Ulster name strong team to face holders Toulouse in Champions Cup round of 16 on Saturday

Iain Henderson will captain a strong Ulster side against Toulouse on Saturday, with Ireland internationals Robert Baloucoune, James Hume and Michael Lowry also starting.

World cup winner Duane Vermeulen starts at no. 8 for the Ulstermen as they face off against a Toulouse side packed with stars of France's Grand Slam success.

Player of the Six Nations Antoine Dupont partners France 10 Romain Ntamack at half back, and a powerful pack is led by hooker Pierre Mauvaka.

Ulster play the first of two consecutive matches against Toulouse in France on Saturday at 3:15pm.

Toulouse are the current holders of the Champions Cup, so Ulster will have their work cut out for them if they hope to make it to the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since 2020 when they lost to the same team.

Les rogue et noir are famous for their blend of brute force and silky skills, seen nowhere better than in their brutally powerful and fantastically talented hookers Mauvaka and Cyril Baille.

Ulster have some power and talent of their own however, with Rob Herring and Marty Moore being part of a formidable front row, and Vermulen the star member of a physical back row.

They also boast one of most exciting backlines in the club game, with the invention of Baloucoune, the slipperiness of Lowry and the hard running of Hume proving too much for Clermont and Northampton Saints in the Pool stages.

This weekend's clash will set up matters for the second leg at Ravenhill next weekend.

Whichever team has the highest aggregate score after both games will go through to the last eight of Europe's premier club rugby competition.