Heinekin Cup - Pool 4. Ulster v ASM Clermont Auvergne, Ravenhill Saturday 12th Nov KO 15.40PM (Live on Sky Sports)

First topic message reminder :

Middle of the week and the excitement is growing. They don't come much bigger in Europe than ASM do they? Probably one of the toughest teams to beat either home or away. They have started the season with a bang - currently they are second in the Super 14 - and come to Ravenhill on the back of some of the best form in club rugby.

Ulster will have benefited from the win last week against Connacht and the "fragile" confidence will have been repaired to some extent. The performance, while not exceptional, showed the returning WC players weren't suffering any hangovers with outstanding shifts from talismen Wallace, Ferris, Best and Muller.

Can Ulster keep the season alive with a win? Would a home defeat in Round 1 be disastrous. Who's going to the game? Can Rory Gallagher accept Faloon not playing? Where is Geoff?

The floor is open guys and I will keep this article updated with team news as it comes out.

11 November 2011, 11:39 am

Heineken Cup: McLaughlin names unchanged team

Brian McLaughlin has named an unchanged team for Ulster's opening Heineken Cup Pool 4 match against ASM Clermont Auvergne on Saturday.
Captain Johann Muller and Ireland players Tom Court and Stephen Ferris have all shaken off injuries picked up during last week's 22-3 win over Connacht.
There are two changes among the replacements with only Declan Fitzpatrick returning from injury in place of Adam Macklin and Willie Faloon coming in for Robbie Diack.

New signing John Afoa will make his European debut, just a week after making his first appearance for Ulster. The World Cup winning prop is surrounded by experience up front, with all eight forwards players having been capped at international level.

With Ruan Pienaar injured, Paul Marshall will again be handed the scrumhalf jersey and is partnered at half back by Ian Humphreys. Paddy Wallace and Darren Cave form the centre combination, while Simon Danielli will continue in the relatively unfamiliar fullback role.

Clermont have made good progress in the Top 14 despite having 12 players on World Cup duty in New Zealand. They currently trail Toulouse by just one point after 10 rounds, highlighting the difficulty of the task laying ahead for Ulster.

Brian McLaughlin is delighted to have Muller, Court and Ferris available, allowing him to select the same starting XV for the second consecutive week: "To have the three guys available is a brilliant boost for us, you need your key players on the pitch. We have some people in the squad who are understandably disappointed at missing out, but it shows the quality we have assembled. Continuity is very important and it gives us momentum going into what is a massive game for us."

He continued: "Clermont are an exceptional side, they've proved that with their results in the Top 14. We are going to focus on us, cut out the errors and try to be a bit more clinical when opportunities arise."

Ulster know that to do well in Europe, it is almost a pre-requisite to win your home games. Hooker Rory Best added: "I think people underestimate how much the crowd can lift the players during matches. They really are like a 16th man for us."

Ulster Match Day Squad to face ASM Clermont Auvergne, Saturday 12th November, Ravenhill, kick-off 3.40pm
(15-9): S Danielli; A Trimble, D Cave, P Wallace, C Gilroy; I Humphreys, P Marshall;
(1-8): T Court, R Best, J Afoa, J Muller (capt), D Tuohy, S Ferris, C Henry, P Wannenburg;
Replacements (16-23): A Kyriacou, P McAllister, D Fitzpatrick, L Stevenson, W Faloon, I Porter, N Spence, A D'Arcy

Rava wrote:

Don Alfonso wrote:
SUFTFUM!
(Yes, there's an extra F in there. And yes, it stands for what you think it does.)

+1

Fit?

WillyGilly wrote:

Rava wrote:

Don Alfonso wrote:
SUFTFUM!
(Yes, there's an extra F in there. And yes, it stands for what you think it does.)

+1

Fit?

No wait foxy?

roddersm wrote:I think we'll win this one ....there I said it ....

Well that's torn it...

Fraudulent, actually - referring to the fact that our whole team is basically past-it South African mercenaries...

One thing that strikes me about that line-up is how strong the team will be with Pienaar and Payne back. There's some quality there.

WillyGilly wrote:

WillyGilly wrote:

Rava wrote:

Don Alfonso wrote:
SUFTFUM!
(Yes, there's an extra F in there. And yes, it stands for what you think it does.)

+1

Fit?

No wait foxy?

Or even better, fine...

Don Alfonso wrote:Fraudulent, actually - referring to the fact that our whole team is basically past-it South African mercenaries...

One thing that strikes me about that line-up is how strong the team will be with Pienaar and Payne back. There's some quality there.

That I can't wait for mate. Meamtime we will make do with what we have. Happy days are here again.

Oh and that F - Flamboyant

SUFTUM. Will be interested to see how Falloon gets on.

Huge day for it. On way to the 'hill now.

Stream:

Spoiler:

Go on Ulster,big game needed today!

What the hell has Humphries got growing under his nose?
He looks like a neo-nazi with the shaved head and Hitler tache.

Ulster scrum is going well and Parra has left 5 points out there already.
Ulster are right in this.

Little marshall is a livewire.

Danielli keeps throwing it away,needs to improve his passing.

Has pace an eye for a try but terrible terrible hands

Is it on Sky Sports 1?

Sky's technical analysis and use of the big screen software really is light-years ahead of ITV's laughable attempts.

SUFTUM. Great try there. 16-11. Knock on from restart. Scrum half way betwen Ulster's 10 metre line and 22m line.

Ferris is a beast,really standing up when he's needed.

Dead right dead f@cking right. Love the mic in the crowd. Come on ulster. Brock james is shocking bottlejob.

Great win by Ulster.

Only saw the last 5 minutes, but fair play - great effort.

Clermont are a big team and Ulster have done well to beat them.

Lots of star players in that Clermont team.

Great win Ulster. ASM mean business.

Brilliant win by the Ulstermen. Great match to watch.

Well done Ulster - a valiant and well deserved victory.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Ka boom.

That is all.

Unreal win for Ulster there!

Best, Ferris, Tuohy, Henry TAKE A BOW!

FEROCIOUS

also, i feel that at this stage it is important for me to publicly apologise for down talking Adam D'arcy on a number of occasions. He is a beautiful beautiful human specimen.
DANIELLI SHOULD NEVER START AHEAD OF HIM AGAIN!



SUFTUM!

Great stuff rom Ulster,you can't win the group in the 1st game but you can lose it.Ulster kept themselves in the mix,fantastic scrummaging and one hell of a try.

Delighted with this result, didnt get to see the match unfortunately, really hope to get hold of some highlights as Ive heard there was some huge performances.

Brilliant! Didn't get to watch the match. Standout players? Apart from Ferris of course.

Rory had a great tackle count from the bits I saw.

Henry was class,I though Cave and Court did very well too.The scrum was quality so the whole front row did well there.

Huge, huge result for Ulster - well done - very impressive.

Bad Heiney for the French clubs this week - their contingent beaten by Scarlets, Ospreys and Ulster and Leinster sneaking in for a draw at the death.

Ferris and Henry were absolutey unbelieveable, they got everywhere hit tackles turned ball over and made a difference at the breakdown!!! What a win though, surely D'arcy has to start at fullback for next week and now on Danielli made so many silly errors and some of his passing ohhhhh!! Great start bring on Leicester next week, im off to get the Southern Comfort into me yooooo!! SUFTU

theshanker wrote:1F's if Afoa is listed in the squad for Clermont why would he not be available for Leicester? Anyway got my ticket for Welford road next week, this week is Sky n the sofa(and a few bevvies)

His contract hasn't actually started yet. He got an SOS call from Humph and agreed to come to play 2 extra games before he was meant to arrive, but next weekend he's best man at Jerome Kainos wedding!

kainos should consider having his wedding at ravenhill. In the beer tent. we could give him a vip box too. How could you not turn down a wedding like that? Ceremony at half time. Afoa getting back into the action afterwards whilst still wearing his suit!

Not much use him having his wedding at Ravenhill when the match is at Welford Road!

Get the F (Rava) in!!

I loved that! As a self confessed D'arcy fan i am delighted for him. He showed exactly what Danielli cant offer (im sorry for him). He just doesnt hit the lines and at the speed that D'arcy does. I love it.

Ferris was excellent but as someone who has criticised Henry this season i thought he was MOTM. If i was McLaughlin i would demand that of him every week!

Cave and Wallace were great, Gilroy was decent as was trimble. Tuohy i thought had a great 2nd half but was quiet the first. Wannenburg proved his worth for me as did muller. Front row as a unit was excellent. Marshall was much better than i thought he would be. Immensely positive.

We put them under so much pressure they decided to try and protect a two point lead. We were not clinical enough for long periods. My personal hero, Farmer Best threw the odd pizza, but what a man. Ferris, superhuman. I was listening to French commentary and my rudimentary French was enough to realise that the commentators were in awe of him. My first game as a supporter and it's gone quite well! The Scarlets won as well and I'm very happy. Pro 12 teams o'n the whole have done very well SUFTUM and SUFTRDPT!

You just try singing that to the tune of "Go West!"

Great to have you on board Glas.

Maybe you need to change your user name to Glas a du a wyn?

I cant get over how i felt at the end of that. Beats the last two french wins at Ravers for me. Awesome stuff

This was good but it doesn't beat the Biarritz game last season. That was incredible. Usual Ravenhill conditions, last minute kick from the halfway line. Epic.

MrsP wrote:You just try singing that to the tune of "Go West!"

Great to have you on board Glas.


Maybe you need to change your user name to Glas a du a wyn?

Aw shucks! Have a look in the Facebook pub.

no Willy i expected that win last year. I expected nothing at kickoff, dared to hope at halftime and was ecstatic by the end. I dont think Clermont capitulated either. They were tougher than i have seen them befoer away. also i thought the crowd were excellent

Yeah, it was unbelievably physical. Some of the hits going in were unreal. It was an amazing effort for us to hold them to 0 in the second half!

Jeez i didnt even think of that Notch but we did!

Glas,

Notch wrote:Yeah, it was unbelievably physical. Some of the hits going in were unreal. It was an amazing effort for us to hold them to 0 in the second half!

Yes. Absolutely. They were o'n the ropes trying to
Protect a two point lead. TWO POINTS!

Standulstermen wrote:no Willy i expected that win last year. I expected nothing at kickoff, dared to hope at halftime and was ecstatic by the end. I dont think Clermont capitulated either. They were tougher than i have seen them befoer away. also i thought the crowd were excellent

I'd to listen to the second half on the radio in the car, driving home from the leinster match, the commentators were saying that its always the story with french teams away, except toulouse, they don't like playing away. But having watched the second half, i think the sort of capitulated but not as bad as they normally do.

I've to hold my hands up and say sorry to Chris Henry and Adam Darcy who I've criticised a lot in the past. Both were very good today.

The crowd was awesome today, the Clermont fans were fantastic throughout and spurred on the Ravenhill roar as far as im concerned, that atmosphere needs to be there every week though. I hate going during the Rabo12 and cheering my head off and you get the "fans" who give you the look of be quiet will ya, not a chance though im there to support my team and will cheer on Ulster no matter what

I think it is slightly disingenuous to say clermont capitulated. I thought they were undone by a brilliant bit of play. Other than that they were ok albeit Ulster pummeled them for much of the 2nd half. they took it well though