Best back for Ulster’s big French challenge

better French teams in defence. They are comfortable with the ball and they’ve got a lot better without it as well.

“When they run the ball from their own 22 they look as comfortable as when they do it inside the opposition’s 22. They’re resilient at home, too, so it’s a daunting task.”

Robbie Diack will become only the third Ulster player to reach 200 competitive appearances for the province if he comes off the bench. Jared Payne remains an absentee.

La Rochelle include France centre Geoffrey Doumayrou, who scored two tries against Quins, and former All Blacks No.8 Victor Vito. ULSTER have brought back the big guns to face La Rochelle with captain Rory Best in the matchday squad for the first time this season after overcoming a hamstring injury.

Best, who starts on the bench, sat out the early games of Ulster’s season because of his involvement in the Lions tour to New Zealand and then sustained a hamstring injury in training in mid-September.

Ireland wing Andrew Trimble is recalled and will become Ulster’s most capped player, surpassing the record he currently shares with Roger Wilson on 221 appearances. Tommy Bowe, Darren Cave, Paul Marshall, Alan O’Connor and Chris Henry also come in.

La Rochelle lead Pool 1 after their impressive opening 34-27 bonus-point win over Harlequins and Ulster boss Jono Gibbes said: “They’ve built up a good understanding of what they’re trying to do and of what makes them difficult to play. They’ve had a lot of success with that.

“They are one of the