Biarritz should be too strong for Ulster
Ulster will visit Biarritz in the second round of Heineken Cup games on Sunday 17 October.
The Ulster side will go into the game without any pressure as Biarritz will be expected to beat the Irish province.
Ulster’s have started the season in great form. They have won four of their five games in the Magners League and have only dropped points against Connaught in a 15-15 draw in an away fixture.
The Irish side have started their Heineken Cup in impressive fashion and they ran out comfortable 30-6 winners against Italian side Aironi at Ravenhill.
Ulster picked up a bonus point in the match, but Ulster Coach Brian McLaughlin will know that his side will have to improve if they are to avoid a defeat in France.
Biarritz are one of the pre-tournament favourites and they have already managed to grind out an away win, which is a difficult task in the Heineken Cup.
Biarritz narrowly beat Bath 12-11 at the Recreation Ground. French scrum half Dmitri Yachvili kicked four penalties for Biarritz and they are now in pole position to win the group even at this early stage.
Ulster have a number of injury worries as they prepare for Sunday’s match. Darren Cave and Jamie Smith are both out in the back line and Ian Whitten is expected to start in place of Cave at outside centre.
Whitten will form a new partnership with Irish international Paddy Wallace.
Smith is expected to be replaced by Adam D’Arcy or David McIlwaine, although Andrew Trimble could move from the wing to full back.
McLaughlin will be pleased that two of his key forwards will return. Stephen Ferris has overcome his shoulder injury and South African BJ Botha has recovered from a hand injury.
The two players will be needed to compete with Biarritz’s scrum and physicality. Ferris and Chris Henry will be expected to target Imanol Harinordoquy and the back row clash will be one of the many intriguing
encounters on the pitch.
Biarritz are expected to name the same side that produced an important away win to Bath and they have no serious injuries from their last Heineken Cup match.
The French side will expect their pack and front row in particular to dominate Ulster’s front five, but with the return of Botha and the arrival of second row Johan Muller, Ulster have added some South
African bulk and power to their pack.
Biarritz may find it more difficult to pressure the Ulster front five than other packs and with Botha back they now have a world class prop and scrum specialist.
Biarritz have not got the back line flair of rivals Toulouse, but they should have enough pace and skill to get the better of Ulster’s backs.
However, Ulster do have the mercurial Ruan Pienaar who has played very well since he has arrived. He will face the equally talented Yachvili in what will be one of the most exciting battles on the field.
If Ulster can survive the Biarritz early onslaught and silence their partisan supporters, Pienaar is capable of kicking Ulster to victory. But being capable of a win and actually pulling one off are two
different things, and Biarritz seems the better pick here.
Yet, a 25-9 win to Biarritz would be a more likely prediction.
Tags: