Ulster call on Cooney to shoot down Top 14 giants
SCRUM-HALF John Cooney has been recalled to Ulster’s starting line-up as the Irish province make four changes for today’s Champions Cup quarterfinal clash with Toulouse.
Ulster are aiming to make the semi-finals for the first time since 2012, when they went on to lose 42-14 to Leinster in the final.
Dan McFarland’s side also lost to Leinster in a 21-18 thriller in last season’s Champions Cup quarterfinal.
Kiwi Alby Mathewson was given the nod to start at No.9 for last week’s 27-5 PRO14 final defeat by Leinster but McFarland has opted for Cooney this week.
Jack McGrath comes in at loosehead prop, with Jordi Murphy and Nick Timoney coming into the back row.
Marcell Coetzee misses the game through an injury sustained against Leinster, which is a significant loss. Prop Eric O’Sullivan and back row Matthew Rea join Mathewson in dropping to the bench.
The inclusion of Murphy and Timoney in the starting team means Sean Reidy makes a positional switch to blindside flanker and will be up against former All Black Jerome Kaino, who is part of the crushing Toulouse back row with Selevasio Tolofua and Francois Cros.
France half-backs
Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack are the creative forces in the Toulouse side and behind them are full-back Thomas Ramos, with Johan Huget on one wing and the South African superstar Cheslin Kolbe on the other.
The match had originally been scheduled to take place on April 5 at the 33,000-capacity Le Stadium but the venue was moved earlier this month to the Stade Ernest Wallon because of Covid-19 restrictions.
The Stade Ernest Wallon holds up to 19,000 people but attendance will be limited to 5,000.
Four-time European champions Toulouse topped Pool 5 of this year’s competition with six wins from six outings, while Ulster won five out of six in finishing second behind Clermont Auvergne in Pool 3.
The winners of the tie will play Exeter or Northampton in the semifinals.