off his head.

Though it came off his hand; ref said head.

Kanrith

Should have taken the three.

awec

Giteau looks done.

errlloyd

Toulon don't need to win here. They should have brought him off

awec

Ah sure the usual wallabie test 10 to come off the bench. :rolleyes: :pac:

matthew8

Should've got it closer to the corner but I like the call. Toulon have the wind at their backs so it's a good chance for Ulster to play a fair few minutes in their 22, whereas if they took 3 the ball would probably end up in Toulon's hands inside their half.