URC: Edinburgh v Ulster, Hive Stadium, Friday, 7pm – Live on Premier Sports
Ulster head coach Richie Murphy had two of the four changes in personnel to the side that beat the Dragons foisted on him because of injuries sustained by Michael Lowry (hip) and Jacob Stockdale (foot) for Friday night’s trip to Edinburgh in the United Rugby Championship.
The versatile Stewart Moore replaces Lowry, while Zac Ward swaps the right wing for the left wing, with South African Werner Kok promoted to the run-on team. Up front Tom Stewart is named as hooker with Sean Reffell introduced at openside flanker.
Nick Timoney moves to number eight. Rob Herring and Dave McCann drop to a bench that includes Jude Postlethwaite, who wasn’t in the matchday 23 last week. Due to Storm Amy, the kick-off time has been brought forward a little over an hour from its original slot of 8.05pm.
Ulster will face an Edinburgh side that will have access to five of their British and Irish Lions. Darcy Graham will play his first match since picking up an injury on the tour in Australia, while on the other wing Duhan van der Merwe starts having been among the replacements last week.
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Prop Pierre Schoemann, hooker Ewan Ashman and Grant Gilchrist, who toured with the Lions in the summer, are named in the starting pack. Tipperary native and Scotland international Ben Healy retains his place at outhalf, so too, English born, Irish qualified centre Piers O’Conor, who joined Edinburgh from Connacht during the summer.
Head coach Sean Everitt has made five changes to the side that lost 31-28 to Zebre at the Stadio Lanfranchi last weekend.
He said: “It’s brilliant to be able to welcome guys of that calibre into our side. It was great to see them playing so well in the famous red jerseys this summer, and we’re looking forward to seeing them back at home in front of our fans.”
Ulster recovered from handing the Dragons a 7-0 start last week to run in six tries, four from the pack, in a 42-21 win. Lowry’s injury is both unfortunate and inopportune given his outstanding performance in that match, a catalyst in attack with his footwork, pace and appreciation of the running lines of team-mates.
Stockdale was conspicuously excellent going forward, a statement that also applied to Ward and indeed the three-quarter line in general. Jack Murphy and Nathan Doak managed the plentiful supply of possession pretty well. The pack provided that platform, Tom O’Toole industrious, while Cormac Izuchukwu, Dave McCann and Timoney managed to impact the game in their primary roles and further afield.
[ Ulster bracing for Edinburgh storm after sailing through Dragons openerOpens in new window ]
The more primary concern for Murphy and Ulster is trying to build on last week’s performance against a team that will be driven to respond positively from last week’s disappointment in Italy. Reports from Scotland suggest that the Hive Stadium will be full.
This game will be a more rigorous test of Ulster’s wellbeing than last weekend, particularly in the absence of Lowry and Stockdale. The weather is going to place a huge emphasis on being accurate, particularly in terms of kicking and the aerial duels.
Edinburgh are marginal favourites but Ulster have the capacity to turn that assertion on its head, provided they produce a performance of substance and poise.
EDINBURGH: W Goosen; D Graham, P O’Conor, J Lang, D van der Merwe; B Healy, B Vellacott; P Schoeman, E Ashman, D Rae; M Sykes, G Gilchrist; L McConnell, H Watson, M Bradbury (capt).
Replacements: P Harrison, J Whitcombe, A Williams, S Skinner, F Douglas, C Shiel, F Thomson, H Paterson.
ULSTER: S Moore; W Kok, J Hume, S McCloskey, Z Ward; J Murphy, N Doak; C Reid, T Stewart, T O’Toole; I Henderson (capt), H Sheridan; C Izuchukwu, S Reffell, N Timoney.
Replacements: R Herring, S Crean, S Wilson, D McCann, J Augustus, C McKee, J Flannery, J Postlethwaite.
Referee: C Allison (South Africa).
