Champions need to sting Wasps

Ulster have been doing their best to confine last season's memorable European Cup success to the history books, but unless the holders open their home account with a win in Pool C against Wasps at Ravenhill tonight (7.30), their chances of defending their crown will be history.

Basically, Ulster have to win, for another defeat on top of last week's setback in Bourgoin will make it nigh on impossible for them to progress to the knock-out stages. This possibly highlights a flaw in the competition's make-up, in so much as one defeat can effectively place a side in virtually a knock-out scenario. Be that as it may, this is the position which the holders find themselves in.

It will surely help them that their supporters recognise the plight Ulster are in. Approximately 7,500 tickets have already been sold, and a minimum crowd of 10,000 is anticipated at Ravenhill. Since this venue has been unavailable for much of the season thus far, this is effectively the old venue's first big night of the season.

That will undoubtedly help Ulster to invoke the spirit of last season in their hour of need. Spiritually then, you'd have less fears for them than technically, where their scrum - hitherto an achilles heel - has to hold up, all the more so if they are to check Wasps's dangerous back row while also getting at the mercurial Alex King.

Wasps currently languish third from bottom in the Allied Dunbar Premiership, with just two wins from seven games. But this could be a slightly false position, with the table yet to take true shape in the aftermath of the World Cup, all the more so as Wasps now have Lawrence Dallaglio back in the fold and as Harry Williams and Ulster must readily know, stop Dallaglio and you go some way to stopping Wasps.

Besides which, they have a game in hand against whipping boys Bedford. More relevant may be their final standing of fifth last season, not to mention a second successive run to the English Cup final. Aside from their World Cup back-row duo of Dallaglio and Joe Worsley, they also have the destructive hitman Trevor Leota back in harness, as well as the Scottish duo of Kenny Logan and Andy Reed, who have been recalled in the only two changes from last week's unflattering 22-13 win over Llanelli.

Once again, that encounter highlighted Wasps's inability to make the scoreboard reflect their performance. This is part due to an appalling lack of discipline, which three weeks ago saw them score the game's only three tries against Saracens, only to lose 27-26 after coughing up a record nine penalties to the boot of Thierry Lacroix.

Similarly, a fortnight ago Tim Stimpson was able to kick seven penalties in Leicester's 28-9 win. In an European context, there is no better man to punish such ill-discipline than Simon Mason. By contrast, a week ago, for all the good work of Leota, Dallaglio and the inform Worsley up front, Logan, Alex King and Jon Ufton spurned 19 kickable points between them.

So Ulster could have a clear and crucial advantage here, and on an admittedly dubious line through Leicester and Leinster, they must have a good chance tonight. True, Wasps are possibly a better side than the one which routed Ulster two seasons ago and then won an entertaining contest at Ravenhill by 38-21.

Ulster will need a good start, both to revive their own faltering self-confidence, and to prevent Wasps from hitting a rhythm. As Gareth Thomas, the Llanelli coach, pointed out, Wasps keep their game within narrow perimeters, but do it at pace.

Ulster, too, though are an improved outfit, even, theoretically, on last year's Euro heroes. The problem has been putting that in to practice. The somewhat simplistic theory is that too many newcomers have diluted the team's identity. But that's nothing that a big win wouldn't sort out.

Ulster's need for victory is the greater tonight. The crowd know this, too, and back on familiar terrain, it will be somewhat surprising if Ulster aren't galvanised into giving their best performance of the season to date and somehow reviving their European campaign. They simply have to.

ULSTER: S Mason; J Topping, J Cunningham, J Bell, S Bromley; D Humprheys (capt), S Bell; J Fitzpatrick, A Clarke, J Veitayaki, P Johns, M Blair, E Miller, T McWhirter, A Ward. Replacements: T Howe, N Malone, M Edwards, D Topping, G Longwell, S Best, R Weir.

WASPS: J Ufton; J Lewsey, F Waters, M Denney, K Logan; A King, B Shelbourne; D Molloy, T Leota, W Green, A Reed, S Shaw, L Dallaglio, P Scrivener, J Worsley.

Referee: J Jutge (France).

Previous meetings: (1997-98) Wasps 56 Ulster 3, Ulster 21 Wasps 38.

Results so far: Ulster - lost to Bourgoin (away) 12-26; Wasps - beat Llanelli (home) 22-13.

Betting (Paddy Powers): (Handicap Ulster +2pts) Ulster 5/6, draw 16/1, Wasps 5/6.