HEINEKEN CUP ULSTER v STADE FRANCAIS: Johnny Wattersonhears from the Ulster captain about next Saturday's pool opener and hopes of making it five-nil against the French visitors

ULSTER'S RELIEF may not prove as short-lived as some people suspect. One Magners League win does not take captain Rory Best's team out of the woods, but the new-found flavour of victory might just linger enough to treat French aristocrats Stade Français to yet another dose of Belfast hospitality in this week's Heineken Cup first round.

French clubs appear to have issues with Belfast. Toulouse were spectacularly overturned 30-3 at Ravenhill in the 2006-2007 season. Following the pre-match fireworks that day Ulster went to work on what turned out to be skittish visitors.

But Stade have an even less auspicious Belfast history and arrive in Ravenhill Road seeking their first win in what will be their fifth visit. That's nought from four from the team that currently leads the French Championship, six points ahead of their nearest rivals, Bayonne.

It's an astonishing record for one of Europe's great sides, that their first few sniffs of the cold Northern air have traditionally spooked them into submission.

And now, despite Edinburgh's capitulation last Friday and Stade's grim past, Ulster will go into the match playing heavily on their underdog status but hopeful of again lighting a fire beneath their guests.

"We have to be confident," says Best. "We can't go into our games in the Heineken Cup and talk about getting out of our group if we're not confident of winning at home.

"I'm referring back to intensity. I remember when I first came into the Ulster squad and we played the likes of Gloucester and Stade Français at home and we didn't have anywhere near the talent we have in the squad at the moment. But what you had when the final whistle went was 15 white jerseys literally out on their feet having given everything.

"We played with an intensity that, maybe week in and week out, we couldn't deal with - but for the big one-off games we could.

"I feel at the minute that we do have a squad that can deal with playing with that intensity week in and week out but, for whatever reason, isn't."

Ulster first beat the French giants in 1999 on their way to winning the Heineken Cup final against Colomiers, the first Irish team to lift the trophy.

Two seasons later, the home side again overturned the Parisians 19-16, having taken a 40-21 pasting on the road.

The Ulster hat-trick of wins arrived in December 2003, 19-17 on that day out.

And the most recent win was four years ago. Ulster went down 30-10 in France before another December turnaround and an eight-point margin, 18-10.

Matt Williams has been selling the French as perhaps the best club side in the world, better even than Canterbury Crusaders. That view implies the absolute need for senior players to take a step forward. Players such as Best and also Andrew Trimble can no longer be followers if Belfast is to become a champions' graveyard once more.

"The senior players in the squad have to provide more leadership, and I include myself in that," says the captain. "Myself, Paddy (Wallace) and Trimble are there long enough now.

"For example, Trimble is no longer the new player on the scene. He has someone like Darren Cave looking up to him.

"It's something we spoke about at the start of the season and we have to start providing that leadership.

"It's not that long ago that we thumped Toulouse at home and really after that we thought we had got to a level where we wanted to be.

"We thought if we turned up on the day we would automatically get to that level.

"A lot of it is down to what's going on between the ears and at times we have lost it.

"Certainly this season we had Cardiff under pressure and had all the pressure on the Dragons, but whatever it is mentally, we couldn't finish them off."

Given the weekend that has just gone by, it is natural to draw comparisons between what Connacht achieved against Leinster in Galway and what giant-killing plans Ulster have for Ravenhill.

The perceived chasms in abilities are similar, but the usual gamut of mood, execution, luck, weather, team imperatives and form all add up to, not so much a difficult day for one side or the other but more likely, a nervous session for both teams.

Best said last week that if the run of defeats for Ulster were extended past four, then it could become a serious problem.

Edinburgh allowed them to stem the haemorrhage of points.

Confidence has lifted, although just fractionally, and optimism, as ever with Williams is alive.

"We have got nothing to lose on Saturday," said the coach yesterday. "The odds are going to be unbelievably against us.

"They (Stade Français) don't like leaving France. They certainly don't like coming to Belfast. I certainly hope the weather gods put on a great Ulster night for them.

"No-one's had a real crack at them," he added. "We've just got to really have a go at them. If we just sit back and play a kicking game, they will do you. They'll do anybody."