McLaughlin demands clinical Ulster performance
With a home win already in the bag in their opening game against Bath, McLaughlin has called in flanker Tamaiti Horua for the injured Thomas Anderson and fit-again lock Dan Tuohy for Neil McComb in a 25-man squad.
Horua and fly-half cover Niall O’Connor are likely to be the duo to miss out when McLaughlin names his 23-man squad tomorrow, with Tuohy starting from the bench.
Tuohy has fully recovered from a head-to-head with the Ospreys All Black Jerry Collins and although he was first-choice lock alongside Ryan Caldwell, Ed O’Donoghue has been excellent as his replacement. Simon Danielli looks like he will have to wait again until after half-time to get a run, since Andrew Trimble is back to his best.
McLaughlin will be hoping to put Edinburgh to bed early as they should have done when the Scottish side came back from the dead to win 12-10 in the Magners League.
“We have looked carefully at how the Ospreys and Stade virtually finished them off in the first 25 minutes. While we completely dominated Edinburgh in the first-half, we found ourselves only 10-0 up at half-time. The Ospreys and Stade were already out of sight. That is now our objective, we must be a lot more ruthless.”
McLaughlin realises playing at Murrayfield is a far cry from Ravenhill where the crowd is right behind them and closer to the action.
“Murrayfield is a difficult place to play, particularly when you have only one side of the ground filled with spectators.
“Hopefully we will get a lot of exiles going to the match to back up those who are travelling over from home. If we get our supporters to shout plenty, it will be in our favour.
“But it is up to us to keep their supporters quiet,” said McLaughlin whose coaching methods appear to be working a treat.
“Everything is going to plan. I don’t have any problems with the players getting ahead of themselves. They completely understand the importance of this game and realise playing Edinburgh at home is no easy matter. After two very heavy defeats, they will be anxious to get back on track.
“As long as we go into the match with the right attitude, then I think we can put ourselves into contention in Pool 4.”
ULSTER squad (forwards): N Brady, B Botha, R Caldwell, T Court. B Young, E O’Donoghue, S Ferris, A Kyriacou, D Tuohy, R Diack, C Henry, W Faloon, T Horua, D Fitzpatrick.
(Backs): T Nagusa, D Cave, N O’Connor, S Danielli, I Whitten, P Wallace, P Marshall, I Boss, A Trimble, I Humphreys, C Schifcofske.
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