Edinburgh head to Ravenhill with all to play for

Edinburgh tackle Ulster Rugby at Ravenhill on Friday in a match that could have a huge bearing on Heineken Cup quarter-final qualification with Scotland star Chris Paterson adamant they still have a last eight place in their sights. With only four points separating Pool 4 leaders Stade Français Paris (13 points) and Ulster Rugby and Edinburgh both on nine points, the Round 5 results could go a fair distance in determining who stays in the last eight mix.

Edinburgh won the Murrayfield match against Ulster 17-13 and also beat them in the Magners League but Paterson insists Ulster are the form side and that past results will count for nothing in Belfast. “This is a whole new ball game,” said Paterson, who has scored 230 points in his 56 Heineken Cup appearances and was at the heart of Edinburgh’s 21-12 Murrayfield win over Cardiff Blues at the weekend in the only Magners League game to survive the big freeze.

“Of the two of us Ulster are the ones in better form, and they will have home advantage but, having won at Ravenhill already this season, we know we are capable of going there and doing it.

“And, make no mistake about it, there is still a lot to play for. “For perhaps the first time I can recall since I started playing in the Heineken Cup we are coming up to weekend No 5 and you still cannot tell with any degree of certainty just how the group is going to finish.

“Stade have put themselves in pole position with one more win than ourselves and Ulster but, so far, there is no real winner or loser in our group. “Sometimes after just a couple of rounds sides can see they are already on the way out but this Pool is finely balanced and it promises to be an exciting weekend in Paris and Belfast.

“However, we know full well that if we lose at Ravenhill we will be as good as out.

“Ulster are a very physical, abrasive, big and powerful team but they are also pretty quick.

“The power of their game is a real threat while they now have a settled back line with Andrew Trimble and Simon Danielli dangerous out wide.

“We know we have performed poorly away from home so we need to sort that out and an away win on Friday would be like gold dust.

“We were disappointed to lose the two big derby games against Glasgow – they deserved to win on both occasions – but we are a bit out of form and have hit something of a blip.

“How we recover from that is to go out and do the small things more accurately, eliminate those unforced mistakes and, hopefully, start scoring some more tries.

“Of course we have to go into the game with a positive attitude, knowing that in those two previous games this season both were very similar and both could have gone either way.

“As always in the Heineken Cup, bonus points could well have a big part to play in qualification and then there is also possible Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final qualification in the mix this time for three Heineken Cup runners-up.

“Obviously all of us target success in the Heineken Cup as the main objective but the more European games you can play at this level is all the better.”

http://www.heavensgame.com/competiti...-play-for.html

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maybe a little bit of gamesmanship from Chris Patterson here, not sure I would go so far to place Ulster as the 'in-form' side but it is probably his intention to major on the underdog tag. It's true that Ulster did win their last match against Munster but that was some time ago (last weeks game was cancelled due to snow) and haven't been able to train on outdoor pitches since, Embra also chalked up a win and will go into the game possibly better prepared.

I'm travelling over for this one in preference to a trip to Paris where my other side Bath will face Stade Francais, I think it will be a massive task but Bath can do us all (except the French) a great favour even if they can't manage a victory by preventing SF from getting a bonus point.

In Ravenhill I feel a crucial element to the game will be Ulster's discipline, particularly with the French referee in charge. If the penalty giving machine aka Ryan Caldwell starts in the Ulster 2nd row with Chris Patterson in form then I can see Embra keeping the scoreboard ticking over, Ulster on the other hand have two excellent wingers (Trimble and Danielli) who will be too much for the Emra defence.

My guess:

Embra 15 (all from CP penalties)

Ulster 22 (but failing to get the all important bonus point).

....oh please let it be :-)