Ulster bolstered by returning Ireland players for trip to the Scarlets

Scarlets v Ulster, Parc y Scarlets (1.0, live on Premier Sports, SuperSport, Discovery +, URC TV)

Ulster head coach Dan McFarland has made seven changes from the side that started in the victory over Connacht for the trip to the Principality.

There are a handful of enforced changes to the match-day 23 as Nathan Doak, Robert Baloucoune, Stewart Moore, Tom Stewart, Cormac Izuchukwu and Callum Reid head to South Africa with the Emerging Ireland squad.

Andy Warwick is named at loosehead prop while Rob Herring, Kieran Treadwell, Nick Timoney and Michael Lowry return to Ulster colours having been part of the Ireland squad that won the summer Test series against New Zealand. Tom O’Toole, another who featured on that tour, is among the replacements.

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The former schoolboy sprint champion Aaron Sexton will make his first start for the province on the right wing while John Cooney is back to partner Billy Burns at halfback.

The Scarlets have quite an long injury list that includes Leigh Halfpenny and fellow internationals Scott Williams, Aaron Shingler, WillGriff John and Samson Lee to which Johnny McNicholl (HIA) and Tom Rogers (hamstring) were added after picking up knocks in last weekend’s 23-23 draw against the Ospreys.

Head coach Dwayne Peel is well versed with the talent within the visiting squad from his time with Ulster. He said: “It’s another home game which is good for us to get that momentum. Ulster played really well and were very clinical against Connacht last weekend.

“Their drive was a real weapon, as it has been for the last couple of years. They are a top team as they showed last season. It is a big challenge ahead of us, but we are excited about it.”

If Ulster can re-establish the platform provided by the pack last week, then they possess the wherewithal to capitalise behind the scrum, especially if centres Stuart McCloskey and Luke Marshall bring to bear the same attacking influence they enjoyed against Connacht.

It’ll be fun to watch Lowry, Sexton and Jacob Stockdale if they get some ball in space. Ulster should maintain that winning momentum.

Scarlets: I Nicholas; C Baldwin, J Davies (capt), J Williams, R Conbeer; S Costelow, G Davies; S Thomas, R Elias, J Sebastian; V Fifita, S Lousi; B Thomson, J Macleod, S Kalamafoni. Replacements: D Hughes, S O’Connor, H O’Connor, T Price, L Giannini, K Hardy, D Jones, R Patchell.

Ulster: M Lowry; A Sexton, L Marshall, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; B Burns, J Cooney; A Warwick, R Herring, M Moore; A O’Connor (capt), K Treadwell; Matty Rea, Marcus Rea, Nick Timoney. Replacements: D Moore, E O’Sullivan, T O’Toole, S Carter, S Reffell, D Shanahan, A Curtis, C Gilroy.

Referee: Sam Grove White (Scotland)