Ulster travel to France this weekend to take on European heavyweights ASM Clermont Auvergne in a crucial Heineken Champions Cup clash.
Match Details
- Date: Saturday 11 January 2020
- Kick-Off: 2.00pm local time / 1.00pm UK/Irish time
- Venue: Stade Marcel Michelin
- Competition: Heineken Champions Cup Round 5
- Referee: Nigel Owens (WAL), AR1: Dan Jones (WAL), AR2: Adam Jones (WAL), TMO: Sean Brickell (WAL).
Key Facts:
- ASM Clermont Auvergne and Ulster have met five times previously in the Heineken Champions Cup, with each game won by the home side on the day. (Clermont W2, Ulster W3).
- Clermont have won 30 of their last 31 home pool games in the Champions Cup (L1 v Bordeaux-Begles). Sale Sharks were the last club from outside France to win at Marcel-Michelin in the competition (Round 1, 2008/09).
- Ulster have won four of their last five away games in the tournament, more than they'd win in their previous 13 games on the road (W3, L10).
- Clermont are the top points scorers (152) this season with the joint most tries (20, level with Leinster).
- Ulster are the only side yet to concede a try in the opening 20 minutes this season. However, no-one has scored more than Clermont in the opening quarter of their fixtures *6, level with Leinster).
- Clermont and Ulster are two of just four clubs yet to be shown a card of any colour to date, along with Lyon and Toulouse.
- Clermont have conceded five tries from mauls this season, two more than any other side, while only Bath (3) have scored more tries from mauls than Ulster (2, level with Sale and Glasgow).
- Ulster have retained 28 of their 112 kicks from hand, 12 more than Clermont who have retained the second most kicks (16/95).
- Of the six players to have scored 4+ tries, three represent either Clermont (George Moala and Alivereti Raka - both 4) or Ulster (John Cooney - 4).
- Only Munster's CJ Stander (33) has made more carries over the mainline than Ulster's Marcell Coetzee (27), while teammate Stuart McCloskey has made the most of any back (25, 4th most overall).