‘An Ulster win over Toulouse is crucial’
Ian Madigan on tonight’s big clash
JANUARY 21, 2017 — a date of dual significance as Ulster prepare to welcome Stade Toulousain to Belfast to begin their Champions Cup campaign.
That mid-winter day almost four years ago now represents the last time the northern province were beaten in Europe on their own patch.
While the likes of La Rochelle, Clermont and Racing 92 have been beaten since, the less heralded outfit that stormed Kingspan Stadium that day were Bordeaux-begles.
A dead-rubber, with both sides having already had their European ambitions peter out prior to kick-off, the absence of the big match atmosphere that usually greets French visitors as an under-strength Ulster were overpowered by the Bordeaux scrum was a low point of the side’s European travails through the middle of the last decade.
While it was the French forwards that pushed their side towards victory that afternoon — Steven Kitshoff ’s future as a World Cup-winning Springbok coming as no surprise to anyone in the stadium — the out-half benefiting from the arm-chair ride behind them was none other than current Ulster ace Ian Madigan.
The 30-times-capped Irish international, who kicked 10 points in the win, was in his sole season in the south west of France during that campaign, the trip back home representing what until tonight remains his last outing in Europe’s top competition.
Having spent three years as a Bristol Bear, one in the Championship and two in the Challenge Cup, his return to this level is long-awaited as he gets the 10 jersey against Toulouse in the absence of the injured Billy Burns.
His time away has not dimmed his verve for the competition he won twice in Leinster blue, even if he found that same passion occasionally lacking on his travels.
“There is definitely differences,” said the 31-year-old.
“There’s a big focus in England and France on their domestic leagues. The reality is it’s probably on par with Europe.
“For the Irish teams, it’s definitely a step up for us. It’s a big focus, you build up towards it and the reality is our success in Europe is how we’re measured at the end of the season.
“Can you qualify from your group is kind of the bottom line for Irish teams.
“Obviously if you go well in the league and you make the semis or the final or you win it, that would be successful, but I think the ambition within the group is definitely to succeed in making the quarter-finals (of Europe), that’s the bottom line, and then once you get to that stage you want to go further.”
While Ulster have reached that stage for the past two seasons after a four-campaign absence, they were beaten by Leinster in 2019 and tonight’s opposition back in September.
Since that most recent knockout tie only three months ago, the province could have done little more to show they are a better team than the one beaten handily out in France, winning eight from eight to top their Guinness PRO14 Conference heading into the pool stages.
With a trip to Gloucester to come next weekend and three inter-pros before the reverse European fixtures though, there remains a sense that the next seven weeks will be far more telling than the previous eight.
The Ulster team won’t be radically different to the one they’ve fielded in recent weeks, injuries to Iain Henderson and Burns diminishing their returning international contingent.
Jacob Stockdale is back on the left wing after an autumn spent as Ireland’s full-back. With Mike Lowry having impressed in the Ulster 15 jersey during his absence, Stockdale reverts back to his more usual position at provincial level.
With Eric O’sullivan and Rob Herring back to bolster the frontrow, and Stuart Mccloskey resuming his midfield partnership with James Hume for the first time since that quarter-final defeat, Ulster have unsurprisingly gone for their best available side for what will be, by some dis
tance, the toughest test they’ve faced this season.
“We’re eight from eight and we’ve been building week to week, and to be going into Europe with the confidence of going well in our domestic league is huge,” added Madigan.
“We’re under no illusions that we’re coming into a very challenging period — we’re going to be playing one of the best sides in France, followed by one of the top sides in the Gallagher Premiership, followed by three really tough inter-pros.
“So while we’ve gone well in this first block, we’re under no illusions that we’re going to have to step up to beat some of the teams we’re coming up against in this second block.
“But yeah, you’d much rather be off the back of a win streak and feeling like there’s confidence in your game than going into this block feeling like you’ve got to find form.
“We’ve got a good foundation we can build on, and that’s what we’ll be looking to do on Friday night.”
With this season’s new format meaning the quarter-finalists will be determined off the back of just four games, greater importance weighs on each contest, especially at home with Ulster knowing they have that return trip to the Stade Ernest-wallon down the track.
“For us, the big focus is first up against Toulouse,” Madigan said.
“Winning your first home game is crucial. If we lose on Friday night, we’re under no illusions that with only three other group games remaining how challenging it would be. I think with the way the groups are we could see some peculiar results, but what we’ve got to do is focus on ourselves, go out and get a win and then carry that momentum into Gloucester next week.
“That’s all we’ve got to focus on, we can’t be too worried about what’s going on in other groups and in other games, that’s something you can look at going into your final match.”
After waiting quite so long for another game in the competition, Madigan could hardly have asked for one of more consequence to his team’s European season.