Return of Muller and Best gives Ulster much-needed impetus

A night that is expected to shine a blazing light on the main flaw in the Heineken Cup Pool stages: visiting Montpellier, with just six points from four matches, are, supposedly, spent and unwilling to risk their most valuable weapons here.

Still no Tommy Bowe or Stephen Ferris for Ulster but the return of Johann Muller and, particularly, Rory Best for tonight's must-win game has wider reaching importance.

This appears to be the season for Mark Anscombe’s team to gather rosebuds while they may. That’s because, come the summer, there is a strong possibility Muller, the club captain, will follow John Afoa and Tom Court out of Ravenhill.

Plagued by injuries, including a calf strain of late, the Springbok lock and leader will make a decision on his future next month.

“David Humphreys knows exactly where he stands with me and I know exactly where I stand with him,” said Muller last Tuesday. “He has been great to give me the time and space.

“I’m going back to South Africa after these two Heineken Cup games, I’ll put my feet up for a week and will have a chat with my wife about what we’ll do in the future. We’ll make our decision early in February.”

It feels like the age of Iain Henderson is nearly upon us. The 21-year-old lock-cum-flanker is on the bench tonight.

It also makes Best the obvious captain in waiting. His return so quickly from a severely broken arm sustained on November 24th is remarkable.

Clinical ferocity
If the recently re-signed 31-year-old hooker can get anywhere near the clinical ferocity he showed in the perfect opening exchanges with the All Blacks then a high standard of intensity will be set for the other seven forwards to follow.

Montpellier-Light shouldn’t be long falling to pieces.

The real shame is the players that won’t be on view in Belfast tonight. Rene Ranger had been tearing up Super rugby defences and obliterating opposing centres with some shuddering tackles for years now.

The All Black doesn’t travel with his new French club. Nor do club captain Fulgence Ouedraogo or monstrous Georgian Mamuka Gorgodze. Recently dropped French outhalf Francois Trinh-Duc is another given the week off.

No Thibault Privat and Jim Hamilton in the secondrow either. Mikheil Nariashvili will come on while Nicolas Mas also takes a time out, although Maximiliano Bustos is a hefty understudy at tighthead prop.

But, clearly, Fabien Galthié is switching his focus to scaling the Top 14 summit. European aspirations disappeared with defeat at home to Leicester in December.

So, with the Tigers sure to be chasing the bonus point try in Treviso tomorrow, Ulster must do likewise tonight. With a trip to Welford Road looming, the five points looks essential, and certainly achievable.

This squad is as strong as Ulster have been on Anscombe’s watch; Ferris’s absence isn’t felt as he has been injured for so long now, while Andrew Trimble cannot be insulted with the tag of being mere cover for Bowe.

There are also signs that Craig Gilroy is nearing the form that got him capped in November 2012.

Joe Schmidt and Les Kiss will be paying particular attention to Luke Marshall as he seeks to depose Gordon D’Arcy.

The urgency of now and the always sulphuric Ravenhill loyalists should demand a tidal wave of early scores.

Bonus point
Failure to bank the bonus point thereafter seems highly unlikely, especially with Henderson and Roger Wilson to bring renewed vigour to a tiring forward assault. Then, after eight days of recuperation, they must do it all over again in the most hostile of English environments.

The suspicion is Muller and Best will have them motivated:

“I get bored of saying we learned something new this year and can do better next year,” Muller added. “As a squad there are no excuses. There is a massive difference from five years ago. We can beat everyone in Europe. The frustrating thing is not that we haven’t won a trophy, it is the consistency. It’s about maintaining standards against every side.”

Tonight it's about tries. Ulster currently have a 11-2 try count to Leicester's 11-7. That could yet be important.
ULSTER: J Payne; A Trimble, D Cave, L Marshall, C Gilroy; P Jackson, R Pienaar; T Court, R Best, J Afoa; J Muller (capt), D Tuohy; R Diack, C Henry, N Williams. Replacements: R Herring, C Black, D Fitzpatrick, I Henderson, R Wilson, S Doyle, P Marshall, M Allen.
MONTPELLIER: A Floch; Y Artru, A Tuitavke, T Combezou, L Dupont; E Selponi, E Escande; N Leleimalefaga, Charles Geli (capt), M Bustos; M Demarco, R Tchale Watchou; K Galletier, A Bias, J Beattie. Replacements: T Bianchin, M Nariashvili, P Fa'anunu, M Ivaldi, F Quercy, B Paillaugue, P Berard, T Nagusa.
Referee: W Barnes (England).
Previous meetings: October 19th, 2013: Montpellier 3-25 Ulster
Betting: Ulster (-18 handicap) 10/11. Montpellier (+18) 10/11. Draw +18 10/11.
Verdict: Ulster with the bonus point.