ALAN O’Connor feels Ulster will have ‘to be smart’ if they are to come away with a positive result from this weekend’s Champions Cup Round of 16 first leg tie in Toulouse.
With nothing else than a win on Ulster’s minds, O’Connor admits that if the game doesn’t pan out as planned, they may be forced into a tactical rethink to ensure that they have something to bring back to the Kingspan Stadium for the second leg next weekend.
“Well obviously we’re preparing for the win. I do think we’re going over there to win the game. But if there is a situation late on maybe we’ll have to be smart, go for points in the last five minutes, who knows like, we’ll definitely be thinking about that.
The two-legged system adapted by the tournament organisers makes its debut this weekend and it’s a system that many players have yet to face in their careers.
But playing teams back-to-back over consecutive weekends is nothing new. In the past a last-minute penalty would’ve been the difference of gaining a losing bonus point, but come this weekend it could be the difference of having something to play for in the second leg as O’Connor alludes to.
“It weird” said the second row on the new format.
“Towards the end of the game and things aren’t going your way you take the three (points). They are things you have to consider.
“It will definitely be different but we do back-to-back and head-to-head games throughout the European competition anyway. Like we played Northampton home and away, Clermont as well. Well used to it in that regard. But the aggregate (score) is something we definitely have to be wary of if you are a key decision maker on the team.”
Ulster have already tasted success in France this season.
Back in December Ulster went to Clermont and against all the odds came away with a victory and O’Connor sees many similarities between the two French powerhouses.
“Most French teams pose a similar threat.
“Really good backs, forwards that can play, massive pack if they can get their maul going and get their scrum right. We’ll be looking to neutralise a lot of what they have.”
But as important as it is to keep an eye on the Toulouse threat, O’Connor thinks that if Ulster stay focused on what they can do, then anything is possible.
“(We must) make sure we go over as a collective. Use our collective as our strength, take away their individuals. We all know who they have so we’ll be looking forward to shutting them down.”
Ulster have tasted success in Toulouse once before, a 25-23 win back in 2015 but the vice-captain insists that win counts for nothing on Saturday as both squads are almost unrecognisable from that occasion.
“We won’t talk about it too much as only four or five of us played in those games.
“But nothing changes for us. We’re going over with lots of confidence and we don’t need pulling on something that was four or five years ago.
