Ulster Rugby v Racing 92

OFFICIAL MATCH DAY PROGRAMME £4

VRACING 92 SATURDAY 12TH JANUARY 2019 KINGSPAN STADIUM, BELFAST KICK OFF 3.15PM

WELCOME BACK, MON AMI.

IN THIS ISSUE...

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KINGSPANWELCOME PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

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EPCRWELCOME TODAY'S MASCOTS

INTERVIEW: MARTY MOORE

Q&A: BILLY BURNS

DANSKE BANK SCHOOLS' CUP

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ROUND 2 PREVIEW

STAFF PROFILE: CHRIS SHIELDS 15 MILLAR McCALL WYLIE JUNIOR CUP 17 ACADEMY SQUAD 19 MEMORIES OF 1999 21 CLUB FOCUS: BALLYNAHINCH RFC 23 VIEWFROM THE CAVE 24 ULSTER SQUAD PROFILES 26 ULSTER TEAM 30 RACING 92 TEAM 31 RACING 92 SQUAD PROFILES 32 RACING 92: 3 TOWATCH 35

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MATCH PREVIEW

39 44 49 50 53 55

GUEST ARTICLE: ROD NAWN REFEREE Q&A: JONNY ERSKINE INTERVIEW: JOHN COONEY SUBWAY HALF TIME TEAMS

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STADIUM INFORMATION 57 2018/19 COMPETITION STANDINGS 58 FIXTURES 59 SPONSORS AND PARTNERS 60

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Welcome back to Kingspan Stadium, the home of Ulster Rugby, where the Ulster squad welcome Racing 92 in a crunch pool match of the Heineken Champions Cup. After a disappointing defeat to Leinster last week, Ulster - bolstered by the return of a host of front- line players - will be looking to make amends this afternoon. Following back-to-back wins in the Champions Cup, the Ulster team are in a strong position in Pool 4 of the competition, second only to Racing 92, making this fixture a potential pool decider. Racing 92 have been in excellent form, both in European and domestic competition, therefore the Ulstermen will have to be at their best today. With a vocal Kingspan Stadium crowd, it promises to be a fierce encounter to look forward to. As ever, the Racing 92 squad and travelling supporters are sure to receive a very warm welcome from the home faithful. Finally, on behalf of Kingspan, I would like to wish the Ulster Rugby squad and management team the very best today as they continue to give their all in every facet of the game. To Ulster’s committed fans, enjoy the game, lead the way and help ensure that this is an afternoon to remember at Kingspan Stadium.

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

m 0;_-Ѵ= o= &Ѵv|;u !†]0‹ķ ‰o†Ѵ7 Ѵbh; |o ‰;Ѵ1ol; ;ˆ;u‹om; |o bm]vr-m "|-7b†l =ou |_bv -[;umoomĽv ;bm;h;m Champions Cup match against Racing 92 from Paris. We -u; 7;Ѵb]_|;7 |o _-ˆ; |_; !-1bm] u;vb7;m| -1h‹ ou;mŒ;ম and his fellow Directors and guests with us, and to them, |_; rѴ-‹;uvķ v|-@ -m7 v†rrou|;uvķ ‰; ;Š|;m7 - ‰-ul &Ѵv|;u welcome. We hope that you enjoy your stay in Belfast.

IRFU ULSTER BRANCH 2018/19 OFFICERS "|;r_;m ѴѴbo‚ President Gary Leslie Senior Vice President Philip Gregg Junior Vice President Denis Gardiner Honorary Secretary Michael Boyd Honorary Treasurer Greg Irwin olr;ঞঞomv ";1u;|-u‹ EXECUTIVE TEAM Jonny Petrie _b;= Š;1†ঞˆ; L1;u Dan McFarland Head Coach Bryn Cunningham r;u-ঞomv bu;1|ou Chris Webster ;-7 o= !†]0‹ ;ˆ;Ѵorl;m| Audrey Robinson Head of Finance & r;u-ঞomv Fiona Hampton ;-7 o= "-Ѵ;v ş -uh;ঞm]

This is our first home match of the New Year and, since the win over Munster in our Christmas outing, we have suffered two defeats at the hands of our inter-provincial rivals Connacht and Leinster. This is an important match for both teams as victory for our visitors would clinch qualification for the knock-out stages and for Ulster a win is vital so that we go to Leicester next week with a very real prospect of progressing from the group. Those of us who travelled to Paris had the unique experience of enjoying the atmosphere in Racing’s magnificent stadium. Conditions will be very different today and we hope that with the vocal support of the Kingspan Stadium crowd, the Paris result will be reversed. Today is special for another reason as we have with us many of the players and staff from the Ulster squad of 1998/1999, which won the European Cup for the first and so far only time by beating Colomiers in Lansdowne Road on 30th January 1999. Who will ever forget the two victories over Toulouse or the semi-final win over Stade Francais at a packed Ravenhill before the invasion of Dublin when the city turned red?!

to all who have made the effort to join us today and we hope that you enjoy the hospitality and take the opportunity to renew old friendships. On the domestic front, the All Ireland League has had a break in competition and during that time Ballynahinch clinched the SONI Ulster Premiership with a winner-takes-all win over Malone. Congratulations to them. The Millar McCall Wylie Junior Cup final was played last week at Kingspan Stadium when Dromore overcame Ballynahinch 2nd XV to secure the trophy for the first time since 1939. This was a magnificent display of running rugby with both sides contributing to what was a great advertisement for the domestic game in Ulster. Well done Dromore. The schools’ competitions are now well underway and I send best wishes to all those taking part. My thanks to the committees and all those involved in making sure things run smoothly. Let us hope that the weather continues to be kind. Once again I wish to thank you, the loyal fans, for your continued support. If the team are to triumph today, they need that vocal encouragement from the 16th man! Enjoy the game and the Kingspan Stadium experience! Stephen Elliott President, IRFU Ulster Branch

We celebrate that success and pay tribute to all those

bm]vr-m "|-7b†lķ ƐƒƓ o†m| ;uubom ˆ;m†; Belfast, BT6 0FT T +44 (0)28 9049 3222 ulsterrugby.com

who contributed to one of the proudest moments in Ulster Rugby history. A sincere thank you

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THE ONE TO WIN

HEINEKENCHAMPIONSCUP.COM #CHAMPIONSCUP

WELCOME MESSAGE FROM EPCR

Welcome to a brand-new year of action in the Heineken Champions Cup, as we bring in 2019 with the all-important concluding rounds of the Pool Stage which will 7;=bm; |_; ;b]_| 1Ѵ†0v ‰_o ‰bѴѴ u;l-bm om |_; uo-7 |o "| -l;vĽ -uh om ƐƐ -‹ĺ

The past 12 months have brought a whirlwind of success to the tournament, welcoming more than one million fans through the turnstiles during the calendar year and staging a successful European club rugby Finals weekend that took in Bilbao as a sensational new venue for the showpiece matches. At the turn of the year, 15 of the 20 participating clubs were still in contention for places in the knockout rounds and the three professional domestic leagues were all represented among the leaders of the five pools. The action has been both compelling and intense to date. In Pool 2, the four clubs all remained in contention heading into Round 5 with only four points separating Munster Rugby at the top from Gloucester Rugby at the bottom and whilst Racing 92, Saracens and Toulouse were the only sides to record four wins from four before the European festive break, none were guaranteed to lead their pool heading into the last round of matches. It’s that close! It’s a real shot in the arm for everyone involved in our sport that the Heineken Champions Cup has new and improved broadcast platforms this season and for all five domestic rightsholders to be present for the return fixture between Leinster Rugby and Toulouse in Pool 1 shows the allure of the clash of the two most successful clubs in European club rugby history. We would like to thank our broadcast partners BT Sport, Channel 4, Virgin Media, beIN SPORTS and France Télévisions for their continued, high-quality coverage, and wish

them the very best for their broadcasts across the continent in 2019.

They will not only give exposure to the tournaments but, thanks to EPCR’s new partnership with the My Name’5 Doddie

Foundation around the Newcastle Finals, we are also proud to help to grow the awareness of the battles against Motor Neurone Disease. I’ve known Doddie for a long time and it will be fitting to work with the Foundation around an event in Newcastle, a city where he is revered. As I watched Edinburgh Rugby win at Kingston Park with Doddie in Round 4, it also seems fitting that the Scottish clubs are so well-placed in Europe at the time we have such a partnership. Newcastle is proving a very popular attraction for Finals weekend, so make sure you stay across HeinekenChampionsCup.com to find out when tickets become available and have your chance to join the fun. On the road there, we thank our Official Title Partners Heineken for their unstinting support as well as Official Partner Tissot and Official Supporters Gilbert and Financial Times. Whichever clubs emerge through to the quarter- finals will have needed to be at their best on club rugby’s biggest stage. I hope that wherever you take in the action from the January rounds, that you enjoy it.

Yours in rugby, Simon Halliday EPCR Chairman

Take them all on.

Join today 0800 201 2201 or visit bt.com/sport

TODAY'S MASCOTS

ALEXANDER HAMPTON (10) FROM BANBRIDGE

LENNON DORAN (10) FROM PORTADOWN

Alexander attends Ballydown Primary School. Besides his love of rugby, he also enjoys playing hockey and cricket. His favourite player is Peter Nelson and when he grows up he would like to be a marine biologist.

Lennon attends Drumgor Primary School and loves watching rugby and playing football. His favourite Ulster players are Rory Best and Jacob Stockdale, and when he is older he would like to be an astronaut.

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MARTY MOORE: IT’S PAYBAC

m7 vr;-hbm] |o |_; ঞ]_|_;-7 ruorķ b|Ľv evident that he believes both he individually, -m7 |_; |;-l -v - 1oѴѴ;1ঞˆ;ķ _-ˆ; 1ol; om in leaps and bounds since the defeat last October. ľ ‹ Cuv| ]-l; ‰-v |_; Cuv| †uor;-m weekend against Leicester,” he begins, “and then we had Racing the next weekend, so it ‰-v v|u-b]_| bm|o |_; _;-| o= |_; -1ঞom =ou l; ‰b|_ vol; 0b] ]-l;v Cuv| †rĺ “We all, as a squad, realise we’ve come a long ‰-‹ bm ru;‚‹ l†1_ ;ˆ;u‹ -u;- vbm1; |_;mķ vo to do what we did over there for large parts of the game was very encouraging to look back on this week.” oou; u-bv;v - ˆ-Ѵb7 robm| ŋ |_; Cm-Ѵ v1ou; -| the La Defense Arena obscures the fact that Ulster led by 12 points to 3 at the end of the Cuv| t†-u|;uķ -m7 0;‚;u;7 |_;bu orrom;m|v in terms of metres gained throughout the 80 minutes. ; 1omঞm†;vĹ ľ); v|-u|;7 ‰;ѴѴ oˆ;u |_;u;ĺ We went ahead early and even when we ‰;m| 7o‰m |o ƐƓ l;m Ő-[;u - ‹;ѴѴo‰ 1-u7 =ou Nick Timoney), we actually scored and then defended very well. “So it’ll be nice to hopefully pay them back for |_-| ]-l; |_bv ঞl; -| _ol;ĺĿ

Recent experience of packing down against the likes of wily hooker Camille Chat and the 20-stone prop Census Johnston should 0;m;C| oou; -m7 _bv =;ѴѴo‰ =uom|Ŋuo‰;uvķ |_;m ŋ 0†|ķ _; 1om1;7;vĹ ľ!-1bm] 7o v|u;|1_ you, so we need to be very wary this week and contain their danger men in the pack. “They’re very big guys, but I don’t think it’s a physicality thing. It’s more the way they play the game – it’s quite loose, and you have to be prepared for that. ľ$;-lv Ѵbh; !-1bm] _-ˆ; -m -l0bঞom |o rѴ-‹ the game at a high pace. We have a similar -l0bঞomķ ‰; Ѵbh; |o rѴ-‹ -m ;Šr-mvbˆ; -m7 very fast game, so when you get two sides that come up against each other with a similar pace in mind, you really feel that intensity. It was evident when we played them over there, so hopefully we can do the same this ‰;;h;m7ķ 0†| ‰; 1-m 1om|uoѴ |_bm]v 0;‚;uĺĿ Moore, an experienced European campaigner with three Champions Cup seasons under his belt at Leinster and two at Wasps, also believes that PRO14 sides are seeing the u;‰-u7v o= - lou; 1olr;ঞঞˆ; 7ol;vঞ1 1olr;ঞঞomķ ‰_;m |_; †uor;-m ]-l;v 1ol; round. “The PRO14 is closer to the European game week in week out,” he explains, “which is great

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TIME

because it means when we come into a weekend like this we don’t have to change a whole lot – we’ve been training at that level consistently. ľ |Ľv - 7b@;u;m| Ѵ;-]†; =uol |_; Premiership in that it’s a faster, more =u;;ŊYo‰bm] ]-l; ‰b|_ 7b@;u;m| 7;l-m7v =uol - =uom| Cˆ;ĺ +o† obviously have your set piece - that’s ‹o†u 0u;-7 -m7 0†‚;u Ŋ 0†| |_;u; -u; - Ѵo| lou; 7;l-m7v -uo†m7 |_; C;Ѵ7 =uol om; |o Cˆ; -m7 |_-|Ľv - ]oo7 thing. It’s a bit less territory and set piece-orientated than the Premiership would be.” Indeed, it appears that the 27-year- oѴ7 †0Ѵbm m-ঞˆ; 1o†Ѵ7mĽ| 0; happier to be back in the PRO14 with his new club, and is relishing an †mru;1;7;m|;7 -lo†m| o= ]-l;Ŋঞl;ĺ ľ [;u l‹ 7;0†|ķ |_; Cuv| ]-l; wasn’t involved in was Leinster Ѵ-v| ‰;;hķĿ _; 1om1Ѵ†7;vĺ ľ"|-uঞm] consistently has been great for me r;uvom-ѴѴ‹ |o ];| |_-| l-|1_ŊC|m;vvĺ -l;Ŋঞl; bv |_; 0;v| |_bm] =ou any player so it’s been a really good couple of months.”

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Q&A B I L L Y B U R N S

Favourite rugby memory? Making my debut for Gloucester with my brother Freddie playing at 12 Favourite place to eat in Belfast? James Street South Tv programme you can’t miss? $_; rru;mঞ1; $_; Cuv| l†vb1 -Ѵ0†l ‹o† ;ˆ;u 0o†]_| ĵ Blue - One love The last movie you watched? Despicable Me )_o bv ‹o†u vrouঞm] _;uo -m7 ‰_‹ĵ Lewis Hamilton - I like the way he operates and his aggressive style Favourite thing about playing for Ulster? Playing in front of a packed out Kingspan Stadium If you could swap places with a celebrity for a day who would it be and why? David Beckham If you could have dinner with anyone (dead or alive) who would it be and why? Steve McQueen - Great actor and a cool bloke Favourite post-match meal? Pie and Chips Goal for this season? Playing my part in the team and winning trophies for Ulster The key to success is… ;7b1-ঞom

! ) " & ņ RED SAUCE "& ņ " ) " ņ $ ) ņ EARLY BIRD ņ $ !) ! " ņ " ņ $) $$ ! " CHAT ņ "$ ! !! ! ( ņ + ņ DELIVERY

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DANSKE BANK ULSTER SCHOOLS’ CUP ROUND 2 PREVIEW

Carrickfergus Grammar and Strabane Academy both recorded wins in the two Round 1 ties, with a further 12 teams entering the competition this weekend. Last season, John McKee led Campbell College to a 19-13 final victory over The Royal School Armagh, securing a first title since 2011 for Campbell, and their 24th outright competition success. First won by The Royal School Armagh back in 1876, the Schools’ Cup has been competed for every year since, with 17 different schools having collected the famous trophy, while Methodist College sit on top of the roll of honour with 35 outright titles. $_; ƑƏƐѶņƐƖ -mvh; -mh &Ѵv|;u "1_ooѴvĽ †r 1om|bm†;v |_bv "-|†u7-‹ ƐƑ|_ January, with fourteen teams in action in Round 2 of the famous competition.

2018/19 DANSKE BANK ULSTER SCHOOLS’ CUP

ROUND 4 Saturday 9th February 2019

ROUND 1 Saturday 15th December 2018

The eight winners from Round 3 will be joined in the !o†m7 Ɠ 7u-‰ 0‹Ĺ -ѴѴ‹l;m- 1-7;l‹ķ -lr0;ѴѴ College, Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, Methodist College Belfast, Royal Belfast Academical Institution, Royal School Armagh, Sullivan Upper School and

Antrim Grammar 10-24 Carrickfergus Grammar Strabane Academy 21-17 Wellington College ROUND 2 Saturday 12th January 2019 Limavady Grammar v Larne Grammar Grosvenor Grammar v Friends’ School Cambridge House v Banbridge Academy

Wallace High School. QUARTER-FINALS Saturday 23rd February 2019 SEMI-FINALS Tuesday 5th March 2019, 2.30pm at Kingspan Stadium Wednesday 6th March 2019, 2.30pm at Kingspan Stadium FINAL Monday 18th March 2019, 3.00pm at Kingspan Stadium

Lurgan College v Foyle College Dromore HS v Regent House Carrickfergus Grammar v Down HS Belfast HS v Strabane Academy ROUND 3 Saturday 26th January 2019

The seven winners from Round 2 will be joined in |_; !o†m7 ƒ 7u-‰ 0‹Ĺ -ѴѴ‹1Ѵ-u; b]_ "1_ooѴķ -m]ou Grammar School, Belfast Royal Academy, Coleraine Grammar School, Dalriada School, Omagh Academy, Portadown College, Rainey Endowed School and Royal School Dungannon.

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1 year of not going out 242 hours on property sites 13 paint tester pots We know it’s more than a mortgage.

IHURVÄYLSHUK\R JVT /mortgages

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE All mortgages are subject to status and valuation. The mortgage must be secured by a first charge on the property. Suitable buildings insurance is required. All applicants must be 18 years or over. Bank of Ireland UK is a trading name of Bank of Ireland (UK) plc. Registered in England and Wales (No. 7022885), Bow Bells House, 1 Bread Street, London EC4M 9BE. 12398180514b.

STAFF PROFILE

NAME: CHRIS SHIELDS ROLE: RUGBY PROJECTS MANAGER

Describe your role within Ulster Rugby? As Rugby Project Manager, I work within the Rugby Development Department. My focus bv l-bmѴ‹ om ļo@ŊC;Ѵ7Ľ -1ঞˆbঞ;vķ ‰b|_ u;ˆ;m†; ];m;u-ঞomķ 1o-1_ ;7†1-ঞomķ rѴ-‹;u ‰;Ѵ=-u;ķ facility development and broadly exploring new orrou|†mbঞ;v =ou 0†vbm;vv 0o|_ ‰b|_bm -m7 o†|vb7; the rugby community. Describe your career / employment history? I have been with Ulster Rugby for 11 years and _-ˆ; _;Ѵ7 |_u;; 7b@;u;m| uoѴ;vĸ "|u;m]|_ -m7 om7bঞombm] o-1_ Ő 1-7;l‹őķ b|m;vv 7†1-ঞom Manager and currently Rugby Projects Manager. I -l - &mbˆ;uvb|‹ o= &Ѵv|;u u-7†-|;ķ -[;u ‰_b1_ vr;m| Cˆ; ‹;-uv v|†7‹bm] -m7 ‰ouhbm] bm -m-7- -v -m |_Ѵ;ঞ1 $_;u-rbv|ĺ m u;|†umbm] _ol; v;| up my own business before moving into the IRFU Fitness Department in 2007. Favourite thing about your job? Every day brings new challenges and with that an -0†m7-m1; o= m;‰ orrou|†mbঞ;v |o -77 u;-Ѵ ˆ-Ѵ†; to our wider rugby community. What do you enjoy most about working for Ulster Rugby? In my early years with Ulster Rugby I got real a buzz from seeing a young lad who I worked with ]o om |o ];| _bv Cuv| &Ѵv|;u ou ubv_ -rĺ ou; recently I enjoy working with clubs and schools on large scale facility development projects (i.e. gym u;moˆ-ঞomvő -m7 v;;bm] |_;v; loˆ; o@ |_; r-]; -m7 bm|o =u†bঞomĺ What is your biggest achievement to date? ‰-v |_; "|u;m]|_ -m7 om7bঞombm] 1o-1_ ‰b|_ the Irish Schools Side who won the European

FIRA/AER Championship in France (2011). Many of those players have gone on to gain full bm|;um-ঞom-Ѵ _omouv ŋ !o00b; ;mv_-‰ķ -m Leavy, Luke McGrath, Chris Farrell to name but a few. What is the most challenging aspect of your role? We run 31 rugby camps annually across the ruoˆbm1; bmˆoѴˆbm] ƐƔƏƏƳ r-uঞ1br-m|v -m7 ѵƏƳ v|-@ĺ $o ;mv†u; bm1Ѵ†vbˆb|‹ ‰; o@;u †mbou -lrvķ Schools of Excellence, Disability Rugby Camps and a new Digital Skills Camp which has proven especially popular. With the sheer volume of -1ঞˆb|‹ -m7 7;l-m7ķ |_; Ѵo]bvঞ1v 1-m vol;ঞl;v be challenging, but we’re not complaining. What are your plans/goals for the upcoming season? ‰bѴѴ 1omঞm†; |o ;ŠrѴou; m;‰ ‰-‹v o= 1omm;1ঞm] the wider community to rugby. There are m†l;uo†v |or t†-Ѵb|‹ķ †m7;u†ঞѴbv;7 Ѵo1-Ѵ u†]0‹ =-1bѴbঞ;v bm |_; uoˆbm1;ķ -m7 ;m1o†u-]bm] 1Ѵ†0v |o 7bˆ;uvb=‹ 0‹ o@;ubm] _;-Ѵ|_ -m7 ‰;ѴѴ0;bm] |‹r; bmbঞ-ঞˆ;v v_o†Ѵ7 ruoˆb7; - v†v|-bm-0Ѵ; lo7;Ѵ moving forward. Who is your favourite Ulster player? Chris Henry – he has always given 100% for club, Province and country. A true Malone RFC man through and through.

To get in touch with Chris, email chris.shields@ulsterrugby.com

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More info at www.ulsterrugbyshop.com

MEMORABLE CUP SUCCESS FOR DROMORE Dromore lifted the Millar McCall Wylie Junior Cup for the first time since ƐƖƒѶņƒƖ -=|;u -m -1|bomŊr-1h;7 ƐƖŊƑƑ ‰bm -]-bmv| -ѴѴ‹m-_b1_ Ƒm7v -| bm]vr-m Stadium on Wednesday 2nd January.

line before the ball was quickly moved through the hands from right to left and replacement Ronan Patterson squeezed over in the corner. Norton’s conversion came back of the crossbar. The same player was on target with a 68th minute penalty for ‘Hinch. Ferris had cut through the Dromore defence before being stopped short of the line and Dromore fullback Adam McDonald was penalised (including a yellow card) for cynical play, allowing Norton to make it a five-point game (14-19). However ‘Hinch infringed from the restart and Steenson restored Dromore’s eight-point lead with a penalty from outside the 22. Ferris scored a Hinch’s second try in the last minute when he plucked Norton’s high kick out of the air and raced over to give his side some hope, but Dromore held on. )ub]_|ķ bmѴ-‹ĸ (1-8): B Cullen, C Milligan, H McCormick, 1 ;Ѵˆ;‹ķ $ -u|bmķ o‰-u7ķ " Ѵ‰oo7ķ bѴѴĸ Replacements (16-20): G McKittrick, K Hamilton, D Dawson, C Phillips, R Patterson. DROMORE (15-9): 1 om-Ѵ7ĸ 1 Ѵ;-umķ "|;‰-u|ķ 1 -m7Ѵ;vvķ !†|Ѵ;7];ĸ ‹||Ѵ;ķ "|;;mvomĸ (1-8): T Lyttle, S Sloan, J Savage, M McMaster, R Bingham, A MacGregor, P Elliot, B Heath Replacements (16-20): A Black, F Mulholland, J Maguire, S Russell, A Gilmore. Referee: C Lough ;uubvĸ ou|omķ BALLYNAHINCH 2nds (15-9): 1 ub-uĸ 1 o†0u;‹ķ 1 m†Ѵ|‹ķ

Outhalf Matthew Norton opened the scoring for Ballynahinch with a 13th minute penalty from straight in front of the posts. Dromore missed the opportunity to tie the scores two minutes later when scrumhalf Lee Steenson’s long-range penalty dropped short. The Barban Hill side took the lead on 23 minutes with the game’s first try. The pack set up a driving maul 30 metres from the ‘Hinch line and were able to go all the way with loosehead Tom Lyttle being propelled over. Steenson was unable to add the conversion. Norton restored Hinch’s lead (6-5) when he landed his second penalty on 29 minutes. Steenson missed another opportunity for Dromore when he slipped kicking a penalty and it fell short. Dromore got their second try with the final play of the first half to go into the interval with a 6-12 lead. From turnover ball in the 22, Dromore moved the ball wide, they went for a looping pass to the wing, ’Hinch winger Aaron Ferris rushed up to intercept but knocked it on, with referee Christopher Lough adjudging it to be a deliberate denial of a scoring opportunity. A penalty try was awarded and Ferris was sent to the sin bin. Dromore made their numerical advantage count on 49 minutes with a third try, the forwards had a series of pick and goes near the ‘Hinch line before number 8 Ben Heath powered over from close range. Steenson added the simple conversion for a 6-19 lead. Ballynahinch got back in the game with a try in the 55th minute. The forwards probed at the Dromore

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Year 2 Back Three 19.08.97 193cm 89kg Ballymena

STEWART MOORE MARCUS REA JAMES HUME AZUR ALLISON Year 1 Centre 08.08.99 183cm 91kg Malone Year 3 Back Row 08.09.97 189cm 105cm Ballymena Year 2 Centre 07.09.98 184cm 95kg Banbridge Year 1 Back Row 19.04.99 192cm 99kg Ballymena

Year 3 Hooker 10.02.95

AARON HALL MATTHEW DALTON JACK REGAN Year 3 Back Row 26.06.98 193cm 98kg Ballynahinch Year 2 Flanker 16.11.98 197cm 112kg Malone Year 2 2nd Row 09.05.97

Year 2 Scrum Half 12.09.99 174cm 85kg Malone GRAHAM CURTIS ERIC O’SULLIVAN IWAN HUGHES Year 2 Prop 30.11.95 186cm 115kg Banbridge Year 1 Back Three 06.04.99 173cm 77kg Ballynahinch

DAVID McCANN ZACK McCALL JOE DUNLEAVY MATTHEW AGNEW Year 1 Back Row 13.06.00 190cm 94kg Banbridge 180cm 100kg Ballynahinch Year 2 Flanker 22.12.98 190cm 101kg Malone Year 1 Back Row 20.11.98 180cm 95kg Malone

ROBERT BALOUCOUNE MICHAEL LOWRY BRUCE HOUSTON Year 2 Fly Half 20.08.98 170cm 81kg Banbridge Year 1 Fly Half 16.08.99 192cm 92kg Ballymena

197cm 112kg Ballynahinch

ABBEY INSURANCE ULSTER RUGBY ACADEMY SQUAD 2018/19

Year 1 Wing 02.03.99 181cm 94kg Queen's

! & + " " ! +

ANGUS KERNOHAN

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-|;u |_bv lom|_ķ ƒƏ|_ -m†-u‹ ƑƏƐƖķ ‰bѴѴ l-uh ƑƏ ‹;-uv vbm1; &Ѵv|;uĽv ]u;-|;v| 7-‹ bm †uor;-m †r _bv|ou‹ķ ‰_;m |_; uoˆbm1;Ľv _;uo;v v_o1h;7 |_; ‰ouѴ7 0‹ ‰bmmbm] †uor;-m u†]0‹Ľv ru;lb;u 1olr;|b|bomĺ MEMORIES OF

Ѵ;m|‹ o= =-mv ‰;u; vঞѴѴ lbѴѴbm] -0o†| o†|vb7; the stadium or in the concourses when the warm-ups began, even if there were already more than enough to make Colomiers aware that they weren’t in friendly surroundings. David Humphreys led his players around the touchline in what was to be one of their last acts before the biggest game in most of their lives. Like two cars in a game of chicken, it soon became clear that the teams were on a collision course. As Ulster circled around, Colomiers were running through some last-minute set- rb;1; ru-1ঞ1;ĺ "ol;|_bm]ķ ou vol;om;ķ _-7 to give. As Ulster neared, Marc dal Maso stepped back as if he were preparing to throw into an imaginary lineout. A collision with Duncan knocked him sideways. )_;m |_; u;m1_l-m |†um;7 |o Cm7 |_; culprit, he homed in on the wholly innocent Stanley McDowell. “Maybe I brushed him a bit on the way past,” v-‹v †m1-mķ _bv 7brѴol-ঞ1 7;Ѵbˆ;u‹ =-bѴbm] to mask the mischievous glint in his eye. “It was the maddest warm-up,” says Andy Ward. “I just remember thinking that we had to get this crowd pumping, I just knew that. Forty-odd thousand of them going mad, that would be the business. “It got everyone jazzed up. Whenever we just ran right through them, Dunky dropping |_; v_o†Ѵ7;uķ |_; 1uo‰7 ‰;m| o@ĺ $_;m the line, the salute to the crowd, to do vol;|_bm] Ѵbh; |_-| -v ঞ]_| - 0†m1_ -v ‰; were, that just showed the crowd that we were all in it together. You could just see

); -u; 7;Ѵb]_|;7 |o 0; _ovঞm] |_; _;uo;v of ’99 at today’s game, and they will be celebrated in front of the Grandstand before hb1hŊo@ĺ Below are some of the memories from |_; h;‹ C]†u;v ‰_o 1om|ub0†|;7 |o |_; momentous occasion… “Walking down those steps, walking into the foyer, you felt that sense of pride in where you’re from,” remembers Allen Clarke of the scene in the team’s Dublin hotel ahead o= |_; ƐƖƖƖ †uor;-m †r Cm-Ѵ -]-bmv| Colomiers. ľ$_;u; ‰-v 7;Cmb|;Ѵ‹ - |;-u bm |_; ;‹;ĺ +o† could taste the atmosphere. Where we’re from, what Ulster, what Northern Ireland and what Ireland had been going through, ‹o† u;1o]mbv;7 |_;u; ‰-v -m ;Šr;1|-ঞom =ou something special to happen. “It didn’t feel like a weight on the shoulders, it was like an energy in the body. It made me feel as if I could have run all day. In my head, we were never going to lose that game.” The last voice the players would hear before |_;‹ Ѵ;[ |_; 1_-m]bm] uool =ou |_; C;Ѵ7 |_-| 7-‹ 0;Ѵom];7 |o u;v;uˆ; Y-mh;u "|†-u| Duncan. “If we win today, for the rest of our lives we’ll be blood brothers,” he told them. “Nobody can do it for us. We are the 22 players who can go out there and create history. When we meet up in years to come, we’ll sit down and laugh and joke and remember this day as the one when we won the European Cup. Go out there and become a legend.”

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1999

Colomiers thinking, ‘What the hell are we in for here?’ “It felt like we had won that game before a ball was kicked. We were in the changing rooms and people just couldn’t wait to get back out there and get it going. It was like an electric charge running through you or something.” m |_; oѴ7 -mv7o‰m; !o-7ķ ‰_;u; |_; u-‚Ѵ; and hum of the trains that ran underneath the West Stand of the stadium could be both heard and felt during a game, the Orient Express could have been steaming across the ’22’ and had its engines drowned out by the roar. Ulster, their 22 players and their tens of thousands of fans, were ready to go. $_; Cm-Ѵ ‰bѴѴ -Ѵ‰-‹v 0; v;;m -v -m †m=ou];‚-0Ѵ; o11-vbom l-uh;7 0‹ - =ou];‚-0Ѵ; ]-l;ķ |_; ƑƐŊѵ v1ou; |_; ruo7†1| o= vbŠ "blom -vom r;m-Ѵঞ;v -m7 David Humphreys’ drop goal for the victors. It felt as though the game could have 1omঞm†;7 -ѴѴ 7-‹ -m7 -vom vঞѴѴ ‰o†Ѵ7mĽ| have missed, nor would Colomiers have been able to get any closer than arm’s length. )b|_ om; Cm-Ѵ 0Ѵ-v| o= Ѵ-‹|om $_ol-vĽ whistle, the most unlikely kings of Europe were crowned. Extract details taken from ‘The Last Amateurs’ 0ooh 0‹ om-|_-m u-7Ѳ;‹ ˆb- Ѳ-1hv|-@ u;vvĶ which is available in shops and online from all good booksellers.

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FOCUS CLUB Who is your President? Mervyn Boyd Head Coach? Tom Rock supported by Coaching Coordinator Brian McLaughlin 1st XV Captain? Aaron Cairns Number of members? 450 3 players to watch? Rhys O’Donnell, Zack McCall, Chloe McIlwaine Longest serving member? Joe Carlisle – Founder member Who is the ‘Club Clown’ and why? Campbell Classon – entertainment value on away trips! Hardest trainer? Ryan Wilson Club’s unsung hero and why? All the volunteers! They all work relentlessly for the benefit of the Club and its members, without expecting any reward of acknowledgement. What is your Club song? Shall we Gather at the River What is your Club logo and what does it represent? Stag’s Head – synonymous with the wild deer population in County Down

BALLYNAHINCH RFC

Who is your Club mascot? Eddie McConnell – Magic Man (Those who know, know...) How many teams do you field? 7 men’s, 1 Ladies, 3 youth and 200 Minis Most successful achievement? Promotion to Division 1A of the All Ireland League in 2013 – only Ulster Club to have achieved that accolade since new AIL format introduced Proudest moment? 2008/2009 Grand Slam Year – 3 titles won + AIL Cup win. Also Junior/Towns Cup Double on 3 occasions – 1987/88, 1994/95 and 2016/17 Tell us something unique that not everyone knows about the club? Toulouse trained at Ballynahinch on 15th October 1998, the night before they lost to Ulster 29-24 in the European Cup.

Email address: hinchrfc.sec@gmail.com Website: www.hinchrfc.co.uk ballynahinchofficial @HinchRFC

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ROBERT BALOUCOUNE ( ) ! $ (

&Ѵv|;u 1;m|u; -uu;m -ˆ; ]bˆ;v _bv o‰m †mbt†; bmvb]_| bm|o om; o= &Ѵv|;uĽv 0ub]_|;v| ‹o†m] |-Ѵ;m|vĻ

was given to him by one Willie Anderson in reference to a core-stability exercise he †v;7 |o o[;m u;r;-| |o 1ol0-| - Ѵo‰;u 0-1h niggle. Legend has it that it actually comes from the striking resemblance between a cheetah moving in the grasslands with splendid balance, grace and speed, and Rob going down the wing for Enniskillen RFC at Mullaghmeen in the 2017 Towns Cup 2nd Round. ; Cuv| |ooh †r u†]0‹ -| ou|ou- !o‹-Ѵķ ou Enniskillen Royal Grammar for the millennials out there, and cites a trip to the Subsidiary Shield Final in Year 13 as a highlight. On the 0-1h o= =o†u |ub;v =ou &Ѵv|;u &ƐƖv bm - CŠ|†u; versus Connacht in 2015, he was now well and truly on the radar of Ulster Rugby. ; u;1-ѴѴvĸ ľ ‰-v om _oѴb7-‹ ‰b|_ - =;‰ mates and I got a phone call from James Topping asking did I want to come up to Belfast and do some training* with the Ulster Academy. I went up and trained one day, then the next day we had an internal game -m7 ]o| o@;u;7 -m u;Ѵ-m7 ƕv 1om|u-1| -[;u the game.” *Needless to say I enquired whether or not Rob was asked to cut his holiday short for said training and I’m sure you will all share

Abbey Insurance Ulster Academy star Robert ‘The Cat’ Baloucoune played only four games of 15-a-side rugby in the 2017/18 season, and one of those was in junior rugby with Enniskillen RFC. Fast forward only a few lom|_v -m7 |_bv -[;umoom ‰bѴѴ 0; _bv Ɣ|_ 1-r =ou &Ѵv|;uķ -m7 mo 7o†0| _bv Cuv| o= l-m‹ in the Champions Cup. When Baloucoune made his senior Ulster debut in October 2018 versus the Dragons, the Kingspan Stadium faithful were on the ;7]; o= |_;bu v;-|v bm -mঞ1br-ঞom |o v;; |_; u;Ѵ-m7 ƕv Y‹;u ļv|u;|1_ _bv Ѵ;]vĽĺ Ѵvo h;;m |o v;; _bl u†m bm =†ѴѴ Yb]_|Ļ _; 7b7mĽ| disappoint on the night with four line breaks (I can’t comment on the stretching or the legs), but it was his defensive display, both rovbঞom-Ѵ -m7 |-1hѴbm]ķ ‰_b1_ blru;vv;7 l;ĺ I’m not normally one for stats but I’ll round the above up to a trio - he also made 8 tackles without a miss and forced 3 |†umoˆ;uv om |_; mb]_|ĺ u;‚‹ 7;1;m| u;-7bm] to back up the impressive viewing on his PRO14 debut. To say Rob is ‘chilled’ would be the understatement of the season. The man is so laid-back, he’s horizontal. Also quiet and humble, he says his nickname of ‘The Cat’

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in my delight to learn that he was indeed able |o Cmbv_ _bv _oѴb7-‹ ‰b|_ _bv l-|;v 0;=ou; commencing training. “I had signed with Enniskillen RFC for the start for the 2017/18 season but the Academy wanted me playing senior rugby so I ended up ‰b|_ 7†-Ѵ u;]bv|u-ঞom =ou 0o|_ mmbvhbѴѴ;m ! and Ballymena RFC. As it turned out I played 7s for most of the year anyway, I only played om1; =ou mmbvhbѴѴ;m -m7 |_u;; ঞl;v for Ballymena.” In August of 2018 he had no idea about what to expect from the upcoming season. “I wasn’t sure whether I would be playing 7s or 15s. I was hoping to get some game ঞl; =ou |_; v -m7 ‰-v 7;Ѵb]_|;7 |o rѴ-‹ four games for them early this season. I was nervous going into the Dragons game because I just didn’t know what to expect, but I feel I’m blruoˆbm] -v 0;1ol; lou; 1omC7;m|ĺĿ “Having done so much training with the seniors, I was a bit more comfortable going into the game, but I didn’t expect to be playing for the seniors so quickly. I also found it helpful having people my age there like Michael Lowry, I’d played with him in the A games.” He either has a photographic memory or has 0;;m ‰-|1_bm] _bv Cuv| &Ѵv|;u when asked, he was able to recall it perfectly. I did have to go back and watch again as _; |_u;‰ l; o@ |_; v1;m| ‰_;m _; l-7; u;=;u;m1; |o - vrѴ;m7b7 !ou‹ ;v| oZo-7 bm lb7C;Ѵ7ĺ v |u†; -v |_; 7-‹ bv Ѵom]ķ |_; vhbrr;u 7b7 v_o‰ _bv v†0|Ѵ; _-m7Ѵbm] vhbѴѴv bm lb7C;Ѵ7 before a lovely break from James Hume, a support line that we’ve seen all season from "_-m-_-m -m7 Cm-Ѵ bmvb7; r-vv |o ļ$_; -|Ľ who opened his account for Ulster Rugby. v†vr;1| |_bv ‰bѴѴ mo| 0; |_; Ѵ-v| ঞl; ‰; v;; !o0 -Ѵo†1o†m; 7-ŒŒѴ; |_; orrovbঞom defence in a white shirt. Watch this space.

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WILL ADDISON &ঞѴb|‹ -1h 20.08.1992 186cm 94kg 9 Ireland 3

Hooker 26.05.1993

Hooker 15.08.1982 180cm 106kg 216 Ireland 113

BILLY BURNS Outhalf

RORY BEST

13.06.1994 185cm 85kg 14 —

JOHN ANDREW

181cm 104kg 49 —

DARREN CAVE Centre

&ঞѴb|‹ -1h 03.02.1994 183cm 90kg 4 —

JOHN COONEY Scrumhalf 01.05.1990 178cm 87kg 36 Ireland 4

Back Row 08.05.1991 192cm 114kg 20 S Africa 28

05.04.1987 183cm 96kg 219 Ireland 11

DAVID BUSBY

MARCELL COETZEE

ULSTER SQUAD 2018/19

ANGUS CURTIS Centre 26.03.1998 178cm 90kg 7 —

IAIN HENDERSON Second Row 21.02.1992

Prop 05.07.1988 180cm 117kg 77 —

CRAIG GILROY Wing

11.03.1991 183cm 91kg 168 Ireland 10

199cm 117kg 99 Ireland 42

WIEHAHN HERBST

ROB HERRING Hooker

ROSS KANE Prop

Back Row 13.01.1996

&ঞѴb|‹ -1h 08.10.1986 182cm 90kg 84 —

LOUIS LUDIK

GREG JONES

27.04.1990 185cm 102kg 154 Ireland 7

14.10.1994 179cm 116kg 32 —

196cm 106kg 9 —

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ROB LYTTLE Wing

Centre 03.03.1991 181cm 97kg 119 Ireland 11

Hooker 05.09.1996

KYLE McCALL Prop

28.01.1997 174cm 83kg 15 —

02.01.1992 176cm 108kg 52 —

182cm 102kg 12 —

LUKE MARSHALL

ADAM McBURNEY

ULSTER SQUAD 2018/19

Outhalf 13.03.1997 179cm 85kg 22 —

Prop 01.03.1991 178cm 119kg 10 Ireland 10

Centre 06.08.1992

Second Row 19.06.1995

MARTY MOORE

194cm 108kg 96 Ireland 3

191cm 103kg 1 —

JOHNNY McPHILLIPS

STUART McCLOSKEY

CALEB MONTGOMERY

Back Row 22.04.1991 188cm 105kg 9 Ireland 26

IAN NAGLE Lock

Full Back 05.10.1992 180cm 87kg 55 —

ALAN O’CONNOR Second Row 10.09.1992

17.10.1988 201cm 114kg 4 —

JORDI MURPHY

PETER NELSON

197cm 114kg 76 —

Back Row 21.09.1993 193cm 114kg 23 —

TOM O'TOOLE Prop

JACK OWENS Wing

Prop 05.10.1993 183cm 118kg 1 —

MATTY REA

23.09.1998 185cm 113kg 16 —

04.10.1995 188cm 94kg 1 —

TOMMY O’HAGAN

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Back Row 10.05.1989

Back Row 14.06.1989

Scrumhalf 20.06.1993 174cm 90kg 33 —

Scrumhalf 20.02.1998 174cm 77kg 9 —

CLIVE ROSS

SEAN REIDY

182cm 103kg 95 Ireland 2

192cm 110kg 65 —

JONNY STEWART

DAVE SHANAHAN

ULSTER SQUAD 2018/19

&ঞѴb|‹ -1h 03.04.1996 191cm 103kg 49 Ireland 14

Second Row 21.11.1995

Second Row 06.11.1995

NICK TIMONEY Back Row 01.08.1995 190cm 113kg 39 —

201cm 115kg

198cm 118kg 60 Ireland 3

ALEX THOMPSON

JACOB STOCKDALE

KIERAN TREADWELL

— —

;;r †r |o 7-|; ‰b|_ |_; Ѵ-|;v| player profiles, career stats and vt†-7 m;‰v -| ulsterrugby.com

Prop 12.03.1991

179cm 112kg 108 —

ANDREW WARWICK

UlsterRugby

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1

15

LOUIS LUDIK

ERIC O’SULLIVAN

7 8 6 5 3 2 4

14 13 12

ROBERT BALOUCOUNE

RORY BEST (C)

MARTY MOORE

WILL ADDISON

STUART McCLOSKEY

ALAN O’CONNOR

11

ULSTER RUBGY

JACOB STOCKDALE

KIERAN TREADWELL

10

BILLY BURNS

SEAN REIDY

9

JORDI MURPHY

JOHN COONEY

REPLACEMENTS

16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23

R HERRING A WARWICK W HERBST I NAGLE

N TIMONEY D SHANAHAN M LOWRY D CAVE

MARCELL COETZEE

Ŗ $ " $

!

$ $

! $

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE MATTHEW CARLEY (ENG) ASSISTANT REFEREES ANDREW JACKSON (ENG) | WAYNE FALLA (ENG) TMO GEOFF WARREN (ENG)

8 7 5 6 3 4 1 2

11 10 13 12 14 15

GURAM GOGICHASHVILI

SIMON ZEBO

DIMITRI SZARZEWSKI

TEDDY THOMAS

RACING 92

CEDATE GOMES SA

VIRIMI VAKATAWA

BERNARD LE ROUX

HENRY CHAVANCY

LEONE NAKARAWA

JUAN JOSE IMHOFF

WENCESLAS LAURET

FINN RUSSELL

9

BAPTISTE CHOUZENOUX

TEDDY IRIBAREN

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 W O AVEI V KAKOVIN B TAMEIFUNA B PALU

20 21 22 23

F SANCONNIE M MACHENAUD B VOLAVOLA O KLEMENCZAK

ANTONIE CLAASSEN

Ŗ $ " $

!

$ $

! $

OLE AVEI

Hooker 13.06.83

Hooker 02.09.98 184cm 109kg

Prop 25.08.90 183cm 107kg

Second Row 09.04.91 206cm 112kg

DOMINIC BIRD

178cm 110kg

TEDDY BAUBIGNY

EDDY BEN AROUS

CAMILLE CHAT Hooker 18.12.95 178cm 101kg

Scrumhalf 14.10.92 180cm 87kg

Centre 22.05.88 181cm 97kg

Flanker 07.08.93 201cm 107kg

HENRY CHAVANCY

XAVIER CHAUVEAU

BAPTISTE CHOUZENOUX

Number 8 20.10.84

Prop 09.04.98

BRICE DULIN Fullback 13.04.90 176cm 85kg

LOUIS DUPICHOT Fullback 23.09.95 183cm 86kg

RACING 92 SQUAD 2018/19

191cm 109kg

193cm 120kg

ANTONIE CLAASSEN

GEORGES HENRI COLOMBE

Scrumhalf 31.12.97 177cm 76kg

Prop 04.09.98 183cm 118kg

Prop 07.03.93 185cm 113kg

JUAN IMHOFF Wing 11.05.88 184cm 88kg

ANTOINE GIBERT

CEDATE GOMES SA

GURAM GOGICHASHVILI

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TEDDY IRIBAREN Scrumhalf 06.05.81 170cm 70kg

Prop 01.09.94

No 8 31.07.00

Prop 01.12.89 184cm 118kg

VASIL KAKOVIN

JORDAN JOSEPH

189cm 135kg

189cm 115kg

CENSUS JOHNSTON

RACING 92 SQUAD 2018/19

Centre 01.06.96 181cm 81kg

Prop 06.03.88 184cm 115kg

Flyhalf 30.10.88 182cm 92kg

Flyhalf 17.10.90 178cm 88kg

PATRICK LAMBIE

RAPHAEL LAGARDE

HASSANE KOLINGAR

OLIVIER KLEMENCZAK

Back Row 28.03.89

Flanker 04.06.89

Scrumhalf 30.12.88 174cm 87kg

Second Row 25.01.93

EDWIN MAKA

188cm 103kg

196cm 113kg

196cm 140kg

BERNARD LE ROUX

WENCESLAS LAURET

MAXIME MACHENAUD

Second Row 04.02.88

Flanker 04.02.96

Centre 20.03.96 178cm 92kg

Wing 06.06.83

BORIS PALU

JOE ROKOCOKO

LÉONARD PARIS

198cm 108kg

194cm 113kg

188cm 106kg

LEONE NAKARAWA

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FINN RUSSELL Flyhalf 23.09.92 182cm 87kg

Second Row 11.12.83

Flanker 21.02.95

Hooker 26.01.83

201cm 115kg

195cm 114kg

180cm 100kg

DONNACHA RYAN

FABIEN SANCONNIE

DIMITRI SZARZEWSKI

Prop 30.08.91

Wing 18.09.93 185cm 98kg

Centre 01.05.92 186cm 92kg

Flyhalf 13.01.91 191cm 89kg

BEN VOLAVOLA

TEDDY THOMAS

BEN TAMEIFUNA

182cm 140kg

VIRIMI VAKATAWA

;;r †r |o 7-|; ‰b|_ |_; Ѵ-|;v| player profiles, career stats and vt†-7 m;‰v -| www.racing92.fr

SIMON ZEBO Fullback 16.03.90 188cm 94kg

RACING 92 SQUAD 2018/19

UlsterRugby

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JUAN IMHOFF OPPOSITION THREE TO WATCH

m; o= |_; lov| ro|;m| Cmbv_;uv bm ‰ouѴ7 u†]0‹ķ l_o@ 1omঞm†;v |o ;m_-m1; _bv u;r†|-ঞom ‰b|_ _bv |u‹Ŋv1oubm] ;ŠrѴob|vĺ $_; u];mঞm; vr;;7v|;u v|-u|;7 _bv 1-u;;u ‰b|_ †;m7;v bm _bv homeland, before making the move to Racing in 2011. He has l-7; ƐƔƕ -rr;-u-m1;v =ou |_; -ubvb;m o†|C|ķ v1oubm] ƕƒ |ub;vĺ bv v|ubh; u-|; -| bm|;um-ঞom-Ѵ Ѵ;ˆ;Ѵ bv ;t†-ѴѴ‹ blru;vvbˆ;ķ _-ˆbm] mo|1_;7 ƑƐ |ub;v bm _bv ƒƔ o†ঞm]vĺ l_o@ _-v 0;;m bm ;Ѵ;1|ub1 =oul bm |_bv v;-vomĽv ;bm;h;m Champions Cup campaign, crossing the whitewash on four occasions to lead the try-scoring charts along with Sean -b|Ѵ-m7ķ "oC-m; †b|o†m; -m7 -1o0 "|o1h7-Ѵ;ĺ m -77bঞom |o _bv Cmbv_bm] ruo‰;vvķ |_; ƒƏŊ‹;-uŊoѴ7 rovv;vv;v - strong defensive game and has formed an excellent back three 1ol0bm-ঞom ‰b|_ $;77‹ $_ol-v -m7 "blom ,;0oĺ The big Fijian became a household name during a three-year vঞm| ‰b|_ Ѵ-v]o‰ )-uubouv ŐƑƏƐƒŊƑƏƐѵőķ ‰_b1_ bm1Ѵ†7;7 a Man of the Match display in the PRO12 Final at Kingspan "|-7b†l |o _;Ѵr |_; "1oমv_ vb7; ‰bm |_;bu Cuv| -m7 omѴ‹ ঞ|Ѵ;ĺ However, his move to Paris has seen him take his game to another level. Regarded as one of the best second rows in the ‰ouѴ7ķ -h-u-‰-Ľv -0bѴb|‹ |o 0u;-h |-1hѴ;v -m7 oZo-7 =u;;Ѵ‹ mean that he’s a nightmare to defend against, while those t†-Ѵbঞ;v ;mv†u; _;Ľv ;t†-ѴѴ‹ ;@;1ঞˆ; -1uovv |_; 0-1h uo‰ rovbঞomvĺ Indeed, a recent poll by Rugby World magazine listed the 30-year-old as the third best player on the planet. -h-u-‰- l-7; _bv bm|;um-ঞom-Ѵ 0o‰ 0-1h bm ƑƏƏƖ -m7 _-v now amassed 52 caps for Fiji. The hooker, who turns 36 later this month, began his professional career with Beziers in 2002. It was during his ঞl; bm |_; "o†|_ o= u-m1; |_-| _; l-7; _bv bm|;um-ঞom-Ѵ debut, but a move to Stade Francais in 2005 coincided with _bv ;l;u];m1; -v - u;]†Ѵ-u v|-u|;u =ou _bv m-ঞom-Ѵ |;-lĺ C;u1; 1olr;ঞ|ouķ ‰_o v;|v |_; |om; ‰b|_ _bv v|uom] v;| rb;1; ‰ouh -m7 1ol0-ঞˆ; ;7]; bm 1Ѵov; 1om|-1| -u;-vķ "Œ-uŒ;‰vhb _-v 0;;m -m bmvrbu-ঞom-Ѵ C]†u; =ou |_; 1Ѵ†0 vbm1; his arrival in 2012. ; _-v Ѵ;7 |_; 1Ѵ†0 |o |‰o _-lrbomv †r Cm-Ѵv bm |_; r-v| three seasons and will be determined to go one step further bm |_bv ‹;-uĽv 1olr;ঞঞomĺ

LEONE NAKARAWA

DIMITRI SZARZEWSKI

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ULSTER RUGBY IN NUMBERS

15,522 Home Match Attendance*

54 Affiliated

2.1 MILLION population

Rugby Clubs

10,303 Season Ticket Holders*

16K Retail Jerseys Sold*

38K Players

96 Affiliated Schools

*Last 3 years average

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92K Average Broadcast Audience

400K Social Media followers

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For sponsorship enquiries, contact Fiona.Hampton@ulsterrugby.com

ULSTER V RACING 92 IN EUROPE

HEAD TO HEAD

1 0 1 0

1 1

CURRENT STANDINGS 2 1

LAST TIME 44 12 20.10.18 LA DEFENSE (U) ARENA

PLAYED WINS LOSSES DRAWS

0 0

OVERALL EUROPEAN RECORD

OVERALL

HOME

AWAY

WON 73 DRAWN 3 LOST 69

WON 32 DRAWN 3 LOST 30

WON 52 DRAWN 1 LOST 20

WON 20 DRAWN 0 LOST 12

WON 21 DRAWN 2 LOST 49

WON 12 DRAWN 3 LOST 17

CURRENT SEASON PERFORMANCE

TOTAL TRIES 13 16

METRES GAINED 1896 2263

PASSES 605 630

TACKLES MADE 663 457

PENALTIES CONCEDED 27 31

TURNOVERS WON 27 31

145 73 69 3 21

59 29 27 3 21 64-14 11-36

PLAYED

WINS

LOSSES

DRAWS

AVERAGE POINTS

59-3 3-56

BIGGEST WIN

HEAVIEST DEFEAT

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More info at www.ulsterrugbyshop.com

TICKETS FROM £12/17

ULSTER v BENETTON FRIDAY25 TH JANUARY7.35 PM KINGSPAN STADIUM

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R O D N A W N

"-|†u7-‹ -[;umoom bm -m†-u‹ķ |_; r;m†Ѵঞl-|; _†u7Ѵ; bm |_; 1_-v; =ou - †uor;-m t†-u|;uŊCm-Ѵ vro| ŋ b| ];|v |_; u†]0‹ŊѴoˆbm] 0Ѵoo7 Yo‰bm]Ĵ

DETERMINED ULSTER A RACING CERTAINTY

cemented the belief that, in a year which is ;vv;mঞ-ѴѴ‹ |u-mvbঞom-Ѵķ ]oo7 ru-1ঞ1; 1-m spawn performance and results. The Irish player welfare management programme, which McFarland loudly -11Ѵ-blvķ 7o;v m;]-ঞˆ;Ѵ‹ blr-1| om the quality and status of the feted inter-provincial series now the staple o= |_; _oѴb7-‹ r;ubo7ķ vo v;Ѵ;1ঞomv -u; unpredictable, to some improbable, and coaches are then certain to harness resources with some acuity. Darren Cave’s enduring quality and ;Šr;ub;m1; l;-m| |_-| bm lb7C;Ѵ7 1ou; values were maintained in the heavy defeat by Leinster last week, and it is true that younger players have now been given valuable experience. Limits on |_; lbm†|;v rѴ-‹;7 0‹ |_; bm|;um-ঞom-Ѵ 1omঞm];m|ķ -m7 ruboubঞvbm] CŠ|†u;v v†1_ as today’s mouthwatering European clash, means it will be ‘all change’ when Ulster lines out against a French side which Cmbv_;7 u†mm;uŊ†r |o ;bmv|;u bm |_; ƑƏƐѶ Champions Cup. Rory Best, Will Addison, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, John Cooney, Billy Burns, Louis Ludik, Marcell Coetzee, Jordi Murphy and Marty Moore will be welcome, familiar C]†u;vķ -m7 b| bv bm|;um-ঞom-Ѵ 1-Ѵb0u; ‰_b1_ will be required to reverse the autumn defeat in Paris and keep Ulster’s knockout

m7 ‰_;m |_; orrovbঞom bv =uol -ubvķ -m7 bv vrouঞm] -ubv|o1u-1‹ bm |_; v_-r; of Racing 92, the challenge will be as ;Š_bѴ-u-ঞm] =ou |_; _ol; v†rrou|;uv -v for the players in each of the Kingspan Stadium dressing rooms. The Heineken Champions Cup adds real lustre to a lengthy season where Guinness PRO14 fortunes are pre-eminent, and ‰_;m |_; †|†lm ou "bŠ -ঞomv ruoˆb7; o[;m ‰;Ѵ1ol; 0om†v;vĺ ou m]Ѵbv_ķ ubv_ķ );Ѵv_ķ "1oমv_ķ |-Ѵb-m -m7 u;m1_ clubs there is no greater prize than to be kingpins in Europe, something Ulster famously achieved 20 years ago this month with its historic defeat of Colomiers at Lansdowne Road. For this Ulster squad, to repeat the feat of its counterpart in January 2019 might appear fanciful given how the game and |_; 1olr;ঞঞom _-v 7;ˆ;Ѵor;7ķ 0†| u;-Ѵbv| though he certainly is, Head Coach Dan McFarland won’t be discouraging such -l0bঞomvĺ m _bv v_ou| |;m†u; |o 7-|; he may have had the ups-and-downs in terms of results which have blighted recent campaigns, but his quest for constant improvement in performance and -rrѴb1-ঞom _-v ]bˆ;m =-mv - |;-l ‰_b1_ deserves the plaudits it has received. Before Christmas there was a sequence of games in the PRO14 and in Europe which

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hopes alive when the team travels to Leicester next week. -bm ;m7;uvomĽv -0v;m1; -[;u v†u];u‹ bv - huge disappointment and the increasingly bmY†;mঞ-Ѵ Ѵ-m Ľ ommou -m7 b;u-m $u;-7‰;ѴѴ will need to be at their very best against a bruising Racing pack. $_; ˆbvb|ouv 1-m v†rrѴ;l;m| |_;bu m-ঞˆ; u;m1_ vt†-7 ‰b|_ -m bm|;um-ঞom-Ѵ 1-v| bm -ѴѴ departments of the pitch, but wingers Simon Zebo and Joe Rokocoko and out-half Finn Russell are expensively-recruited backs, and Donnacha Ryan is an Irish powerhouse in the scrum. !-1bm] ƖƑ bv |_; lov| u;1;m| bm1-um-ঞom o= om; o= u-m1;Ľv lov| 7bvঞm]†bv_;7 1Ѵ†0vķ om; ‰b|_ - u;r†|-ঞom =ou b|v ;Š1Ѵ†vbˆb|‹ -m7 =ou b|v eccentricity on the pitch. In the late 1980s that marvellous out-half Franck Mesnel played in a |_;-|ub1-Ѵ 0;u;|ķ -m7 |_; rѴ-‹;uv ‰ou; 0o‰ ঞ;v -m7 t†-@;7 _-Ѵ=Ŋঞl; 1_-lr-]m; bm u;m1_ Championship Cup Finals! But Racing and the advent of professional rugby were not immediate friends, and Cm-m1b-Ѵ ruo0Ѵ;lv v-‰ b| u;m-l;7 -v !-1bm] Metro and, more recently, Racing 92. On |_; ˆ;u]; o= |_; $or ƐƓ ঞ|Ѵ; u-1; |_bv v;-vomķ |_; 1Ѵ†0 bv mo‰ - v|;;Ѵ‹ķ ruoC|-0Ѵ; or;u-ঞom -m7 -m -u|;u -m7 omm‹ ";Š|om have worn the celebrated number 10 jersey. m roѴ; rovbঞom |o u;-1_ |_; _-lrbomv †r t†-u|;uŊCm-Ѵv -]-bmķ !-1bm] f†v| lb]_| Cm7 &Ѵv|;u -| bm]vr-m "|-7b†l lou; ruo0Ѵ;l-ঞ1 than in October, and given the massive roar around the stadium today, it will be no place for the faint-hearted. With a full complement Ulster will hope to play |o b|v l-m‹ -‚-1hbm] v|u;m]|_vķ b|v u;7bv1oˆ;u;7 prowess in the maul and at the breakdown, ‰_bѴ; |_; v;|Ŋrb;1; bv om1; lou; - 1olr;ঞঞˆ; weapon. It might be the most important game o= |_bv |u-mv=oul-ঞˆ; v;-vom =ou -m McFarland’s players, but they have the self-belief now to know that individual and 1oѴѴ;1ঞˆ; r;u=oul-m1;v -u; Ѵb|;u-ѴѴ‹ ‰bmmbm] 1ol0bm-ঞomvĺ Allez!

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Q&A REFEREE Why did you decide to take up the whistle? |ooh †r |_; ‰_bv|Ѵ; -[;u v†@;ubm] ˆ-ubo†v shoulder injuries playing rugby. I was beginning my teaching career and felt that doing my coaching badges and referees course would be 0;m;C1b-Ѵ |o _;Ѵrbm] ‰b|_ l‹ bmˆoѴˆ;l;m| bm Schools’ Rugby. What is the biggest thing you have learned since you started refereeing? Some of the best refereeing decisions are when you don’t put the whistle up to your mouth. What was the process like to become a referee? There is an excellent structure in place within Ulster to help support referees as they begin oL1b-ঞm] ]-l;v -| -ѴѴ Ѵ;ˆ;Ѵvĺ bh; bm ;ˆ;u‹ -vr;1| o= vrou|ķ 1olr;ঞঞˆ; r;orѴ; ‰-m| |o r†v_ themselves as far as their talent and endeavour -ѴѴo‰ķ -m7 |_;u; bv - Ѵo| o= ru-1ঞ1-Ѵ -m7 r;uvom-Ѵ support available within the USRFR and the IRFU Refereeing department to achieve this goal. What is your training regime like? ‰bѴѴ |u-bm r;uvom-ѴѴ‹ ƑŊƒ ঞl;v - ‰;;h -m7ķ -v -l 1o-1_bm] v1_ooѴvĽ u†]0‹ķ ];| orrou|†mbঞ;v |o ru-1ঞ1; 7b@;u;m| ;Ѵ;l;m|v o= |_; 7bv1brѴbm; before refereeing senior games at the weekend. What is the most memorable game you have refereed so far? _-7 |_; orrou|†mb|‹ |o 0; |_; Cuv| oˆ;uv;-v referee to referee at the famous Craven Week Tournament near Stellenbosch, South Africa earlier this year.

J O N N Y E R S K I N E

)_-| bv ‹o†u -l0bঞom -v - u;=;u;;ĵ I have already achieved one of my bucket list items, having refereed the Schools’ Cup bm-Ѵ bm ƑƏƐѶĸ 0†| ‰o†Ѵ7 -Ѵvo Ѵbh; |o _-ˆ; the opportunity to referee in the PRO14 and †uor;-m !†]0‹ 1olr;ঞঞomvĺ What one law would you like to change or introduce? One law I would change is around the number of v†0vঞ|†|;vĺ ‰o†Ѵ7 u;ˆ;u| 0-1h |o _-ˆbm] omѴ‹ |‰o v†0vঞ|†|;vķ ‰b|_ |_; ;Šr;1|-ঞom |_-| -ѴѴ players are able to play for 80 minutes. Who is your favourite referee and why? -7lbu; |_; ;Š1;ѴѴ;m| 1oll†mb1-ঞom vhbѴѴv o= Wayne Barnes and the relaxed but technically excellent ability of Australian referee Angus Gardner. What advice would you give to someone thinking about taking up refereeing? If you love the game of rugby, get involved as a referee, as you get to be right in the middle of the -1ঞom -m7 ];| |o 1om|ub0†|; bm - rovbঞˆ; ‰-‹ |o the game we all love.

$o Cm7 o†| lou; -0o†| u;=;u;;bm] bm &Ѵv|;uķ ˆbvb| www.ulsterrugby.com/referees ou ;l-bѴ !b1_-u7 ;uuķ uoˆbm1b-Ѵ !;=;u;; ;ˆ;Ѵorl;m| -m-];uķ om richard.kerr@irfu.ie

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