European Champions Cup: Leicester Tigers v Ulster preview
Last Updated: 18/10/14 9:52am
Leicester Tigers will look to offset their chequered start to the Aviva Premiership campaign when they welcome Ulster to Welford Road for a European Rugby Champions Cup clash on Saturday.
A run of three wins and as many defeats in their opening six Premiership matches has seen the 10-time English champions slide to eighth in the ladder, while Ulster are currently riding high in the Guinness PRO12 with just one defeat leaving them third.
Following a sequence of three reverses, Richard Cockerill’s Tigers bounced back with victory over Harlequins last weekend; their opponents Ulster have been buoyed by back-to-back successes in the PRO12.
The Irishmen won all six of their pool matches last season, including two victories over the Tigers, winning 22-16 at Ravenhill before taking a 22-19 triumph in the Midlands.
Despite Cockerill being vocal about his bid to dethrone Toulon’s dominance in Europe, having won successive Heineken Cups, the Leicester boss has been hampered by a lengthy early-season injury list but he remains convinced his side to make it to the knockout stages.
"Obviously Ulster have had a bit of upheaval in the summer and they have started the season with the odd mixed result but who am I to say that at this point?,” he joked when speaking to Premiership Rugby.
"If we have any ambition of getting out the group, we need to have a good start, however difficult that may be.
"They are a good side and we've not managed to get past them on too many occasions. We just get on with it."
Team news
Marcos Ayerza is recalled to the Tigers starting line-up after making his first club appearance of the season in the second half against Harlequins last Friday.
The call-up for Ayerza is the only change to the team that started the win over Harlequins last weekend as Tigers return to home turf for the opening of the new European tournament.
Scorer of their lone try against Quins Blaine Scully keeps the No 14 jersey, with the profile Vereniki Goneva on the opposite wing; meanwhile Ben Youngs captains the side from scrum-half with Freddie Burns in at No 10 and Owen Williams at inside centre.
Meanwhile Ulster head coach Neil Doak has made three changes to the side that registered a 29-9 PRO12 success over Glasgow last weekend.
Ireland winger, Andrew Trimble, is unavailable for selection after picking up a toe injury in that win; meaning Craig Gilroy comes into the side on the left wing and British & Irish Lions star Tommy Bowe switches to the right flank.
With Alan O’Connor suspended, Lewis Stevenson has been promoted from the bench to join Franco van der Merwe in the second row. The final change to the starting lineup sees Paddy Jackson return to the outhalf berth in place of Ian Humphreys.
Leicester Tigers: 15 Matthew Tait; 14 Blaine Scully, 13 Manusamoa Tuilagi, 12 Owen Williams, 11 Vereniki Goneva; 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Ben Youngs (capt); 1 Marcos Ayerza, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 3 Fraser Balmain, 4 Brad Thorn, 5 Graham Kitchener, 6 Jamie Gibson, 7 Julian Salvi, 8 Jordan Crane.
Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Michele Rizzo, 18 Tiziano Pasquali, 19 Sebastian de Chaves, 20 Robert Barbieri, 21 David Mele, 22 Sam Harrison, 23 Miles Benjamin.
Ulster: 15 Louis Ludik; 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Jared Payne, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Craig Gilroy; 10 Paddy Jackson, 9 Paul Marshall; 1 Andy Warwick, 2 Rory Best (capt), 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 4 Lewis Stevenson, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 6 Robbie Diack, 7 Chris Henry, 8 Nick Williams.
Replacements: 16 Rob Herring, 17 Callum Black, 18 Declan Fitzpatrick, 19 Clive Ross, 20 Roger Wilson, 21 Michael Heaney, 22 Stuart Olding, 23 Darren Cave.