Ulster's Muller calls for passion
Ulster captain and Springbok lock Johann Muller has called for passion and commitment from his side when they clash with Clermont Auvergne, who he rates as one of the best sides in Europe, in the Heineken Cup on Saturday.
The 1999 European champions have never managed successive knock-out stage participation in the Heineken Cup, but the bonus point victory over Leicester Tigers last week – their fourth group win – has propelled them into pole position, with the French club three points adrift despite their 82-0 victory over Aironi in Monza.
Although they are on the verge of history, Muller was quick to temper the enthusiasm with some realistic words of wisdom by explaining that they could be dumped out of the competition if they do not produce the goods this weekend.
He said: “There is everything to play for. Yes, we’re top of the log in the pool but it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t go down to Clermont and get some points away from home.
“And that will be an incredibly difficult task. They’re one of the best sides in Europe so we’re definitely up against it. But if we can play with the passion, pride and commitment we showed against Leicester, anything’s possible,” he added.
Ulster won their home clash with Clermont 16-11 but speedster Craig Gilroy – a try-scorer against the Tigers last week – was also quick to warn that Aurelien Rougerie’s team will be a tough nut to crack in front of their passionate fans.
“It goes up a notch again next week, absolutely no question about that,” said the 20-year-old wing.
“The reality is that the win over Leicester will mean nothing unless we go over to Clermont and put in a performance.
“However the win definitely gives us belief – and shows that we can beat any team in the competition – so we have to take the positives and try and replicate those in France. We’ll just get back to work and try and make sure everything’s right for Saturday,” he added.
Gilroy believes that his side have every right to approach the game with plenty of confidence, even though it is away from home.
“We proved that we can beat them when we won the Round One match back in November. Obviously we had home advantage on that occasion, but we beat them nevertheless and we know we can beat them home and away and that’s what we’ll be looking to do.
“That said, they are a great team especially among their backs where they have got some of the best players in the world. It still amazes me that I could be playing against them – it is a complete dream.
“It’s only just over 12 months since I made my debut and to play against the likes of Sitiveni Sivivatu, Lee Byrne and Rougerie, it’s crazy. But I can’t let myself get star-struck. I would just have to play the best I can no matter who I might be up against,” he explained.
Ulster could also play their part in a piece of Heineken Cup history for Irish rugby – Ireland have never had three clubs in the knock-out stages of any of the previous 16 tournaments – but now a new benchmark is possible for a nation which has won five Heineken Cup crowns.
