Ulster Rugby vs Toulouse

THIS STAR REMAINS CONSTANT

LEADING THE FIELD

Welcome to Kingspan Stadium, the home of Ulster Rugby. We are delighted to welcome you here to the final home game of 2015, and what a game we have in store. French giants Stade Toulousain provide tonight’s opposition and it is nights like these, under the lights at Kingspan Stadium, that unite us all as Ulster Rugby supporters. We know that our players and coaching staff are primed and ready for this game and I for one am really looking forward to a hard fought contest. On behalf of Kingspan, I would like to wish the squad and management of Ulster Rugby every success tonight. As this is also the last home game of 2015, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas and I look forward to welcoming you again in the New Year.

Pat Freeman Divisional Managing Director

GET EVEN CLOSER TO THE ACTION THIS SEASON

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

IRFU ULSTER BRANCH

OFFICERS Bobby Stewart // President John McKibbin // Senior Vice President Graffin Parke // Junior Vice President John McKibbin // Honorary Secretary Michael Boyd // Honorary Treasurer Denis Gardiner // Competitions Secretary EXECUTIVE TEAM Shane Logan // Chief Executive Chris Webster // Domestic Rugby Manager Audrey Robinson // Financial Controller Fiona Hampton // Head of Sales & Marketing Les Kiss // Director of Rugby

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to Kingspan Stadium for this European Rugby Champions Cup match against Toulouse.

I would like to welcome in particular the directors, players, coaches and supporters from Toulouse. I hope that you enjoy your stay in Belfast and take some time to explore our wonderful city. Toulouse has a formidable reputation in this competition, having won it a record number of four times and finished as runners up twice. Toulouse started their campaign this year with a defeat away to Saracens and then had a home win against Oyonnax, so they will be keen to get a result against Ulster this evening. Ulster started with a defeat against Saracens but have a good record against Toulouse and will be going all out for a home win tonight. However the injuries received last week against Edinburgh could be decisive. In the Ulster Bank All Ireland Leagues, Ballymena, Banbridge, Malone and City of Derry are all at the top or near the top of their respective leagues. Ballynahinch had their first win of the season in Division 1A but Belfast Harlequins unfortunately continue to struggle. I wish all the teams good luck in the weeks ahead. The All Ireland Junior Cup semi-finals will take place tomorrow with Bangor making the long trek to Enniscorthy

and Instonians and Clogher Valley battling it out at Shaw’s Bridge. My best wishes go to all of them and I look forward to an all-Ulster final. Bangor and Instonians are in action here at Kingspan Stadium on Tuesday night at 7.30pm when they will contest the Millar McCall Wylie Junior Cup. All support is most welcome! On Thursday 17th December Ballymena and Ballynahinch will meet in the final of the First Trust Senior Cup and I hope to see good crowds at both of those games. Ulster are on the road over the festive period with away games to Toulouse on December 20th and Connacht on Boxing Day, so, I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. I look forward to seeing you all back at Kingspan Stadium for the visit of Munster on 2nd January. I hope that you all enjoy the game and give Toulouse a great Ulster reception this evening. Good luck to Ulster and remember, STAND UP FOR THE ULSTERMEN! Bobby Stewart // President IRFU (Ulster Branch)

Kingspan Stadium, 85 Ravenhill Park, Belfast, BT6 0DG T // +44 (0)28 9049 3222 ulsterrugby.com

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T I SSOT PRC 2 0 0 AUTOMAT I C

TISSOT.CH

EPCR WELCOME

WELCOME MESSAGE FROM EPCR

Although the European club season got underway with the opening two rounds of matches, everything was put into perspective by the terrible events in Paris last month. Once again, we extend our sincerest sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives during the attacks. As you are aware, it was decided to postpone five Champions Cup games and one Challenge Cup game in the wake of the atrocities, however, following close co-operation between the Ligue Nationale de Rugby, Premiership Rugby, PRO12 Rugby and all the clubs involved, EPCR has been able to reschedule the matches for the weekend of 8/9/10 January 2016. For now, the pool stages of both the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup tournaments are set to gain more momentum as we focus on the key Round 3 and 4 back-to-back fixtures which will have a major bearing on which clubs are able to continue the journey towards the 2016 Lyon finals at the state-of-the-art Grand Stade de Lyon next May. With tickets already selling fast via epcrugby.com for the two finals, we would encourage fans who want to experience a unique weekend festival of elite rugby in one of France’s finest cities to book their seats as soon as possible. EPCR’s tournaments are built on the rich heritage of 20 years of outstanding European competition and as we look forward to more great occasions this season, I particularly want to acknowledge the commitment of fans across Europe – your support is greatly appreciated. Once again, the clubs competing in the Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup have qualified on merit from their respective domestic leagues – the PRO12, the Aviva Premiership Rugby and the TOP 14 – or via a play-off. On behalf of tournament organiser, EPCR, I am delighted to welcome you to this evening’s Round 3 match in the European Rugby Champions Cup.

At the conclusion of this season, there will be no play- offs for the 20th place in the Champions Cup with the winner of the Challenge Cup qualifying automatically for the 2016/17 tournament.

In addition, the Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition continues to provide important

opportunities for emerging and more established clubs alike. Clubs from Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Romania and Spain, along with three representatives from Italy, are competing this season, and two will eventually qualify for the 2016/17 Challenge Cup. With EPCR’s Executive fully operational from its base in Neuchatel, Switzerland, the organisation’s commercial programme continues to gain further momentum. Turkish Airlines have recently been announced as an Official Partner of the tournaments, and Tissot are now the Official Timekeeper and Watch of the tournaments. These key new agreements with world-renowned brands complement the long-standing relationship with Official Partner, Heineken, while Canterbury supply match officials kit and Gilbert provide match balls. With first-class broadcast coverage from our TV and radio partners – BT Sport, Sky Sports, beIN Sports, France Televisions, Sky Italia, BBC 5Live, Newstalk and RTE – the tournaments are in a strong position. Finally, I would like to wish this evening’s teams and their supporters every success in these vital back-to- back fixtures. Yours in rugby, Simon Halliday // Chairman EPCR

5

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TONIGHT’S MASCOTS

MASCOTS

CONOR GRIMES (9) Conor is from Omagh and attends Omagh Integrated Primary School. He plays mini rugby at Omagh Accies RFC and also enjoys Tae Kwon Do, learning to play the drums and avoiding homework! Conor’s favourite player is Rory Best because he is a great captain. When he grows up he would like to be a rugby playing farmer just like Rory!

DYLAN LIGGETT (9) Dylan is from Lurgan and attends Maralin Village Primary School. He enjoys watching rugby as well as doing karate, swimming and playing on his scooter. Dylan’s favourite player is Rory Best because he is also his grandad’s favourite. When he grows up he would like to be an author.

7

RORY BEST: SKIPPER RORY’S FRENCH RELISH

To captain Ulster is something Rory Best, despite his distinguished career in the white of Ulster and green of Ireland, sees as a privilege, but it goes much deeper than that.

from personal experience, he’s also got a ruthless side, and to me that is the perfect cocktail for the modern coach. “That Ulster had gone out and sought him out showed the ambition we all needed to have, and to be told he wanted me to lead the side really did have my juices flowing again. “I’d already got the appetite for Ulster and for the game, but it was like getting even more new batteries when Les arrived. It was like a jigsaw, the pieces were now in place and I really believed we could build something that would last. “I’ve looked on from a bit of a distance and seen how teams like Leinster were shaped, how they were led, and how they became so consistently successful, operating like an international side. I just believe we can do something like that at the Kingspan, and as long as I’m involved and justifying my place in the team I would love to be part of that,” says the always affable and patient Best. He’s just signed a contract extension with Ulster and Ireland until 2018, and he accepts with a shy, winning smile that he’s played the best rugby of his career in the last two years. “When you face a bit of adversity you can either let it affect you, or you can see it as something to get through and come out stronger on the other side. “I can sort of say that July 2013 was a real turning point for me. The Lions’ tour hadn’t gone as I’d have liked, but I just decided that I would work hard, give everything to Ulster, to Ireland, and see what happened. “And yes, I do think I’ve probably played and enjoyed the best rugby since then. “And we’ll all need to be at the top of our game against Toulouse, such a great force in the game and with players like the great Imanol Harinordiquy, Louis Picamoles and Thierry Dusautoir available

In a way it has revitalised a hooker who leads the side out tonight for a Champions Cup game with Toulouse, which he is relishing. “When Les Kiss, during international camp, told me it was me he wanted to lead the side when he arrived at Kingspan Stadium as Director of Rugby, it was like a whole new challenge. “Each game has been part of that challenge, and we feel as players we’ve come through a difficult period, regrouped after a horrendous rash of injuries, and Europe is always special. It’s special to play in, just as it was for me to watch as a fan as a youngster and I think we can guarantee the crowd on Friday will make the stadium white-hot. “We’re well-prepared, we’re confident and we really want to perform and kick-start a campaign we believe we can progress in despite what some of the commentators might think. This is only our second pool match, and even if you look back to last season you get inspiration from what Bath did in reaching the knockout stages despite losing their first two games.” Looking into his steely eyes it’s clear Rory Best doesn’t intend to leave the pitch tonight without a win under his team’s belt. “Yes, I’d been skipper before, and I always cherished that honour. I felt I could bring something to the role, experience obviously but also a really fierce ambition to win things,” said the most- capped hooker in Irish history and a player energetically approaching 200 appearances in an Ulster shirt. “But I knew this was going to be an exciting time at Ulster, I’d known Les for a long time through his seven years in the Ireland coaching set-up, I was a fan, and saw great possibilities with him in tandem with Neil Doak and the rest of the guys here. “He’s such a personable fella, but there was a reason that he’d survived, if you like, under different Irish regimes. He’s a world-class coach, I know that

RORY BEST

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in the back row you know you’re in for a great battle. “But we genuinely don’t fear any side, and Ulster is a big club with a lot of quality of its own, but importantly a spirit, character and purpose which, allied to the flair we have all over the park, which the French will not find comfortable,” says the skipper who leads by energetic example. “I have two-and-a-half years to create as a player and as a captain, a legacy, something tangible to show in terms of trophies. Captains are eventually judged on that: ‘What did they win?’ “I would like to be part of leaving memories which endure, like the Ulster team of 1998/99, and although as a squad we haven’t really talked about what we might take from the great clashes of that season with Toulouse, I do remember a few incidents and moments from watching as a kid. “I would love to do that for this generation of supporters and their children, to be remembered for great nights, and especially for winning things. “I said last year ‘judge us on what we do’, and we were in a great run of form at the end of the season, the carrot of a PRO12 Final here at our own Kingspan Stadium. “One silly mistake in Glasgow undid a lot of good work, and I personally – and as a member of the team – want to put things right in the shape of silverware. Les has helped breathe new thinking to good habits we already had, and he’s added a raft of new ideas which we all believe are going to bare fruit. “Europe, as I said, is special, and it’s another step up, but I really am convinced we can make that step. We have the depth in the squad, we have a superb coaching and back- up team, and the way we are managed in terms of the games we play, players can stay at the top for so much longer. “It’ll be a great night, remembered I’m sure for all the right reasons,” says the grounded but highly ambitious skipper. The legacy starts here, it could be one of the Best!

9

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GET TO KNOW STUART McCLOSKEY

SQUAD Q & A

FAVOURITE TV SERIES? Game of Thrones FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION? Portugal FAVOURITE PLACE TO DINE OUT? Greens Pizza FAVOURITE HOBBY/PAST TIME? Golf IF YOU WERE A CARTOON CHARACTER, WHO WOULD YOU BE AND WHY? Road Runner, I’m just as fast! BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Truck it up WHAT IS YOUR PRE-MATCH ROUTINE? Pasta and chicken about two hours before DO YOU HAVE ANY LUCKY CHARMS? I never run onto the pitch, I always walk WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG PERSON PLAYING YOUR POSITION? Develop an all round game WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS/AMBITIONS FOR THIS SEASON? To win an international cap

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT STUART FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @STUART_MC12

13

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CLUB REVIEW

CLUB REVIEW

With many of the leagues in the All Ireland and Ulster domestic club scene nearing the halfway stage, News Letter sports editor and rugby correspondent, Richard Mulligan, takes a look at the state of play and what to expect by the end of the season…

and this will be their third final appearance on the trot and hoping to repeat last year’s success when they were victorious over Malone. The cup this season has been a comfort zone for the County Down club, whose All Ireland League form has been poor, winning their first game of the season in Ulster Bank Division 1A last weekend after eight straight losses. Thursday night’s final will be a nice diversion for Derek Suffern and his troops as their focus will return to avoiding relegation in their AIL league section come the New Year. Ballymena’s form has been the opposite. They are flying high in Ulster Bank Division 1B, currently lying in second place after just one loss in the first half of fixtures and pressing hard for promotion. Andy Graham, the players and the club are to be praised for the way they have turned things around after a few barren seasons and they will be out to prove a point on Thursday night as well as look to repeat their Senior Cup successes in 2012 and 2013 when they lifted the famous trophy. Staying on the senior scene, it is fantastic to be reporting on strong showings by Ulster clubs in the revamped All Ireland League. Banbridge and Malone have enjoyed fine runs in Ulster Bank Division 2A and currently hold the top two places respectively and making a strong case for promotion. A good run in the second half of the season, which incidentally starts for them tomorrow, will hopefully see both go on to take promotion. In Division 2B, City of Derry lead the way - six points ahead of the nearest contenders and with a game in hand. Terry McMaster has done a solid job since taking over as coach and while it is only the midway stage, it would be hoped they can maintain their current form and go on and secure promotion. Armagh are just shy of the leaders presently in fourth place, but they cannot be discounted from being right in the mix come April.

Domestic rugby takes centre stage at Kingspan Stadium in the coming week with two of this season’s showpiece finals in senior and junior rugby taking place. The Millar McCall Wylie Ulster Junior Cup final between Instonians and Bangor on Tuesday (December 15) promises to serve up a real pre Christmas cracker between arguably two of the best sides on the junior scene. Instonians are the current Kukri Qualifying League One champions and defeated Omagh Accies in last year’s final. They are currently lying second in the table to Bangor in Kukri One. Bangor reached last year’s All Ireland Junior Cup final before losing to Dundalk, the club from Leinster who went on to see off Inst during the round-robin play-offs, and they have been making strong progress in recent seasons, reflected in the fact they currently lead the way in Kukri One. Key to Tuesday’s game will be how both clubs come through this Saturday’s All Ireland Junior Cup semi-finals. Instonians entertain Clogher Valley while Bangor go to Leinster side, Enniscorthy and it would be fantastic if the Seasiders were to secure a victory there and set up an all Ulster final, reflecting the dominance of Ulster clubs in this competition in recent years. Anyone who is free on Tuesday night should make the trip to Kingspan Stadium to see what will be a quality Junior Cup final and reflect all that is good about the current junior game in Ulster. On Thursday night (December 17th) the First Trust Senior Cup brings two great country clubs together when Ballymena and Ballynahinch lock horns in the blue riband event for senior sides. The sea of change in the land of Ulster club rugby has seen Ballynahinch rise to the top in recent years, reflected in their success in the Senior Cup

CONTINUED OVERLEAF...

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M A T C H B U N D L E S O N S A L E N O W

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE...

Finally, Kukri Qualifying League rugby is thriving in Ulster. The competition between the clubs in Sections One and Two has produced quality rugby across the Province every weekend. As already mentioned Instonians, Bangor and Clogher Valley are among the frontrunners in Kukri One, and the qualification for the All Ireland Junior Cup ensures the battle to be among the top four increases each season. The resurgence of Ballyclare continues to catch the eye in Section One and it is also fantastic to see Omagh Academicals back challenging at the top table. In Section Two, Larne’s climb has been notable, things are starting to turn positively again for the men from The Glynn, while Coleraine are showing a turn in form as well following many great years in Section One. However, Carrick appear to be the side on the up, having won all seven games to date, they are the team to beat in the promotion race. Limavady are on the up as well, 12 straight wins in Kukri Section Three has them 12 points clear of the chasing pack and all bets are off! Keep up to date with all the latest on the domestic and All Ireland League fronts in News Letter’s Total Rugby every Tuesday.

Queen’s University (in Division 2A) and Rainey and Dungannon (in Division 2B) are quietly going about their business and, while it is unlikely they will challenge for the top spots, none look in danger of being involved in any relegation dog fights later in the season and should retain their league rankings. However, Belfast Harlequins will face a tough 2016 as they search to find a solution that will end a non winning first half to the season in Division 1B. Nine straight defeats has left the Deramore Park side rooted to the bottom of the table and they are now 10 points adrift of the rest. Head coach Adam Larkin has his work cut out, but it will hopefully not ruin his or the players’ Christmas. Senior rugby in Ulster received a huge boost recently when SONI (System Operator for Northern Ireland) announced they would be the new sponsors of the Ulster Senior League for the next two years. It is just the spark this often forgotten about competition needs and, given that there could be further changes on the landscape ahead with yet another revamp of the All Ireland League, the SONI Ulster Senior League could become a more prominent competition in the not too distant future.

CLUB REVIEW

17

KIERAN CAMPBELL: ACADEMY BOSS CAMPBELL TARGETS FUTURE Kieran Campbell, Head of the Hughes Insurance Ulster Rugby Academy, is a natural enthusiast, but at the moment he and his management team and players are really ‘buzzing’.

As a player with Ulster a decade ago he was a bubbly, effervescent figure at the base of the Ulster scrum, a pivot of real intelligence and an avid student of new coaching techniques, soaking up new ideas as inventive as his playing style: sharp, thoughtful, searching, probing. There are lots of reasons for his huge optimism at the moment, not least the new arrival of Les Kiss to take charge of the senior squad, so keen to bring the future generation of players in the Academy up through the ranks. Already Jacob Stockdale, Dave Shanahan and others have been put into starting line-ups by Head Coach Neil Doak, given their chance to perform and – just as important in many ways – brought intimately into the panel littered with internationals from all corners of the globe. “We’ve all been impressed at how Les goes about his business, and as coaches and players we’ve bought into his vision, and he in turn has been so supportive in making the entire Ulster Rugby set-up, at all levels, holistic. “We like to say that ‘there’s an Ulster way of doing things’, it’s about values, it’s about a shared philosophy about the game and about the structures which will secure and enhance the future at the very top level,” says Campbell. “And, of course, as Academy management we are always trying to broaden and improve our own systems, and that’s particularly true and evident now in our player identification programme. “I’m lucky to have Bryan Young and James Topping, for instance, on board, and we have a Strength and Conditioning staff which is superb in tailoring programmes for each player, and in using their experience and range of contacts to find the Ulster players of tomorrow. “It’s a truly global effort, identifying those with Ulster qualifications, and whether it’s through people I’ve come across at, say, London Irish, or others at the Academy who’ve real insights into the furthest corners of the game. “A team Head Coach Alex Codling, with his England connections, is well-versed in lads who are playing or are in education there and who we should watch and approach through their parents. “And what has been fantastic about the last year or so has been the way we have developed and

strengthened our links with clubs and schools. They know that we are here to give youngsters the chance to fulfil a potential to play at the highest level. “Trust is what we have earned from the clubs and schools, and that has to be carefully nourished. But we are all focused on the same goal of excellence, whether it’s in education or out there on the pitch. “Together, with the clubs and with the schools we fashion what we call ‘impacts’ – sessions with the Academy here at Kingspan Stadium – to suit each individual. “We have facilities which are the envy of many in the professional game, and when these young players come to join us they don’t just get to use them and to be given specialist coaching, they realise they are immediately part of the whole Ulster Rugby ‘family’. “It’s great to see the guys out there going through drills, and then watch Neil Doak, Allen Clarke, Joe Barakat and others from the senior set-up put them through their paces, give a bit of advice here and there, and Les is monitoring it all. “It still surprises some of the Academy players – even me at times! – when Les and I are discussing how to keep moving forward that he knows each youngster by name, and can tell you, and the player himself often, where he can be helped even more!” What’s known as the High Performance Pathway at the Academy starts with identifying Under 16 and school players who have the potential to play rugby for Ireland, a very high bar but one Campbell insists maintains standards in the panel, in the management team and – a few years hence – on the field in a senior Ulster jersey. “That pathway continues at Under 17 level, leading to the Under 18 clubs and Under 18 Schools’ representative sides. That moved to the Under 19s when streams are merged to produce the Under 20 Ulster team. “And as players progress through they are not just coached in the accepted sense, but our Academy and Sub-Academy panels are assessed against five key performance indicators and upon which we put a lot of emphasis. “They develop strategic, tactical, technical, physical and mental skills, and though that might sound a bit like jargon, it is very practical, it’s done on a collective and one-on-one basis, and is totally in keeping with our holistic approach. We are profoundly committed

KIERAN CAMPBELL

18

to developing the individual, producing a rounded character with values which apply to sport and to life itself.” And Kieran’s limitless energy for the work being done and the reward in terms of seeing players he and his all- enveloping net of scouts spotted years ago then walking out proudly behind Rory Best, Andrew Trimble and the rest of the all-star cast of the senior side. Campbell is also heavily involved assisting in the coaching of the ‘A’ side competing in the British and Irish Cup, which allows his valued time away from a desk! “Yes, it’s great to help Alex with the team, because it’s where we can blood youngsters as well as have some senior players return from injury or needing playing time. As I keep hammering away, the Academy is part of a whole, a key part, and that is Ulster! “Les, Neil, Allen and Niall Malone all have real input to what we’re about, and that makes it the ‘family’ we’re all part of and committed to improving. “I love this job as Head of the Academy, I’ve been involved in it since 2012, and I often think how lucky I am to be allowed to continue the work started so well by Gary Longwell, and then by Allen. “I know the satisfaction I get from seeing players breaking through, and I know Gary, for instance, is really delighted that people like Iain Henderson and Stuart Olding, international players, have come through the system. “Yes, it’s a demanding job, but those are demands I put on myself because Les and ‘the Ulster way of doing things’ means high standards and total commitment. “And at the end of a long day I can snatch a little time with my two small girls, Isla and Erin, and know that they won’t have the slightest interest in what I’ve been doing. That’s actually refreshing! But I look forward to going to work each day, I’m fortunate to be so involved in Ulster’s present and its very exciting future. “The Academy is right at the heart of that future, who wouldn’t be excited?”

KIERAN CAMPBELL

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JOHN ANDREW

SAM ARNOLD

Hooker 26.05.93 181cm 101kg 8 —

Centre 08.04.96 182cm 96kg 9 —

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

MARK BEST

RORY BEST

Centre 02.12.89 185cm 87kg

Hooker 15.08.82 178cm 106kg 173 89

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

— —

SQUAD 2015/16 CALLUM BLACK

TOMMY BOWE

Prop 25.02.86 180cm 110kg

Wing 22.02.84 190cm 100kg 135 67

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

92 —

PETER BROWNE

DARREN CAVE

Second row 25.10.87 201cm 116kg 4 —

Centre 05.04.87 184cm 95kg 166 11 // 11A

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

ROBBIE DIACK

WILLIE FALOON

Back row 12.11.85 195cm 110kg 157 2 // 2A

Back row 30.09.86 186cm 100kg

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

67 —

CRAIG GILROY

IAIN HENDERSON

Wing 11.03.91 183cm 90kg 116 6 // 2A

Second row 21.02.92 199cm 117kg 52 23 // 3A

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

20

CHRIS HENRY

WIEHAHN HERBST

Back row 17.10.84 191cm 105kg 137 24

Prop 05.07.88 180cm 120kg

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

SQUAD 2015/16

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

34 —

ROB HERRING

IAN HUMPHREYS

Hooker 27.04.90 185cm 102kg 80 1 // 2A

Flyhalf 24.04.82 178cm 84kg 106 7A

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

PADDY JACKSON

PAUL JACKSON

Flyhalf 05.01.92 180cm 87kg 87 13 // 1A

Hooker 24.06.89 185cm 106kg 1 —

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

CONOR JOYCE

LOUIS LUDIK

Back row 05.07.93 192cm 106kg 4 —

Utility back 10.08.86 182cm 92kg

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

33 —

RICKY LUTTON

LUKE MARSHALL

Prop 26.02.86 183cm 113kg

Centre 03.11.91 181cm 97kg 66 6

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

33 —

PAUL MARSHALL

KYLE McCALL

Scrumhalf 26.07.85 172cm 80kg 156 3 // 2A

Hooker 02.01.92 177cm 111kg 7 —

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

21

STUART McCLOSKEY

STEPHEN MULHOLLAND

Centre 06.08.92 194cm 111kg

Back row 04.07.90 193cm 108kg 1 —

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

SQUAD 2015/16

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

29 —

JONNY MURPHY

RUAIDHRI MURPHY

Hooker 06.02.92 178cm 106kg 0 —

POSITION BORN

Prop 05.07.87 187cm 114kg 3 —

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

PETER NELSON

ALAN O’CONNOR

Utility back 05.10.92 180cm 85kg

Second row 10.09.92 197cm 114kg

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

31 —

14 —

STUART OLDING

JARED PAYNE

Utility back 11.03.93 176cm 88kg 36 2

POSITION BORN

Fullback 13.10.85 186cm 97kg

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

61 10

RUAN PIENAAR

SEAN REIDY

Scrumhalf 10.03.84 187cm 90kg 101 88 (SA)

Back row 10.05.89 180cm 100kg

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

15 —

BRONSON ROSS

CLIVE ROSS

Prop 16.09.85 183cm 116kg

Back row 14.06.89 192cm 104kg

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

23 —

23 —

23

PAUL ROWLEY

RORY SCHOLES

Scrumhalf 15.12.87 179cm 86kg 0 —

Utility back 24.04.93 187cm 95kg

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

SQUAD 2015/16

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

13 —

JONNY SIMPSON

LEWIS STEVENSON

Prop 19.08.90 184cm 110kg 0 —

POSITION BORN

Second row 01.06.84 198cm 118kg

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

85 —

FRANK TAGGART

ANDREW TRIMBLE

Back row 14.10.94 188cm 108kg 0 —

Wing 20.10.84 185cm 97kg 196 58 // 3A

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

DAN TUOHY

FRANCO VAN DER MERWE

Second row 18.06.85 197cm 115kg 134 11 // 4A

POSITION BORN

Second row 15.03.83 198cm 117kg 35 1 (SA)

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

ANDREWWARWICK

NICK WILLIAMS

Prop 12.03.91 179cm 110kg

POSITION BORN

Back row 02.12.91

POSITION BORN

189cm 125kkg

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

36 —

65 —

ROGER WILSON

SAMWINDSOR

Back row 21.09.81 190cm 106kg 189 1 // 11 A

Flyhalf 12.07.87 185cm 94kg 0 —

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

25

15

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

KYLE McCALL

LOUIS LUDIK

14 13 12 11 9 10

RORY BEST (C)

ANDREW TRIMBLE

WIEHAHN HERBST

LUKE MARSHALL

ULSTER RUGBY

ALAN O’CONNOR

STUART McCLOSKEY

FRANCO VD MERWE

CRAIG GILROY

ROBBIE DIACK

PADDY JACKSON

CHRIS HENRY

RUAN PIENAAR

REPLACEMENTS FROM 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 R HERRING A WARWICK R LUTTON C ROSS

R WILSON P MARSHALL I HUMPHREYS R SCHOLES

8

NICK WILLIAMS

Kingspan has been a partner of Ulster Rugby for 10 years and we are now proud to give our name to this Stadium. Our passion, as a global leader in sustainable building solutions, is to deliver the highest levels of performance - always. Our respect for Ulster Rugby and its dedicated fans is absolute. Welcome to the Kingspan Stadium.

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PADDY JACKSON

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14 13 12 11 15 9 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

VASIL KAKOVIN

C. POITRENAUD

TOULOUSE

COREY FLYNN

VINCENT CLERC

CENSUS JOHNSTON

GAEL FICKOU

TOBY FLOOD

YOANN MAESTRI

JOE TEKORI

MAXIME MÉDARD

YACOUBA CAMARA

LUKE MCALISTER

THIERRY DUSAUTOIR (C)

SÉBASTIEN BÉZY

REFEREE ASSISTANT REFEREE’S CITING COMMISSIONER TMO TONIGHT’S OFFICIALS REPLACEMENTS FROM 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 J. MARCHAND C. BAILLE D. ALDEGHERI E. MAKA

G. LAMBOLEY G. GALAN JM. DOUSSAIN A. PALISSON

LOUIS PICAMOLES

WAYNE BARNES ENG TIMWIGGLESWORTH ENG // PAUL DIX ENG MIKE RAFTER ENG GRAHAM HUGHES ENG

PATRICIO ALBACETE

DORIAN ALDEGHERI

Lock 09.02.81 200cm 117kg Argentina

Tight Head Prop 04.08.93 180cm 110kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

SÉBASTIEN BÉZY

ARTHUR BONNEVAL

Outside half 22.11.91 174cm 74kg —

Wing 31.05.95 182cm 81kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

SQUAD 2015/16 YACOUBA CAMARA

VINCENT CLERC

Flanker 02.06.94 195cm 100kg —

Wing 07.05.81 178cm 87kg France

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

YANN DAVID

JEAN-MARC DOUSSAIN

Centre 15.04.88 185cm 104kg France

Outside half 12.02.91 174cm 90kg France

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

GAEL FICKOU

THIERRY DUSAUTOIR

Flanker 08.12.81 188cm 99kg France

Centre 26.03.94 190cm 90kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

TOBY FLOOD

COREY FLYNN

Outside half 08.08.85 187cm 95kg England

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

Hooker 05.01.83 184cm 108kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

32

FLORIAN FRITZ

GILLIAN GALAN

Back row 07.08.91 190cm 118kg —

Centre 17.01.84 178cm 96kg France

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

SQUAD 2015/16

TALALELEI GRAY

IMANOL HARINORDOQUY

Back row 28.02.90 191cm 106kg —

Back row 20.02.80 192cm 103kg France

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

VASIL KAKOVIN

CENSUS JOHNSTON

Tight Head Prop 06.05.81 190cm 130kg Samoa/Pacific Islanders

Loose Head Prop 01.12.89 184cm 119kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

YOANN MAESTRI

GREGORY LAMBOLEY

Back row 12.01.82 198cm 107kg France

Lock 14.01.88 201cm 119kg France

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

JULIEN MARCHAND

EDWIN MAKA

Lock 25.01.93 202cm 142kg —

Hooker 10.05.95 181cm 95kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

LUKE McALISTER

TIMOCI MATANAVOU

Wing 08.07.84 182cm 84kg —

Centre 28.07.83 178cm 94kg New Zealand

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

33

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DAVID MELE

MAXIME MÉDARD

Full back 16.11.86 180cm 88kg France

Scrum half 22.10.85 171cm 77kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

SQUAD 2015/16

ROMAIN MILLO-CHLUSKI

GERT MULLER

Lock 20.11.83 196cm 114kg France

Tight Head Prop 05.02.86 186cm 110kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

LOUIS PICAMOLES

ALEXIS PALISSON

Full back/Wing 09.09.87 177cm 86kg France

No 8 05.02.86 192cm 115kg France

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

JOSEVA RAUGA

CLÉMENT POITRENAUD

Full back 20.05.82 188cm 92kg France

Wing 09.04.96 188cm 89kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

JOE TEKORI

GURTHRO STEENKAMP

Loose Head Prop 21.06.81 189cm 120kg South Africa

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

Lock 17.12.83 198cm 129kg Samoa

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

CHRISTOPHER TOLOFUA

NEMIAH TIALATA

Hooker 31.12.93 182cm 117kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

Tight Head Prop 15.07.82 187cm 130kg New Zealand

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

35

Toulouse insist qualification from Pool One could well rest upon their results against Ulster over the coming weeks. The four-time European champions got their Champions Cup back on track, following defeat to Saracens, with a 27-3 victory over Oyonnax. They have since defeated Oyonnax again, in the Top 14, to maintain their third place in the championship, just a point behind leaders Clermont-Auvergne. But their away form has been a problem of late having lost three of their last four games on the road. That includes the humbling 32-7 loss at Saracens, the worst defeat suffered by les Toulousains in Europe in nine years - at Ulster. Record try-scorer Vincent Clerc said: “The next two games in the European Cup are essential to qualification. We will have to go and get a result in Ulster, that’s obvious. “You really get the European Cup in mind and we are in a situation where we have the pressure. We must negotiate our way through these ties.” Clerc, set to make his 80th appearance in the Champions Cup this weekend, added: “We had a difficult match in difficult conditions at Oyonnax last week with a slippery ball. That could help us prepare for Ulster where we could have the same conditions.” TOULOUSE ‘MUST WIN’ AT ULSTER The significance of the result in this European Rugby Champions Cup tie in Belfast appears to depend upon which side of the Channel you are standing on.

OPPOSITION

CLUB STATS //Location Toulouse, France //Founded 1907 //Ground Stade Ernest Wallon //Capacity 18,754

//Last Game Oyonnax(H) 24-18(W) Sat 21st Nov 2015 at 16.15 //Next Game Ulster Rugby (H) Sun 20th Dec 2015 at 14.00 //Recent Form W L W L W

STAFF // Director of Rugby Fabien Pelous // Coach Ugo Mola //Captain Thierry Dusautoir CONTACT Stade Toulousain

114, Rue des Troènes BP 42354 31022 Toulouse, Minimes Cedex 2 France

Tel +33 5 34 42 24 22 Fax +33 5 34 42 24 23 TICKET OFFICE Tel +33 5 34 42 24 22

www.stadetoulousain.fr

StadeToulousainOfficiel @ StadeToulousain

stadetoulousainrugby

stadetoulousain StadeToulousain

Vincent Clerc is set to make his 80th appearance in the European Rugby Champions Cup Getty Images

37

AIMING TO SEE THE FRENCH FRIED! THERE are few opponents who can spark more happy memories of Ulster in its rugby pomp than tonight’s visitors to Belfast.

Toulouse is embedded in the history of the game at Kingspan Stadium, just as is it is garlanded in the folklore of the sport in France. A giant of its own domestic game with ten titles in what is now the Top 14, four times champions of Europe, it is a town which has been the hub of rugby in its own country. It has created and supplied legends for the club and for France, and at the turn of this century it unwittingly contributed to the fairytale that was the European Cup win for Harry Williams’ Ulster side in 1999. This evening, if only a part of the atmosphere of the meetings in the autumn of 1998, if the fans’ participation even partially matches that of 17 years ago, and if the players’ total and overt commitment can justly stand comparison with that of Irwin, Mason, Matchett, Humphreys and the rest of that triumphant trophy- winning squad, then we are in for an epic occasion. Stade Toulousain – even the very name of the club suggests a grandeur and even hauteur – in keeping with its standing in the sport. Great names graced the old, draughty, leaky Ravenhill for the group game with Ulster in October 1998, and again in a never-to-be-forgotten quarter-final between the sides in December. Michel Marfang, the tournament’s top try-scorer, Emile N’tmack, a winger whose elegance and wizardry captivated France, and there was Frank Tournaire, Fabien Pelous – these were world-class players, and they were surrounded by quality and owned a unique style and bearing. But from the great matches of 1998 were born Ulster, Irish and international giants: David Humphreys and Jonny Bell seemed to navigate a magical route through to a New Year semi-final, with Andy Park and Sheldon Coulter and the apparently laser-like accuracy of Simon Mason helping to produce a backline of immense ambition. Up front Allen Clarke, Gary Leslie, Justin Fitzpatrick and Rab Irwin became folk heroes and went on to guarantee their places in rugby’s elite, while at lock Mark Blair and Gary Longwell were consistent guarantors of possession from the setpiece. And in the breakaway unit the immovable Steven McKinty and the tearaway open-side Andy Ward combined with the remarkable intelligence and formidable physicality of Tony McWhirter, perhaps the most-under-estimated No.8 of his generation. This evening at Kingspan it will be another packed house – over 17,000 rather than the 11,000 permitted on the windswept terraces of the old stadium – and it is an arena well-suited to allow players and supporters to

recreate the very special aura which characterised the surreal late months of 1998 and the electric, uplifting January of 1999. There will be clear resonances with those famous encounters this evening as Director of Rugby Les Kiss and Head Coach Neil Doak send out an Ulster side which distinctly ‘turned a corner’ in last week’s win at home in the Guinness PRO12 against Edinburgh. Toulouse’s Sporting Director is the imposing Fabien Pelous, captain of his club and country for a decade, and who in the final group game and in the quarter-final in 1998 graciously acknowledged Ulster’s supremacy in nailbiting wins of 29-24 and 15-13 respectively. His lineout battles with Longwell mirrored the compelling competiveness of the contests, and the Ulsterman’s masterclass in the lineout in the knockout stage confirmed his international calibre. The French club’s Forwards Coach is William Servat, the former international hooker, a grizzled front row enthusiast and he’ll have Corey Flynn well-informed about the the opposition skipper and, by common consent, Europe’s top No.2, Rory Best. Ulster’s Operations Director Bryn Cunningham was part of the European Cup-winning squad, with brother Jan a regular in the line-up, so for him and for so many of that group the visit of Toulouse will revive rich and inspiring memories. But from the Ulster fans’ point of view, a very important pointer to this season’s campaign in Europe can be taken from the rather less-lauded start that squad of 18 years ago made to the competition. In late September, 1998, at the start of the pool, Ulster left Toulouse in very mournful mood. A 39-3 drubbing hardly augured well, but the players remember how Harry Williams asked them was that how they wanted to remember the season? Williams, who had a ‘knack’ for ‘pressing the right buttons’ did not shy away from the weight of the defeat, but he was convinced that individually and collectively Ulster could not just salvage pride, but could win the pool by beating Edinburgh, Ebbw Vale and ‘turning up’ at home against Toulouse in the return. This year the thumping home reverse to Saracens (following the tragically aborted scheduled start at Oyannox the previous weekend) might have indicated that this season’s foray in Europe was to be inevitably disappointing. That is not the case, just as it proved not to be those many years ago. Last week Ulster showed a character and rugby nous in the 14-7 win over Edinburgh at

ROD NAWN

38

ARTICLE BY ROD NAWN FREELANCE JOURNALIST AND SPORTS ENTHUSIAST @RODNAWN1

Kingspan Stadium. The conditions were dreadful, important players like Iain Henderson, Darren Cave and Peter Nelson limped out of the action early, yet the depth and quality of the squad shone through, as did the passionate support from around the stadium. The management and panel even overcame the late withdrawal of Roger Wilson and still produced a monumental effort up front, while Rory Scholes lit up the night with a try beautifully manufactured by the Pienaar- Jackson-Ludik axis, and finished with verve and pace. Rob Herring at hooker and as skipper was irrepressible, prop Kyle McCall outstanding, Nick Williams and Chris Henry hugely impressive in attack and in then defending a first half lead against opponents as unforgiving as the gales which lashed the ground. Pienaar confirmed his world-class qualities, replacement Stuart McCloskey and Andrew Trimble tackled ferociously and countered with venom. What Ulster demonstrated was its depth of quality and its weight of character, it was a team under the microscope of some but Kiss and Doak know their charges and of what they are capable. Beating Toulouse in front of a rowdy Kingspan crowd is just that. For the watching public this evening offers a treat, for Toulouse have in their ranks players such as full-back Clermont Potrenaud, winger Vincent Clerc, the Fijian scoring machine Timoci Matanovou, the precocious Gael Fickou at centre, All Black Luke McAllister at out-half, and in the back row, Head Coach Ugo Mola – who has the unenviable task of following Guy Noves after his 25 years at the helm – can call upon Louis Picamoles, the ageless Imanol Harinordoquy, and Thierry Dusautour. Fine players all, big names too, but with Trimble, Luke Marshall, Pienaar, Jackson, McCloskey, Best, Herbst, Henry, Williams, Diack and Wilson – to name but a few elite performers – can Ulster honestly be said to lack the ability and character to match and overcome such lustrous opposition? You cannot live off memories alone, but they provide lessons and often inspiration. The achievements of an Ulster squad which teamed a few full-time professionals with players who trained after a hard day’s work have entered rugby legend. In this ultra-professional era the values of hard work and focus still obtain, and with the vast improvement in coaching and in players’ skills the modern and the past combine in the big clubs of today. Ulster against Toulouse: it whets the appetite, it drips of a great and life-enhancing history. Tonight the story continues...

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