Ulster coach Dan McFarland has told his players to “relish” their high-profile shootout with reigning champions Toulouse in the last-16 of the Heineken Champions Cup.
Despite winning all four of their fixtures in the group stages and finishing second in Pool A, the Irish province has been pitted against the French giants in the next round.
How or why? Well, the fact two of Toulouse’s four group games were postponed due to Covid saw them limp through to the knockout stages as the seventh–placed club in Pool B.
And now the Champions Cup holders, who beat La Rochelle in last year's final to lift the trophy for a record fifth time, are Ulster’s opponents in the round of 16 in early-April.
“It’s a bizarre scenario this year that you win all your games and finish second in a pool of 12 and the reward is playing Toulouse,” said McFarland.
“But I relish the thought of playing Toulouse, you know. They’re one of if not the greatest rugby team in Europe over the last 50 or 60 years.
“We’ve had a crack at them the last few years on a number of occasions and we know how tough they are to beat, but it’s another chance for us to test ourselves against them.
“Any team you play in the last 16 is going to be good.”
Ulster ended an impressive group campaign with a free-flowing 34-31 bonus point win over Clermont at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday evening.
That victory backed up similarly vibrant wins over Clermont in France and home and away victories over Northampton Saints.
“We played two teams who were genuinely interested in the competition who went hard in all four of those games, so we earned those wins,” said McFarland.
“There is a lot of kudos due to the players and the staff for that achievement.”
Ulster face Toulouse at Stade Ernest Wallon in the first leg of the last-16 on the weekend of April 8-10, before welcoming the Top 14 club to Belfast the following week.
Asked if playing an away leg against elite opposition first might prove to be a disadvantage, McFarland said: “Do I feel disadvantaged? Not necessarily.
“When I was at Connacht I played in a number of games when they were back-to-back and you go away first. I personally preferred going away first and then coming home.
“It is what it is. You’ve got two games in which to put up the points, the first one being away. It’s tougher, yes, 100 percent, but we don’t mind going away.
“We’ve had a few good away victories this year.”
Exact dates and kick-off times for the round of 16 fixtures have yet to be confirmed by tournament organisers EPCR.
Should Ulster make it through the Round of 16, they would play in a home quarter-final on the weekend of May 6-8.
