All signs point towards the Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 first leg between Stade Toulousain and Ulster Rugby on Saturday being an evenly-matched encounter. The teams have faced off 12 times in the competition – including an entertaining opening-round clash last season - and have won five games each, drawing once. Toulouse, who progressed to the knockout stage after coming seventh in Pool A, have won nine of their previous 10 home knockout games in the competition. Meanwhile, Ulster, who claimed victory in all four of their Pool A games to finish second, have lost four of their previous five away games in the knockout stage. The contest at Le Stadium kicks off at 15:15 UK and Irish time, and is being televised live on BT Sport, beIN SPORTS and FR 2. https://twitter.com/ChampionsCup/status/1510210936455536640 Other key stats:

Toulouse’s only defeat in their last 10 home knockout games in the European Cup came against Leinster at the quarter-final stage of the 2005/06 season (35-41).
Stade Toulousain have won each of their last 10 games at home in the Heineken Champions Cup, with an average winning margin of 15.7 points. Ulster, meanwhile, have won four of their last seven away games in the competition (L3), although two of their three losses have come against French opposition.
Ulster's only win in the knockout stage of the European Cup came against Munster in the quarter-finals in 2011/12 (16-22).
Toulouse have conceded more turnovers per game than any other team in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup (20), while Ulster have conceded the joint-fewest turnovers amongst all teams remaining in the competition (9).
Ulster have enjoyed the most possession, on average, of any side in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup (56%). They also rank fifth for time spent in opposition territory (55%), while Toulouse are fourth from last amongst teams still in the competition when it comes to territory percentage (49%).
Toulouse’s Peato Mauvaka has the joint-best lineout throwing success rate amongst all players in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup (min.12 attempts), having found his man with 25 of his 26 throws (96%, alongside Racing 92 hooker Teddy Baubigny).
No player has averaged more meters (171) or defenders beaten (11) per game in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup than Toulouse scrum-half Antoine Dupont.
No player has completed more tackles in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup than Ulster’s Nick Timoney (56), with his 89% completion rate also being the second highest of all players to have attempted at least 50 tackles this campaign.
Ulster full-back Michael Lowry has carried 563 meters in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup, a competition-high and almost 200 meters more than second-placed Alivereti Raka (382). Ulster’s James Hume ranks third on 379.

Key quote: Ulster captain Iain Henderson: “We know we have put hard work in over the last fortnight and the buzz and excitement will start to grow this week as it always does around the European Cup.”