LEINSTER HEAD COACH Joe Schmidt is expecting his Irish internationals to put it up to their international team-mates in Ulster colours this weekend.
The Heineken Cup champions will attempt to successfully defend their title against the Ravenhill outfit at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon.
“Ulster are another side we know really well,” says Schmidt. “A lot of the boys have played together in green jerseys but now they are in white or blue. They will combat each other to an extent.
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“In last year’s final, Northampton played superbly in the first half and we didn’t take our opportunities. We made three clean line-breaks and gave the ball straight back to them. They dominated us in the first 40 minutes.
“We can’t afford to do that with Ulster, especially when you look at their quarter-final victory over Munster. If it wasn’t for a superb opening 20 minutes, Munster would have won comfortably.
“We can’t let a team with that kicking ability, with Ruan Pienaar, Ian Humphreys or Paddy Jackson and Stefan Terblanche in their ranks, get a lead like that. Ulster are a team that can keep you under pressure because of their kicking game and they can also exert pressure on your platforms.
“John Afoa, Tom Court and Rory Best have done a great job for them in the front row; Johann Muller calls the line-outs and Stephen Ferris and Pedrie Wannenburg both add a lot. If we allow them to get a good start and build a lead it will be a pretty tough job for us to get back into the game.”
Schmidt, meanwhile, insists his Irish contingent are well aware of the damage Stephen Ferris can wreak.
“He makes a big impact in big matches — because they’re the only ones he plays,” he says. “They save him, wrap him in cotton wool and he comes back to play massive games.
“He had a fantastic Six Nations and there is a lot of respect from our loose forwards towards him. They have all played with him on occasions and speak very highly of him. He’s a complete player. He has a good offloading game, he attacks players, but knows when to pass, although more often than not he just makes a hole in defenders. He’s also good in the line-out and adds some steel to their mauls,” he added.
Joe Schmidt ready for 'familiar' Ulster threat
LEINSTER HEAD COACH Joe Schmidt is expecting his Irish internationals to put it up to their international team-mates in Ulster colours this weekend.
The Heineken Cup champions will attempt to successfully defend their title against the Ravenhill outfit at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon.
“Ulster are another side we know really well,” says Schmidt. “A lot of the boys have played together in green jerseys but now they are in white or blue. They will combat each other to an extent.
“In last year’s final, Northampton played superbly in the first half and we didn’t take our opportunities. We made three clean line-breaks and gave the ball straight back to them. They dominated us in the first 40 minutes.
“We can’t afford to do that with Ulster, especially when you look at their quarter-final victory over Munster. If it wasn’t for a superb opening 20 minutes, Munster would have won comfortably.
“We can’t let a team with that kicking ability, with Ruan Pienaar, Ian Humphreys or Paddy Jackson and Stefan Terblanche in their ranks, get a lead like that. Ulster are a team that can keep you under pressure because of their kicking game and they can also exert pressure on your platforms.
“John Afoa, Tom Court and Rory Best have done a great job for them in the front row; Johann Muller calls the line-outs and Stephen Ferris and Pedrie Wannenburg both add a lot. If we allow them to get a good start and build a lead it will be a pretty tough job for us to get back into the game.”
Schmidt, meanwhile, insists his Irish contingent are well aware of the damage Stephen Ferris can wreak.
“He had a fantastic Six Nations and there is a lot of respect from our loose forwards towards him. They have all played with him on occasions and speak very highly of him. He’s a complete player. He has a good offloading game, he attacks players, but knows when to pass, although more often than not he just makes a hole in defenders. He’s also good in the line-out and adds some steel to their mauls,” he added.
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European Rugby Champions Cup Joe Schmidt Leinster Munster Ulster