Ulster must go at Clermont with Ravenhill gusto

Leinster should secure home advantage for their Heineken Cup quarter-final but Munster will most likely be travelling, writes LIAM TOLAND

LAST FRIDAY afternoon a friend accused me of overindulgence in all things Connacht over the past weeks. The following day I bumped into a Munster supporter after the match in Thomond who winked at me and said, “You’re a little Leinster these days”. You can’t win.

However, this week I’m extremely excited on all four fronts but I’ll be in Connacht tonight praying for a home win. As the clock ticks towards 80 minutes the fear will be uppermost, will this be Connacht’s last venture in the Heineken Cup for some time?

Although I’ll also be in the RDS tomorrow to witness the other home game, it will be the away fixtures that will capture my imagination. Chris Ashton or is it Jim Mallinder have done Munster some favours but I can’t imagine Clermont Auvergne doing any for Ulster.

Ulster were magnificent last week and in my last article I hoped Tom Court, Dan Tuohy and Ian Humphreys would step up. On the 73rd minute, Leicester secondrow Geoff Parling arrived to clear out over replacement George Chuter. I had witnessed Leicester’s ferocious breakdown work over the preceding weeks (a major building block to their Aviva Premiership revival) but by this stage Leicester were battered. Nonetheless it was Court who arrived, stepped over Chuter and pummelled Parling to the ground, forcing Chuter to pull the ball back into his belly.

Romain Poite blew for an Ulster penalty and livewire Paul Marshall scampered over for Ulster’s fourth try and bonus point win. What made that play all the more impressive was Court’s work in the Ulster scrum in the previous 70 minutes. Just before half-time, Ulster had a left-hand scrum on the halfway line. It was absolutely perfect as the ball exited via Ruan Pienaar to Humphreys and came to Stefan Terblanche, whose chip kick brought play deep into Leicester’s half.

The hunger displayed not just by Andrew Trimble but by Darren Cave, Chris Henry, Pedrie Wannenburg and Pienaar to hunt down Horacio Agulla and win another scrum was the key difference between the sides. And hunger will be called for again tomorrow in France. But hunger won’t be enough. From the resultant solid scrum (again) Wannenburg released to Trimble for a cracking try built on hunger, precision and talent.

Court’s match statistics don’t read very well (carries etc) but it is in those precious moments countering Martin Castrogiovanni and clearing those rucks that his value counts.

The beauty was Ulster’s performance and the way they bullied the English bullies. In a perverted way it was sad to see a once titanic team toppled in such a fashion. The breakdown was Leicester’s big card and this was a coalface performance by Ulster’s pack, ably supported by Pienaar and his backline.

In many facets Leicester were brutal last week, not unlike Clermont’s defence of Adam D’Arcy’s electric run at the death in Ravenhill for Humphreys to secure a try and win. Over two months on from their first meeting this Ulster side will have possibly two changes (Pienaar and Terblanche) but they are a far better side now than then.

The question remains, have Clermont improved? They lie second in the Top 14 but at home they simply don’t lose.

Not knowing the teams I can’t imagine a more enthralling match-up than Trimble staring down Julien Malzieu. What worries me about this Clermont side is represented by the contrast between Malzieu and Jamie Cudmore, whereby they have an innate ability to vary their play from the brutal to the brilliant where Morgan Parra is supreme. They have everything, Heineken Cup experience, chip on the shoulder (many Irish losses), brutal forwards, a home record spanning years and backs that can open up at will.

Aurelien Rougerie’s influence over the French march to the RWC final was immense and his physicality out wide in defence but especially with ball in hand will test Cave’s emergency replacement in midfield. Centre partnerships are based on knowledge of space, which takes time. It would have been a great test for Cave.

Obviously Paddy Wallace must hunt and judge when to stay inside or move outside the ball in defence. Ulster’s back three must be ever vigilant but the outside centre’s best friends must be Tuohy, Court and co, who must hunt like it was Ravenhill on a Friday night. And that’s the key; Ulster must treat this as a home game and mimic all things Belfast.

Their set-piece is up to it but the question of pace will set the tone. Ulster have been very comfortable on the gain line and upping the ante around the breakdown but it is exactly there that Leicester were most forgiving. Based on last Friday night I wouldn’t be surprised if Pienaar starts at nine but moves much earlier to 10 to manage the Clermont pace and ball out of contact.

Is there need for panic in Munster? It was extraordinary to experience a team qualifying for the knockout stages under such a cloud of grey support. The packed house departed feeling a tad cheated and I cannot understand this emotion. This team has through enormous odds provided a pathway to the play-offs and deserve massive plaudits.

I did question aspects of their game that will affect tomorrow if unchanged. Their use of the sin-bin was very poor and why when they exposed Castres defensively did they not repeat the process to gain more advantage? Each time Munster attacked the gainline close to the source of the ball they broke tackles. Johne Murphy’s great try was one example but when Conor Murray, Lifeimi Mafi or Donnacha Ryan attacked weak shoulders, flat and close to the source they gained cheap yards. If it works, keep doing it. Tactically, Munster could have been shrewder and they would have scored many more tries.

Tomorrow they may not get such opportunities so they’ll have to go to others in the side to provide. Denis Hurley at fullback attempted several counter-attacks from deep against Castres but something he can learn from Ben Foden, his opposition man tomorrow, is the rewind. Foden attacks where the opposition is weakest, allowing the unfolding phases to honeypot back defenders to the ruck, exposing front five forwards on the blindside.

Against Castres, Hurley attacked where they were strongest. His role is crucial for creating the environment for Simon Zebo to shine, akin to Foden. Zebo is lightning fast and comfortable in traffic. He must be helped tomorrow. Also on the plus side for Munster Ryan, Damien Varley, Peter O’Mahony and Paul O’Connell have all been in excellent form.

I expect Leinster to gain home advantage with Munster on the road. Top four is crucial but avoiding the danger in the bottom four is even more so where a four-try bonus could get you into even more trouble. Last weekend was one for spotting where the opportunities were and ruthlessly exposing them. Ulster targeted the breakdown and won handsomely. Let’s hope for more of the same in France.