URC: Connacht v Ulster, Dexcom Stadium, Saturday, 7.35 – Live on RTÉ 2 and Premier Sports 1
More than just bragging rights are at stake for Connacht and Ulster when they meet in the post-Christmas interprovincial URC fixture at Dexcom Stadium on Saturday evening.
With five teams all on 18 points, including Connacht and Ulster, victory is imperative in their chase for the top eight as those at the top start to pull away.
Both sides have plenty of incentive, but Pete Wilkins’s charges are also looking to avenge their five-point loss in the October meeting in Belfast, one not helped by indiscipline.
Victories are now required, and Wilkins acknowledges the target is to win all remaining home games, particularly with so many teams in a similar standing on the table. And, he says, it must start against Ulster.
“It’s massive in the context of our URC season, and exactly the same for Ulster as well,” said Wilkins. “So it will be a massive occasion. I know we’ll have a huge crowd for it, and the players are incredibly motivated.
“We still feel like we’ve got good momentum, and as disappointed as we were to take nothing out of the Leinster game at the Aviva, some of the rugby we played, some of the fight we displayed – we came away frustrated that we didn’t get more, rather than feeling it was out of our control.
“So there are aspects we can do better. A decent performance doesn’t hide the fact that we got no competition points from it, but it does help with confidence and belief going into this game against Ulster.”
To that end Wilkins has made only three changes from that starting XV, all of which are in the backline.
It includes a change in the halfback pairing of the familiar and hugely experienced Caolin Blade and Jack Carty, who has scored 125 points against Ulster, while Argentinian Santiago Cordero is name on the left wing. Bundee Aki and Cathal Forde continue in midfield, Mack Hansen is named on the right wing, while Piers O’Conor continues at fullback.
“We’re aware this is an important game in the context of our overall season in the URC,” added Wilkins. “With Caolin, Jack and Santi coming in, they bring a huge amount of experience, but otherwise we have that consistency of selection from last week.”
Keeping faith with last weekend’s pack that went toe-to-toe with Leinster, hooker Dave Heffernan plays his 207th game. Josh Murphy and Darragh Murray continue in the secondrow, and in the backrow Cian Prendergast captains the side from blindside, with New Zealander Shamus Hurley-Langton on the openside, and Paul Boyle at number eight.
An added element of this evening’s game is the familial dynamic with Ulster head coach Richie Murphy naming his 20-year-old son Jack at outhalf for his first start, having made his debut against Munster in their 22-19 loss. His 23-year-old son Ben is the replacement scrumhalf for Connacht.
Connacht have won six of their last eight matches against Ulster in Galway, but Murphy’s men, who also have lost their last five games, travel with added incentive to see in the new year on a positive note.
Murphy has made a host of changes in both backs and forwards, with Ben Carson joining Jude Postlethwaite in the midfield, Rory Telfer coming in for Zac Ward, and Nathan Doak back at scrumhalf.
Rob Herring is the sole survivor in the frontrow from last week and is joined by Eric O’Sullivan and Scott Wilson. Captain Alan O’Connor is joined by Cormac Izuchukwu in the secondrow, while the experienced Nick Timoney, who has scored seven tries in this fixture including in their last two meetings, joins Matty Rea and James McNabney in the backrow.
CONNACHT: Piers O’Conor; Mack Hansen, Cathal Forde, Bundee Aki, Santiago Cordero; Jack Carty, Caolin Blade; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham; Josh Murphy, Darragh Murray; Cian Prendergast (capt), Shamus Hurley-Langton, Paul Boyle.
Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Peter Dooley, Jack Aungier, Oisín Dowling, Sean Jansen, Ben Murphy, Shane Jennings, Conor Oliver (91).
ULSTER: Michael Lowry; Werner Kok, Ben Carson, Jude Postlethwaite, Rory Telfer; Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak; Eric O’Sullivan, Rob Herring, Scott Wilson; Alan O’Connor (capt), Cormac Izuchukwu; Matty Rea, Nick Timoney, James McNabney.
Replacements: John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Corrie Barrett, Kieran Treadwell, David McCann, John Cooney, Aidan Morgan, Wilhelm De Klerk.
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU).
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