ULSTER ASSISTANT COACH Jimmy Duffy is viewing Sunday’s daunting-looking European Champions Cup last-16 tie at top seeds Bordeaux-Begles as a chance for the province to showcase their ability and determination.
“We see this as a real opportunity,” insisted Duffy, who is responsible for Ulster’s forwards.
“They’re second in the French League right now with some great players,” he added, alluding to the world-class finishing of Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Damian Penaud.
“It’s Champions Cup, it’s knockout, it’s exactly where every player wants to be: putting yourself against the best opposition.
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“We’ll respect them massively. They’ve earned it and they’ve shown that when they played awesomely in the last 20 minutes to see us off here last time,” Duffy said, referring to Bordeaux’s 40-19 victory during the pool stages in Belfast last December.
“You get that with quality opposition, but we can’t wait to get over there.”
Duffy described Sunday’s opposition as possessing “quality across all their positions”. Bordeaux have no weak link, he said, and carry “some of the best attacking talent in world rugby at the moment”.
“Minimising those opportunities for them to hurt us is crucial, and then making sure when we do get our opportunities, we’re accurate.”
Bordeaux have only lost once at home this season and have scorched their way through the Champions Cup pool stages, all of which makes Ulster’s task look all the more challenging.
The province do, at least, travel off the back of a three-game winning streak in the URC – the best sequence they have managed this season which has boosted their play-off hopes in the league – though this first taste of knockout rugby from the campaign represents a huge ramp-up in pressure and quality opposition.
“In the last couple of weeks we’ve finished strongly, but it’s over the 80 (minutes) that we’re worried about,” stated Duffy.
Ulster may be without the services of Robert Baloucoune, James Hume and Ben Carson for this crunch game.
Baloucoune has had a scan on his hamstring after featuring for the first time this season in last week’s victory over the Stormers, a game in which he scored the first of Ulster’s six tries.
Carson, who like Baloucoune came off early against the South Africans, has also had a scan though on his back. Hume is still suffering from illness after he was a late withdrawal last Friday. All three will be assessed during the week.
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'In the last couple of weeks we've finished strongly, but it's over the 80 that we're worried about'
ULSTER ASSISTANT COACH Jimmy Duffy is viewing Sunday’s daunting-looking European Champions Cup last-16 tie at top seeds Bordeaux-Begles as a chance for the province to showcase their ability and determination.
“We see this as a real opportunity,” insisted Duffy, who is responsible for Ulster’s forwards.
“They’re second in the French League right now with some great players,” he added, alluding to the world-class finishing of Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Damian Penaud.
“It’s Champions Cup, it’s knockout, it’s exactly where every player wants to be: putting yourself against the best opposition.
“We’ll respect them massively. They’ve earned it and they’ve shown that when they played awesomely in the last 20 minutes to see us off here last time,” Duffy said, referring to Bordeaux’s 40-19 victory during the pool stages in Belfast last December.
“You get that with quality opposition, but we can’t wait to get over there.”
Duffy described Sunday’s opposition as possessing “quality across all their positions”. Bordeaux have no weak link, he said, and carry “some of the best attacking talent in world rugby at the moment”.
“Minimising those opportunities for them to hurt us is crucial, and then making sure when we do get our opportunities, we’re accurate.”
Bordeaux have only lost once at home this season and have scorched their way through the Champions Cup pool stages, all of which makes Ulster’s task look all the more challenging.
The province do, at least, travel off the back of a three-game winning streak in the URC – the best sequence they have managed this season which has boosted their play-off hopes in the league – though this first taste of knockout rugby from the campaign represents a huge ramp-up in pressure and quality opposition.
“In the last couple of weeks we’ve finished strongly, but it’s over the 80 (minutes) that we’re worried about,” stated Duffy.
Ulster may be without the services of Robert Baloucoune, James Hume and Ben Carson for this crunch game.
Baloucoune has had a scan on his hamstring after featuring for the first time this season in last week’s victory over the Stormers, a game in which he scored the first of Ulster’s six tries.
Carson, who like Baloucoune came off early against the South Africans, has also had a scan though on his back. Hume is still suffering from illness after he was a late withdrawal last Friday. All three will be assessed during the week.
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Champions Cup Rugby Ulster's big ask