Ulster kick off their European pool stage off with a tough test against the reigning European and TOP14 champions, Toulouse at Ernest Stade-Wallon.
The fixture marks head coach, the beginning of Richie Murphy's first Champions Cup campaign in charge of the province.
Since the pool stage fixtures were announced, this fixture has generated a lot of excitement, as the Ulstermen look to upset the French giants on their own patch.
Toulouse clinched the 2023/24 title after a blockbuster final in London against interprovincial rivals, Leinster, where they secured a record sixth Champions Cup victory.
The thrilling final saw the contest go into extra time after 80 minutes, where Toulouse edged the contest thanks to three penalties from talisman Thomas Ramos to make the difference in the scoreline.
The victory marked an incredible season, where the team secured their second TOP14 championship in a row.
Ugo Mola's side have continued their fine form into this season, sitting atop the TOP14 league table after eight wins from their opening 11 fixtures.
Match Details 🏟️
🤝 Toulouse v Ulster
🗓️ Sunday 8th December
🏆 Investec Champions Cup, Round 1
🏟️ Stade Ernest Wallon
📺 Premier Sports, BBC Sounds
Last Time Out
Ulster's last trip to Toulouse in the European Cup resulted in a memorable victory for the away side. Winger, Rob Baloucoune scored a superb hat trick of tries that saw the Ulstermen grab a 26-20 victory in the first of a two legged tie.
Prop Andy Warwick also scored a try, with John Cooney's three conversions helping make the difference in the scoreline.
Players to watch
Antoine Dupont:
Not content with being one of the top players in XVs world rugby, Dupont added yet another string to his bow after starring for France Sevens in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
His performances for France in the competition saw him awarded with the World Sevens player of the Year award. Not bad when you consider he was the World Player of the Year in 2021. At 28 years-old Dupont is at the top of his game and will be looking to run the attack against Ulster.
Romain Ntamack:
The French fly-half has been in recovery mode after a recent calf injury but when in the teamsheet, the ten is a key member of the side. Capped 37 times for his country, Ntamack, commands the attack well and is an excellent kicker and reader of the game.
Jack Willis:
The powerful flanker is a huge part of the Toulouse back-row, where they pride themselves on their work in the breakdown. Willis gets through a lot of work and is a strong ball-carrier to go along with his tackling ability.
Tournament Format
Pool Stage:
- Clubs will play four matches during the pool stage, each against a different opponent, two matches at home and two matches away.
- Four match points will be awarded for a win, two match points will be awarded for a draw. A bonus point will be awarded to a club scoring four or more tries and to a club losing by seven points or fewer.
- If two or more clubs in the same pool are equal on match points, their ranking will be determined as follows:
(i) the best aggregate points difference from the pool stage; or
(ii) if equal, the number of tries scored in the pool stage; or
(iii) if equal, the club with the fewest number of players suspended for disciplinary incidents in the pool stage; or<br>
(iv) if still equal, by drawing lots.
Round of 16:
- The four highest-ranked clubs in each pool will qualify for the Round of 16. All clubs will thereafter be ranked in descending order based firstly on their ranking in their pool and subsequently on the number of match points they have accumulated, to create an overall ranking from 1 to 16.
- The pool winners will be ranked 1 to 4, the second-placed clubs will be ranked 5 to 8, the third-placed clubs will be ranked 9 to 12, and the fourth-placed clubs will be ranked 13 to 16. The Round of 16 will thereafter be played over one match as follows
- The clubs ranked fifth in each of the pools will qualify for the Round of 16 of the EPCR Challenge Cup.
Quarter-finals:
- The quarter-finals will be played over one match and the highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home venue advantage as follows.
Semi-finals:
- The semi-finals will be played in Europe and the highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home country advantage.
Final:
- The 2025 final will be played at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff on Saturday 24 May.