Ulster make the trip to France hoping to build positive momentum after a tough period of fixtures that has seen the side lose five of the last six matches.
The province started off this season’s Champions Cup campaign with a difficult 39-0 defeat away to Sale Sharks after travel disruption on the morning of the match.
That was followed up with a second round 36-29 defeat to La Rochelle at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin after the game had to be moved from Kingspan Stadium.
La Rochelle enter the game in fine form. They lead the Champions Cup pool having beaten Northampton 46-12 at home and following up that win by beating Ulster.
Domestically, Ronan O’Gara’s men have won their last two games in the Top 14, with last weekend’s impressive 30-7 to rivals Toulouse ensuring they go into the contest high on confidence.
Match Details
🤝 Stade Rochelais v Ulster Rugby
🗓 Saturday 14 January, 5.30pm (UK/Ire time)
🏟 Stade Marcel Deflandre
🏆 Heineken Champions Cup Round 3
📺 Live on BT Sport
📻 Listen on BBC Radio Ulster
Team News
Last Time Out
Ulster went into the game with the disruption of having their home game moved to Aviva Stadium. The reigning European champions dominated the first half of the game, with La Rochelle’s out half Antoine Hastoy putting on a kicking masterclass and scoring a try himself.
Ulster went into the break without a point to show, but came out in the second half fighting. The Ulster men fought back with four tries of their own to secure two bonus points despite the loss.
Opposition Stats
- Antoine Hastoy scored more points than anyone else in Round 2 (26) – which was the most by a player in the Heineken Champions Cup since AJ MacGinty’s 32 for Sale Sharks against Scarlets in the 2021 Round of 16
- Jonathan Danty is the only player to have been yellow-carded twice in the competition so far
- Stade Rochelais have scored a tournament-high four tries after winning a turnover
Player To Watch
Gregory Alldritt
The captain and leader of the team, Alldritt, is considered as one of the best number 8s in World Rugby.
A stalwart of the French national team that won the 2022 Six Nations Championship and Grand Slam, he has experience of winning big games for both club and country.
At La Rochelle, he captains the European Champions and was a standout player as they beat Leinster to win the 2022 Champions Cup.
He is a versatile player who is known for his game intelligence and work-rate. He is an all-rounder as he is strong in his defensive duties in the back row, impressive in line-outs, but also produces quality when linking the play out to the wider channels.