Ulster Rugby v La Rochelle

EUROPEAN RUGBY CHAMPIONS CUP PREVIEW

ULSTER V LA ROCHELLE SATURDAY 13TH JANUARY 2018, KO 13:00 KINGSPAN STADIUM, BELFAST REFEREE: WAYNE BARNES

MATCH PREVIEW

LAST 3 MATCHES

SUNDAY 17TH DECEMBER 2017 WASPS 21 - 3 LA ROCHELLE SUNDAY 10TH DECEMBER 2017 LA ROCHELLE 49 – 29 WASPS SUNDAY 22ND OCTOBER 2017 LA ROCHELLE 41 – 17 ULSTER LAST 3 MATCHES

FRIDAY 15TH DECEMBER 2017 ULSTER 52 - 24 HARLEQUINS SUNDAY 10TH DECEMBER 2017 HARLEQUINS 5 – 17 ULSTER SUNDAY 22ND OCTOBER 2017 LA ROCHELLE 41 – 17 ULSTER

HEAD TO HEAD

1 1

1 0 1 0 2

PLAYED WINS

0 0

LOSSES DRAWS TRIES CONVERSIONS PENALTIES DROP GOALS POINTS

TOURNAMENT RECORD

TOURNAMENT RECORD

PLAYED

139

PLAYED

4 3

5 5 2 0 41

WINS

69 67

WINS

1 1 0 17

LOSSES DRAWS

LOSSES DRAWS

1

3

0

AVERAGE PTS PER GAME

22

AVERAGE PTS PER GAME

32

BIGGEST WIN

59 - 3 3 - 56

BIGGEST WIN

41 - 17 3 - 21

HEAVIEST DEFEAT

HEAVIEST DEFEAT

CHAMPIONS

1

CHAMPIONS

0

MATCH FACTS

» This will be the second meeting between the clubs with La Rochelle's victory in Round 2 representing Ulster's heaviest defeat in Europe since they were beaten (66-20) by RC Toulon in Round 5 of the 2014/15 season. » Ulster lost their last home game against TOP 14 opposition but haven't lost consecutive fixtures against French sides at Kingspan Stadium since 2000 when they were beaten by Bourgoin and Toulouse. » This will be La Rochelle's first Champions Cup game outside France or England. They travelled to Ireland once in the Challenge Cup however, losing 48-12 to Connacht in 2014. » Ulster have won just 81% of their own lineouts this season, the lowest rate in the competition. » La Rochelle have a 92% goalkicking success rate this season, the best of any team in the tournament, while Ulster's rate is 76%. » This will be La Rochelle's 50th European game having played 45 matches in the Challenge Cup before making their debut in the Champions Cup this season. They're just one try away from their 150th in Europe. » Meanwhile, Ulster are just six points away from reaching 3,000 in the European Cup. They would be the sixth club to reach that tally after Toulouse, Munster, Leinster, Leicester and Scarlets. » Andrew Trimble (27) needs one try to become the overall sixth top try scorer in European Cup history, ahead of Leinster's Shane Horgan, while two tries would see him go level with Dafydd James and injured teammate Tommy Bowe. » Ulster and La Rochelle have each made 49 clean breaks this season, more than any other side in the competition. » Charles Piutau is the only player to have made over 400 metres this season, with 454 metres from his 58 carries.

13

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