Ulster expect stiff Toulouse test as they welcome defending champions

These two-leg European matches are never just a repeat of the week before. As Dan McFarland analyses how Ulster beat a 14-man Toulouse in France just days ago, this week in Belfast against 15 players is a dramatically different event. He knows it.

The main triggering point is that the Top 14 and European champions must win the match or the European dream of defending their title vanishes. As was the issue in the south of France, Ulster’s ability to stop the French doing what they do runs to the core of the issue.

Just Leicester Tigers 2000-2002, Leinster 2019-12, three times successive winners Toulon 2012-15 and Saracens 2015-17 have successfully defended their titles.

Toulouse, although five times winners, have never done it back to back.

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No doubt, though, the home side are in fighting spirit and coming back with a win has done wonders for their belief in what they can achieve. Still, McFarland has not become overly intoxicated with the success.

“In terms of the magnitude of the task, look they are European champions, the Top 14 champions,” says the Ulster coach. “We played a helter-skelter game against them last week in which we did some pretty good stuff and they did some really good stuff.

“We ended up winning but I imagine this weekend will be equally tough and potentially tougher. The last time we played them (before last weekend) we played them here and we narrowly lost that game.

"We played very well but they snuck in with a couple of miracle plays, the best player in the world and a guy called Cheslin Kolbe. The task is huge. The reward is huge and well we'll be ready for it."

There will be a buzz around Belfast for the match as home European Cup games for a quarter-final do not come very often to the province. In the old format a high ranking in the pool determined home advantage. With the first leg completed in France and a six-point bloodied Gallic nose, the aggregate scores over two legs has played nicely for Ulster.

Home and away format

Something of a traditionalist, though, the new format of home and away is not something that McFarland has readily pulled to his bosom.

“I rather like the idea of six pool games, one knockout match,” he says. “I get it because it has an interesting dynamic. You don’t have the normal elation or despondency that you would do with the normal games. It’s much different.

“Whether I don’t like it as much because it is different and I’m averse to a bit of change or I prefer to know you are a winner or loser at the end of 80 minutes, I don’t know. I’m not sure.”

What he is sure of is Ulster’s requirement, not to change but do what they did even better, while making make some minor adjustments and calibrations around the park. No drama McFarland sees no merit in making industrial change to policy or his side.

The same can be said of Toulouse. The likelihood they will not play as they always do is remote to non-existent. Big forwards, a lithe, engaged, and charged backline has worked well.

“Generally speaking, teams will have a way they play,” says McFarland. “Obviously things change within that. Generally speaking teams won’t change a huge amount. Why, because if you have got to the stage where you are now, you’ve been successful with the things you do week in, week out.

“The more you change, the more moving parts there are, the more you have to practice. That can be a really big limiting factor. Toulouse aren’t going to come and say we aren’t going to off load this week or we are not going to counter ruck this week or try and maul you and scrum you with our enormous people.

“I can imagine they will be looking for similar kinds of plays this week with a bit of variety from last week. Look, we are in the last 16 but the fact is we are playing the European and Top 14 champions. It is a huge ask. If we were to make it through to the quarter final that would be a notable achievement. Definitely.”

Really, it is what every team would hope for in the European Cup. Skin in the game against the champions and with a home crowd. To beat Toulouse, Ulster has to first silence them as players.

“The rewards are such at the end, the goal is so big the emotional side of things looks after itself,” says McFarland.

“Emotion will be there and emotion is important in rugby. It can be a big motivating factor but not something that has to be driven by a week like this.”

But, it probably will.