Richie Murphy’s side need to find heroic effort to weather power surge in Pretoria

URC: Bulls v Ulster, Loftus Versfeld, Saturday, 12.45pm Irish time – Live on Premier Sports

Though it has been a decent week for Ulster after banking a first win of the season, against Zebre in Europe, and then having nine players included in the Ireland squad, the province will need to channel all that feelgood factor and more for what comes now.

The Bulls at Loftus Versfeld would hardly be the place many would choose when still seeking an opening URC victory following a defeat and back-to-back draws, but this is what Ulster now have in front of them, with the Stormers to follow in Cape Town next weekend.

With the Bulls, Richie Murphy’s side must also contend with Pretoria’s altitude and heat; the early afternoon temperature is expected to be in the region of 30 degrees come kick-off.

Although Cormac Izuchukwu has missed out on being part of Andy Farrell’s plans for next month, he is part of a strong looking Ulster selection which has eight of the province’s Ireland call-ups in the match-day squad.

“I think as a forward, you really can’t afford to get it wrong over there,” said Izuchukwu, who has been selected at lock.

Continuing the theme of having to face a power surge up front from their hosts, he added: “Just with how they play the game and how they approach it.

“Especially on the set piece, they’re going to be looking to use that as a weapon to break us.

“Whenever you have the ball or you’re on top, you have to keep the foot down because whenever they get going, they’re really hard to stop.”

Ulster know that the Bulls, with former Ulster player Marcell Coetzee back as skipper as part of a rotated pack, will come at them with their heavy artillery up front; the plan being to eviscerate the visitors’ hardly rugged scrum and shred them defensively.

Surviving and putting up a robust resistance at the scrum, lineout and breakdown will be essential if Ulster are to avoid being put through the mincer.

All bar Robert Baloucoune of their Ireland contingent get to lock horns against the Bulls, with Jamie Benson at centre alongside Stuart McCloskey and other notable national squad call-up James McNabney awaiting introduction from the bench.

While Ulster will want to move the Bulls around, they require heroic work in the trenches for this to happen and another standout effort from Juarno Augustus, who was a pivotal figure against Zebre, will be central to their hopes.

Nick Timoney, Tom O’Toole and the ever-consistent David McCann need to also set the tone and Ulster’s bench has some presence about in McNabney, Eli Snyman, James McKillop and Scott Wilson. The Bulls, though, clearly trump any of this, having Marco van Staden, Cobus Wiese and Cameron Hanekom included as their impact players.

Should things turn out badly, Ulster have a week to regroup, though seemingly without their Ireland contingent, before another troublesome looking mission awaits them at the Stormers.

BULLS: L Giliomee; S de Klerk, S Xamlashe, H Vorster, C Jooste; H Pollard, P de Wet; G Steenekamp, J Grobbelaar, F Klopper; R Vermaak, R Ludwig; M Coetzee (capt), H Liebenberg, E Louw.

Replacements: M van Staden, A Tshakweni, K Mchunu, C Wiese, C Hanekom, Z Burger, C Bosch, D Maart.

ULSTER: J Stockdale; C Mullins, J Benson, S McCloskey, M Lowry; J Murphy, N Doak; T O’Toole, T Stewart (capt), K Knox; B Donnell, C Izuchukwu; D McCann, N Timoney, J Augustus.

Replacements: H Walker, E O’Sullivan, S Wilson, E Snyman, J McNabney, M Devine, J Flannery, J McKillop.

Referee: R Campbell (SRU).