While Ulster certainly rode their luck to make it through to the Challenge Cup last eight, they have done so not entirely unscathed as Nathan Doak and Rob Herring are doubts ahead of their quarter-final with La Rochelle in Belfast on Friday night.
Doak picked up an ankle issue in last Saturday’s nervy Round of 16 win over Ospreys at the Affidea Stadium but played most of the game, while Herring departed early due to a calf problem.
To potentially lose a player of Doak’s influence would represent quite a blow for the province as they bid to make a semi-final, which could also end up being at home. The outlook appears to be rather more favourable than it appeared to be at loosehead prop, with both Angus Bell and Sam Crean expected to be fit for Friday after being forced from the action against the Ospreys.
Bell shipped an accidental blow to the eye which closed over during the game and led to him being called ashore after 15 minutes. But he was able to train at the start of the week and it’s reckoned the Wallaby frontrow will be good to go against Ronan O’Gara’s French visitors.
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It is also likely that Jack Murphy will be the starting 10 after a rib injury saw him start the Ospreys game on the bench. Should Doak miss out, Murphy will likely team up with Conor McKee at halfback.
Though it remains unclear just how strong O’Gara’s selection will be after La Rochelle got the better of Newcastle last weekend with a diluted side, Ulster are still braced for a full-on contest from the team currently ninth in the French Top 14.
“They’re not probably where they want to be in the Top 14 this year and that again is going to put them under pressure,” said Ulster assistant coach Willie Faloon.
“The threat this week is huge in regard to their offloading threat, and their ball carriers.
“There’s so much threat available to them. So, for us, it’s about trying to be as connected as we can and working really hard for each other.
“With the six-day turnaround, we did some prep on both Newcastle and La Rochelle last week, so that we had a bit of an idea of what we’d be looking at.
“Ultimately, they didn’t bring over their strongest team [to Newcastle]. We don’t know what they’re going to bring over this weekend, but regardless of that, they’re a quality outfit, and they have great depth in terms of some of the carriers and the backs they have available to them.
“It just means we really have to be focusing on ourselves to be getting the best out of us.”
