Pride is to be tested in a match fraught with difficulty for Neil Doak's Ulster side.
Due to a combination of injury and the IRFU player welfare programme, Tommy Bowe, Andrew Trimble, Craig Gilroy, Luke Marshall, Rory Best, Iain Henderson, Dan Tuohy, Nick Williams, Chris Henry, and Wiehahn Herbst will not line out.
That’s about two thirds of a first pick team. Henderson, who has been out for some time with a hip injury, should be back playing over the next few weeks.
But to go to France expecting something against the reigning champions would seem to be hopelessly optimistic. Doak has told his players to go and enjoy. Toulon, who have a five point lead on second-placed Scarlets, have never lost a home game in the competition, winning all 13 of their matches.
Toulon are without former Wallaby playmaker Matt Giteau although they have still named an all-international starting line-up with Pumas outhalf Nicolas Sanchez leading an attack that has Leigh Halfpenny, Drew Mitchell, Mathieu Bastareaud, Maxime Mermoz and Bryan Habana.
It will be a step up for Stuart Olding at inside centre and Darren Cave outside him and they will be guaranteed a busy day of defensive drills.
But it’s the pack that are probably going to come under severe pressure and “challenge” more so than “enjoy” might be the operative word.
When Toulon played in Belfast in October, they opened up the Ulster side a couple of times, which is their habit. With so much pressure from the pack, Ulster scrambled and ultimate were stretched enough for Toulon to put away their speedsters.
All the French backline need is a sliver of opportunity and they will take it whether it’s Bastareaud barrelling through like an auxiliary flanker or Mermoz and Habana accelerating into space and out of sight.
In Ravenhill they overpowered Ulster and although the score line was a respectable 13-23, it took a late 77 minute Gilroy try and a Paddy Jackson conversion to add the veneer. Steffon Armitage was a particular nuisance at the breakdown that day with Chris Masoe and Bastareaud causing havoc around the park.
Right attitude
“We know that it’s not going to be easy this weekend but we have nothing to lose. It’s an exciting place to go to,” said Doak.
It’s probably the right attitude to take and maybe Ulster can pull out a performance if the coach can successfully remove the pressure from his players. Ulster are out of the competition and in that respect they need not fret.
"Toulon are the Champions of Europe and the boys are looking forward to it," added Doak. "Europe is gone for us and we want to work on the things that we have been trying in training.
“We will go and try and stretch them and we are just aiming to focus on ourselves and use the ball wisely.”
The worst thing that could happen is if Toulon are able to bag early scores and generate momentum in front of their home crowd. In that scenario, using the ball wisely might be easier said than done.
TOULON: L Halfpenny; D Mitchell, M Bastareaud, M Mermoz, B Habana; N Sanchez, S Tillous-Borde; X Chiocci, G Guirado, M Castrogiovanni, J Suta, A Williams, J Smith, S Armitage, C Masoe (c). Replacements: J-C Orioli, F Fresia, C Hayman, M Gorgodze, R Wulf, D Smith, E Escande, R Taofifenua. ULSTER: J Payne; L Ludik, D Cave, S Olding, M Allen; P Jackson, R Pienaar; A Warwick, R Herring, B Ross, A O'Connor, F Van Der Merwe, C Ross, M McComish, R Wilson (c). Replacements: J Andrew, C Black, D Fitzpatrick, L Stevenson, R Diack, P Marshall, I Humphreys, M Heaney. Referee: L Hodges (WRU). Formguide: (Champions Cup 2014-15) Toulon – bt Scarlets 28-18; bt Ulster 13-23; lost to Leicester 25-21; bt Leicester 23-8: Ulster – lost to Leicester 25-18; lost to Toulon 13-23; bt Scarlets 24-9; lost to Scarlets 22-13. Betting: Toulon 1/25, draw 25/1, Ulster 9/1. Handicap: Toulon (-17) 10/11, draw 25/1, Ulster (+17) 10/11. Verdict: Toulon.
