CHARLES PIUATU returns to the Ulster side for Friday's crucial European Champions Cup game with Exeter Chiefs at the Kingspan Stadium, having passed concussion protocols after being ruled out of the province's last two matches.
The Kiwi has been listed on the wing with Jared Payne continuing at full-back while Ruan Pienaar will play at scrum-half after recovering from a knee injury. Exeter's players won't have happy memories of Piuatu's last appearance against them in Europe as the All Black, then with Wasps, scored two tries in a 25-24 win over the Devon side in the quarter-finals in April of this year.
Piuatu sat out Ulster's PRO12 defeat by Connacht in Galway and was again a reluctant spectator as he sat at home watching the frustrating 28-13 loss to Bordeaux-Begles in the Champions Cup opener last Sunday.
“I guess it’s a lot different watching it on television as opposed to being out on the field and feeling it but you do see different angles watching on TV," said Piuatu.
"I guess, yeah, we all had our input after that game and it’s just a matter of working on what we can and what we think we need to fix. Exeter impressed when we played them pre-season and they're a classy side, having played them a few times last year when they beat Wasps to reach the Premiership final after the European game
"Their forward pack is very strong, particularly their maul and their ball-carrying game when they're going forward is a big threat. They also have a lot of quality finishers in their back-line so, throughout the field, they're a really strong team."
Unlike the New Zealander, lock Alan O'Connor had first-hand experience of Ulster's capitulation in France which saw them come home empty-handed despite having led 13-9 with just seven minutes remaining: "No one likes losing and to lose in the manner we did is disappointing, you just have to man up and face up to the challenge that is coming next and just go from there," said the 24-year-old, who will start on the bench on Friday.
"We needed to hold onto the ball and play in the more efficient areas of the pitch and exit better, to ride the storm. But we kept putting pressure back on ourselves so hopefully this week we’ll nail a lot of stuff we can control."
While the manner of Ulster's defeat on Sunday was the subject of much soul-searching among players and management alike, Exeter fared even worse. They went down heavily at home to Clermont, adding significance to tonight's game which is a must-win affair for both teams if they are to harbour any realistic hopes of a place in the knock-out stages.
"Exeter are coming off a game where they got beaten 35-8 at home with five tries scored against them," said Ulster director of rugby Less Kiss.
"[Coach] Rob Baxter has already talked about then coming here and being angry; it's going to be a hell of an affair and we need to respond. I think there were some great patches in our game, for sure, but we will need to be better; we've got to deliver something for the fans because we disappointed them last week.
"The players are hurting and they realise they let themselves down but Exeter will throw the kitchen sink at us and we've got to respond; they are loaded at the set-piece and they have a good strong kicking game but we've got to deliver.
"European rugby is fantastic and it's something the Kingspan faithful always respond to, so we've got go out and dish up something they can respond to; they will inspire us but we've got to inspire them as well."
Not all of the spectators in Belfast will be supporting the home team tonight however as the families of Ulster exiles Ian Whitten and Gareth Steenson will be rooting for Exeter.
Twenty-nine year-old utility back Whitten, who won two Irish caps on a north American tour in 2009, was offloaded by his home province in 2012 after earlier playing for Instonians and Queen's University. Fly-half Steenson (32), who started his rugby career when a pupil at Royal School Armagh and played for his home-town club, Dungannon, moved to England after a spell with the Ulster Academy without making a first-team appearance for the province.
"For me personally, and I'm sure Ian is probably thinking the same thing, it's going to be quite nice that you get to go home to your family and there's going to be people going to the game who've never seen Exeter Chiefs live," said Steenson.
"It's quite a nice thing for us, as they're used to seeing it on TV and now they get to experience it, albeit they'll be wearing Exeter shirts and be a minority in the Kingspan."
