Irish Rugby

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI Journalist at Aviva Stadium

Image source, Inpho

Leinster boss Leo Cullen admitted his side are "not at the level" they need to be despite beating Clermont Auvergne 15-7 to record a ninth consecutive win to start this campaign.

The Champions Cup victory over Top 14 opposition came thanks to two tries in four first-half minutes from Garry Ringrose and Jordie Barrett but otherwise the Irish province managed just a solitary Sam Prendergast penalty.

Their line-out was an issue throughout, while the game lost much of its shape when conditions worsened in the second half.

Cullen does not feel Leinster are displaying the kind of form shown by last season's fellow finalists Toulouse who beat Ulster 61-21 in the opening game of their title defence last week.

"There's is a lot more in us," he said.

"If we want to be successful and go on in this competition, we are not at the level of probably where, as an example, I watched Toulouse last week, where they are.

"They are in unbelievable form at the moment so we've plenty to work on."

Leinster, who return to United Rugby Championship action against Connacht on 21 December, still took nine points from their first two Champions Cup fixtures having also beaten Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate.

"If someone said you were going to get nine points from the two games, you'd probably be quite happy, but when you score two tries in the first half of the second game having got five points last week, it sort of feels like there are things there that we can be better at," Cullen added.

"The dressing room is frustrated at how we performed because we want to put on a better show in front of our home fans but at the same time, you've got to win against a team that is used to these sort of arm-wrestles in the Top 14, where they're currently sitting third.

"They've ton of experience. It's good to get a win."

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI at Kingspan Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy was left frustrated after his side failed to take advantage of a strong first-half performance in Saturday's Investec Champions Cup defeat by Bordeaux.

The Irish province scored three tries to lead 19-14 at the break but were cut open in the second half as Bordeaux scored 26 unanswered points to secure a bonus-point victory.

"[I'm] definitely frustrated," said Murphy, who refused to comment on Yoram Moefana's yellow card for a high tackle on Nick Timoney.

"Looking at the first half first, I thought we put some good stuff together and put a very good team under a lot of pressure. There were a couple of breakdowns we missed and they take the ball off you if you're not accurate in the outside channels, obviously that was disappointing.

"The territory and possession that we had in the first half, we probably didn't make a good enough impression with what we had.

"The second half, their bench came on, the physicality of the game just went up and we couldn't survive it."

Ulster have now lost their past four games - Cardiff, Leinster, Toulouse and Bordeaux - but Murphy insists his side are "getting better".

"I think the first half shows that," added Murphy.

"But in order to be able to play against these types of teams, you need to be able to last 80 minutes and at the moment we're not quite able to do that."

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Bordeaux Begles fly-half Joey Carbery is looking forward to a "special" trip to Ulster in the Champions Cup on Saturday afternoon.

The 29-year-old former Leinster and Munster player will be taking on Irish opposition for the first time since he switched to the Top 14 side this summer and gets the nod in the 10 jersey after coming off the bench in last week's win over Leicester Tigers.

Having won 37 Ireland caps between 2016 and '22, Carbery has played with a number of those who will be in opposition at Kingspan Stadium, while he has plenty of experience of visiting Belfast with his previous employers.

"That rivalry is always there," Carbery said.

"It'll be interesting to see what it's like going over with UBB.

"It's very special for me to be going over with UBB to play in Ireland. I'll have family coming up to it, so I'm looking forward to it."

Carbery is not the only Irishman involved with Bordeaux. County Clare native Noel McNamara is also the side's attack coach.

Both offered their insights to the wider panel this week, including warning that Ulster will be a different proposition to the side who conceded 61 points in defeat to Toulouse last week when back at Kingspan Stadium.

"With Munster, I only went up there once or twice when we won," Carbery added.

"It's a difficult place to go and win, they're always on top of their game there.

"I tried to get that across, that no matter what happened last week, they'll be a different team this week."

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Jordie Barrett will make his first start for Leinster in Saturday's Champions Cup Pool 2 match against Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium.

All Black Barrett signed from the Hurricanes on a short-term deal at the end of November and scored a try on his debut off the bench in last week's 35-12 win over Bristol Bears.

The 67-times capped New Zealander takes the place of the injured Ciaran Frawley at full-back.

Sam Prendergast retains the number 10 shirt after scoring two tries in the away victory over the English Premiership side.

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has made five changes in total to his starting team, with captain Caelan Doris, Liam Turner, Andrew Porter and Thomas Clarkson also being included.

Clermont defeated Benetton 28-0 in their opening Pool 1 encounter.

Leinster: Barrett; Turner, Ringrose, Henshaw, O'Brien; Prendergast, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, Ryan; Deegan, van der Flier, Doris (capt).

Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Healy, Slimani, Snyman, Conan, Gunne, Byrne, Osborne.

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Zac Ward will make his senior debut for Ulster as part of a much-changed team for Saturday's Investec Champions Cup game against Bordeaux-Begles at Kingspan Stadium.

Ward, who shone for Ireland sevens in the Paris Olympics before joining the Ulster squad at the start of this season, starts on the left wing.

His inclusion is one of 10 personnel changes from the side that began last week's 61-21 defeat by holders Toulouse in France.

Jude Postlethwaite is drafted in at centre, with Michael Lowry moving to full-back.

Head coach Richie Murphy has opted to change his entire pack, with seven Ireland internationals named among the forwards.

Hooker Rob Herring makes his first Ulster start of the campaign and is joined in the front row by Eric O'Sullivan and Tom O'Toole.

In the second row Iain Henderson returns to captain the side for the Pool 1 fixture as he makes his 50th European appearance, where he is joined by Kieran Treadwell.

Cormac Izuchukwu and Nick Timoney are the flankers, with David McCann selected at number eight.

Aidan Morgan and Nathan Doak again make up the half-back partnership.

Academy utility back Rory Telfer is in line for his senior debut off the bench while James Humphreys could make a maiden Champions Cup appearance if he is called upon.

Ulster: Lowry; Kok, Postlethwaite, McCloskey, Ward; Morgan, Doak; O'Sullivan, Herring, O'Toole; Henderson (capt), Treadwell; Izuchukwu, Timoney, McCann.

Replacements: Andrew, Warwick, Wilson, Sheridan, Marcus Rea, Shanahan, Humphreys, Telfer.

Image source, Inpho

Brian Gleeson has been handed his first Investec Champions Cup start for Munster as the Irish province make six changes to their starting team for Friday's Pool 3 game against Castres at Stade Pierre-Fabre.

The back row will be making his 11th appearance for Munster and his first start of the season.

The other changes from the side which began Saturday's 33-7 win over Stade Francais in round one see Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer, captain Tadhg Beirne, John Hodnett and Mike Haley all come in.

Beirne is named in the the team after coming on as a replacement at Thomond Park last week.

Prop Dave Kilcoyne returns after long-term injury to take his place on the bench, alongside Oli Jager, whose last match was against the Ospreys in the United Rugby Championship in early October.

Castres lost 38-8 away to Northampton Saints in their first match of their campaign last weekend.

Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Thaakir Abrahams; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Dian Bleuler, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Fineen Wycherley, Tadhg Beirne (C); Peter O'Mahony, John Hodnett, Brian Gleeson.

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Dave Kilcoyne, Oli Jager, Tom Ahern, Alex Kendellen, Paddy Patterson, Rory Scannell, Jack O'Donoghue.

Image source, Inpho

Former Ulster scrum-half Neil Doak has been named the new head coach of the Ireland Under-20s.

The 52-year-old succeeds another former Ulster player in Willie Faloon, who had led the group to the semi-finals of the World Rugby Under-20 Championship during the summer.

Doak, a former Ireland cricket international, worked with Faloon as a senior coach at that tournament in South Africa having joined the ticket after previous head coach Richie Murphy departed to take the top job at Ulster in March.

He previously served as both attack coach and interim head coach with Ulster, and has also worked with Worcester Warriors, Georgia and Emerging Ireland.

Doak's first game in charge will be a friendly against Italy on 20 December in Dublin as part of the side's preparations for the 2025 Six Nations.

Ireland's championship begins against England in Cork on 30 January before a trip to Scotland on 8 February.

They will also face visits to Wales and Italy, with the hosting of France in between.

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Ulster's Ben Carson and Stewart Moore are doubts for Saturday's Investec Champions Cup pool game with Bordeaux (15:15 GMT), but John Cooney could return.

In a squad update on Tuesday, the club said full-back Moore and centre Carson, suffered soft tissue contusions as they were forced off in the first half of Sunday's heavy defeat by Toulouse.

Scrum-half Cooney, who has been linked with a move away from Ulster, missed the Toulouse game with a hamstring issue.

However, the 34-year-old has resumed training and will be monitored before Bordeaux's visit to Kingspan Stadium.

Ulster have also confirmed wing Ben Moxham is set to miss the remainder of the season after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament in the United Rugby Championship defeat by Leinster on 29 November.

Last week, head coach Richie Murphy said the 23-year-old was set to see a knee surgeon and the club has confirmed he is expected to spend nine months on the sidelines.

Head coach Richie Murphy is already without Robert Baloucoune (calf), Jake Flannery (ankle), Jacob Stockdale (hamstring), Ethan McIlroy (ankle), Sean Reffell (ankle), James Hume (knee), Callum Reid (knee) and Tom Stewart (ankle).

Having been hammered 61-21 by holders Toulouse, Ulster are hoping to bounce back at home to Bordeaux, who are second in the France's Top 14 league.

Bordeaux opened their European campaign with an impressive 42-28 win over Leicester on Sunday.

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Ireland's Josh van der Flier has been named the Autumn Nations player of the series.

The 31-year-old Leinster back row started all four of Ireland's November Tests, which included a defeat by New Zealand and wins over Argentina, Fiji and Australia.

Van der Flier, the world player of the year in 2022, scored tries in the All Blacks, Fiji and Australia games and continued his fine form by scoring in Leinster's Champions Cup win over Bristol on Sunday.

Van der Flier edged out South Africa winger Cheslin Kolbe in the fans' vote.

The Wicklow native has earned 68 caps for Ireland having made his debut in 2016. He has won three Six Nations titles, including the 2018 and 2023 Grand Slams.

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Ulster head coach Richie Murphy said his side's basics were not at the level required for the challenge of a "European juggernaut" after they suffered a heavy defeat in Toulouse.

The visitors shipped nine tries in their Champions Cup opener at the Stade Ernest-Wallon and were beaten 61-21 by the holders.

"Very tough," said Murphy of the experience.

"Conceding 61 points wasn't part of the plan. A lot of our basics weren't at the level they needed to be.

"Some of our defence and our breakdown just wasn't at the level we needed."

Ulster have won just two of their past 11 games in the Champions Cup and have conceded at least 30 points in eight of those fixtures.

Murphy said it is important for his squad to continue to focus on gradual improvement.

"We also need to be careful that we don't listen to too much stuff that's happening outside.

"We have to concentrate on our own game and make sure that we're getting better.

"We've shown signs that we're improving all through the season from where we were last year and we've run into a European juggernaut and we weren't at the races."

Ulster face another of the competition's favourites, Bordeaux-Begles, back in Belfast on Saturday.

"Obviously we're disappointed, the players are disappointed," Murphy added.

"We don't go out there to get those basic errors wrong.

"You start there and you work towards getting a performance in six days' time against Bordeaux."

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European Challenge Cup

Connacht: (17) 43

Tries: Mullins (3), Tierney-Martin, Boyle (2), Cordero Cons: Carty (2), Naughton (2)

Zebre: (5) 12

Tries: Stavile, Fusco Con: Da Re

Connacht ran in seven tries as they started their European Challenge Cup campaign with a comfortable 43-12 victory over Zebre in a wind-swept Galway.

The Italian visitors were first on the scoreboard with a try from Bautista Stavile Bravin try before Connacht seized control.

Chay Mullins went over twice on his Connacht debut and Dylan Tierney-Martin added a third try to help the Irish side to a 17-5 lead at the break.

Tries from Paul Boyle, Mullins and Santiago Cordero stretched Connacht's advantage in the second half.

Alessandro Fusco touched down for Zebre's second try before Boyle completed his double late in the game.

Connacht had the wind at their backs in the first half but Zebre were rewarded for their early pressure as Stavile Bravin went over at the corner on six minutes.

The conditions were tough for kickers - Giovanni Montemauri missed the conversion and a penalty.

Mullins also touched down in the corner for his opener and added a converted try six minutes later.

Tierney-Martin went over from a lineout maul before Zebre's Rusiate Nasove was yellow-carded before the interval.

Boyle, who was notching up his 100th Connacht appearance, sealed the bonus point by going over from a scrum.

Mullins brought up his hat-trick and Cordero also touched down before Fusco took Zebre into double figures.

Boyle completed the try-scoring on a night when Jack Carty and Sean Naughton each kicked two conversions for the hosts.

Connacht: Jennings; Mullins, Hawkshaw, Forde, Cordero; Carty, Blade; Duggan, Tierney-Martin, Aungier; Murray, Dowling; Murphy, Hurley-Langton, Boyle.

Replacements: De Buitlear, Lasisi, Barrett, O'Connor, McCormack, Devine, Naughton, Ralston.

Zebre: Montemauri; Bozzoni, Drago, Lucchin, Gesi; Da Re, Dominguez; Buonfiglio, Bigi (capt), Hasa; Canali, Krumov; Milano, Stavile Bravin, Ferrari.

Replacements: Ribaldi, Rizzoli, Nocera, Nasove, Andreani, Fusco, Bianchi, Gregory.