Champions Cup: Ulster v Sale Sharks, Kingspan Stadium, Saturday, 8.0 – Live on BT Sport
This isn’t exactly where either team intended to be at this juncture, both located in the lower regions of Pool B and needing the win to progress to the last 16 which, in turn, is also dependent on other results going their way.
And to the winner, a trip away from home for that knock-out game is hardly the most enticing of prizes, though there is also continuing in the Challenge Cup’s round of 16 as part of the equation – which could even be heading both sides’ way as they might yet end up sticking around in ninth and 10th – just to add another layer to the mix.
[ Dan McFarland proud of Ulster despite narrow defeat to La RochelleOpens in new window ]
So, on the one hand, this meeting has the complexion of an old-fashioned cup tie except that the ‘winner-takes-all’ label doesn’t entirely apply, at least until the result of Clermont’s clash at the Stormers is known with Sunday’s game between Montpellier and London Irish also being part of the bigger picture.
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For Ulster, all this is in the small print as they just must hunt down a result to dodge a truly alarming looking seventh defeat from eight. They thought they had achieved a reverse in fortunes at a rain-lashed and windswept La Rochelle last weekend only to lose in the final play to the European champions and this scenario of tripping up at the back end of games has become a bit of a theme.
Though the 7-3 reverse at Stade Marcel Deflandre was heartbreaking for Dan McFarland and his squad, they have harvested some optimism from their improvement in performance as they prepare to play their first actual European home game against a Sale Sharks side who have lost their two pool encounters with Toulouse since hammering the northern province 39-0 in round one.
McFarland has made seven alterations to his starting side which is without Iain Henderson (concussion) and Luke Marshall (chest), who both started in France. The most notable sees academy player Harry Sheridan given his first start at flanker after debuting from the bench last weekend.
Tom Stewart is back in at hooker, Rob Herring is benched, with Andy Warwick starting for Rory Sutherland who is not in the 23 while Sam Carter is at lock, Kieran Treadwell moving to the bench.
Behind the scrum, Billy Burns is in for Ian Madigan at 10 while Stuart McCloskey and James Hume resume their midfield partnership.
Tom O’Toole is a replacement for what will be the Ireland squad member’s first involvement since the corresponding fixture in December and alongside him will be John Cooney. Jordi Murphy has been handed a rare place in the matchday squad.
The assumption that Ulster can channel their increasingly urgent need towards successfully excavating a result may well prove to be the deciding factor.
ULSTER: M Lowry; R Lyttle, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; B Burns, N Doak; A Warwick, T Stewart, J Toomaga-Allen; A O’Connor (capt), S Carter; H Sheridan, N Timoney, D Vermeulen.
Replacements: R Herring, E O’Sullivan, T O’Toole, K Treadwell, J Murphy, J Cooney, I Madigan, B Moxham.
SALE: J Carpenter; T O’Flaherty, S James, M Tuilagi, A Reed; R Du Preez, G Warr; B Rodd, E Ashman, J Harper; J Beaumont, J Hill; J Ross, B Curry, J-L Du Preez.
Replacements: T Taylor, R Harrison, J Jones, R Birch, S Dugdale, R Quirke, T Curtis, T Roebuck.
Referee: P Brousset (France).
