SO WHAT’S NEW about this European competition then?
Here we are, one fixture down; and some French clubs are still sending out weakened teams, the format is pretty much identical to last year and Ulster are ready to tangle with Leicester Tigers (kick-off 19.45).
This is the third time in four seasons that the teams have been drawn together in the competition. By the time you lob in a smattering of pre-season friendlies there is more than a sense of familiarity breeding respect.
Slowly but surely Ulster managed to wrestle their way on top of the head-to-head, culminating in the thrilling pool decider in January. If there was a chance of this all becoming a bit stale, then the summer upheaval in Ravenhill put paid to that.
The more things change however, the more things stay the same. And while Ulster waved goodbye to one key South African in Johann Muller, the former captain was putting in a good word to the folks back home.
“I knew Ruan and Johann from the Sharks,” says tighthead Wiehahn Herbst, “when I got the chance [to sign for Ulster] they said you will never be disappointed to come here.
“It was still a difficult choice for me to make, but I can truly say that it’s been a very good choice.”
A few years ago, the advice may well have been flowing in the other direction. Herbst was part of the South Africa under 19 outfit that reached the world championship final when the tournament was played in Belfast in 2007.
The Baby ‘Boks eventually lost out to New Zealand in the final, but not before Herbst helped defeat an Irish team containing Murray Kinsella (now of TheScore.ie fame), Dave Foley, Eoin O’Malley, Scott Deasy and Leicester’s Niall Morris.
Obviously, a South African managing to settle in at Ulster is about as difficult as an Irish emigrant battling to adapt to life in Queens, but there are still challenges to be found. It’s a new eco-system, a new menu, a new hemisphere and it’s rarely a very good time for a Braai in Co. Antrim.
“We make it good weather when we Braai,” says Herbst with an infectious air of positivity about his new home from home.
“There’s nothing in particular I wish I had [from South Africa] now already – I mean, I’m only here two months. The usual stuff we have in South Africa like Biltong and stuff like that, we found someone that can get that for us.
“So we can still have a Braai when it stops raining with a bit of Biltong, so it’s all good.”
Along with Louis Ludik and Franco van der Merwe, Herbst will experience his first taste of European Cup rugby to compliment his favourite cured meat today. And it shouldn’t take long for the tighthead to get to know the opposition as well as any Ulster front row, even if the breakdown of his duties have changed since his move.
“The scrums are a bit different,” admits the 26-year-old, “in Super Rugby you don’t really have that long in scrums. You always want to get the ball in and go play. Sometimes we would keep the ball in a maul to get a penalty, but never in a scrum.
“Here it’s much longer and it takes a lot out of the body late on in the game.”
Leicester Tigers are never a team that will go easy on you in that respect. And even though it could be argued that the front row is the worst-affected area of the team during their injury crisis, Marcos Ayerza promises to be stiff opposition for Herbst in Welford Road this evening.
Tigers’ struggles in the Premiership this season have not been aided by the loss of the likes of Logovi’I Mulipola, Tom Youngs, Dan Cole, Tom Croft, Niall Morris and Scott Hamilton. However, last Friday’s home win over ‘Quins was their third of the season and the return of Ayerza along with Manu Tuilagi has gone a long way to bolstering confidence in the midlands.
Ulster have their own injury worries, of course, but Neil Doak will keep the focus on the men who are at his disposal.
Though Andrew Trimble has fallen foul of a toe injury, no Ulster fan will be worried that Craig Gilroy has a starting berth as a result. Inside him, the form of centre Stuart McCloskey has been a massive bonus in a team already spoiled for choice in the centre. McCloskey’s abrasive style and extra physicality will be useful in counter-acting Tuilagi this evening.
The presence of Herbst, Rory Best, Chris Henry, Robbie Diack along with the always-exciting backline controlled by Paddy Jackson will make last season’s top seeded team, favourites once again in this fixture.
A change could do you good.
Leicester Tigers: Matthew Tait; Blaine Scully, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Williams, Vereniki Goneva; Freddie Burns, Ben Youngs (c); Marcos Ayerza, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Fraser Balmain, Brad Thorn, Graham Kitchener, Jamie Gibson, Julian Salvi, Jordan Crane
Replacements: Harry Thacker, Michele Rizzo, Tiziano Pasquali, Sebastian De Chaves, Robert Barbieri, David Mele, Sam Harrison, Miles Benjamin
Ulster: Louis Ludik; Tommy Bowe, Jared Payne, Stuart McCloskey, Craig Gilroy; Paddy Jackson, Paul Marshall; Andy Warwick, Rory Best (c), Wiehahn Herbst, Lewis Stevenson, Franco Van Der Merwe, Robbie Diack, Chris Henry, Nick Williams.
Replacements: Rob Herring, Callum Black, Declan Fitzpatrick, Clive Ross, Roger Wilson, Michael Heaney, Stuart Olding, Darren Cave.
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
