Rugby

McFarland makes six changes for Ulster’s Cheetahs clash

Will Addison returns but John Cooney misses second leg of South African trip

Henry Speight moves into midfield for Ulster’s clash with the Cheetahs. Photograph: Richard Huggard/Inpho

Thu Sep 20 2018 - 13:19

Cheetahs v Ulster, Friday September 21st, Toyota Stadium (6.15pm ko, Eir Sport)

Ulster boss Dan McFarland has handed first starts to academy duo Eric O’Sullivan and Angus Kernohan as the province take on the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Friday night.

McFarland has made six changes in total from the side who beat the Southern Kings 28-7 in the first leg of their South African tour last weekend.

Summer signing Will Addison missed that fixture due to illness, but he starts at 15 on Friday, with Kernohan and Craig Gilroy on the wings.

READ MORE

Henry Speight moves from the wing to join Stuart McCloskey in a powerful midfield, while a head injury to John Cooney means Dave Shanahan starts at scrumhalf alongside number 10 Billy Burns.

O’Sullivan starts at prop with Wiehahn Herbst also coming in to join hooker Rob Herring in the frontrow, while Alan O’Connor and Kieran Treadwell are retained in the engine room.

Matthew Rea and Sean Reidy start in the backrow, with Marcell Coetzee shifting to number eight.

Ulster: W Addison; C Gilroy, H Speight, S McCloskey, A Kernohan; B Burns, D Shanahan; E O'Sullivan, R Herring (captain), W Herbst, A O'Connor, K Treadwell, M Rea, S Reidy, M Coetzee. Replacements: J Andrew, A Warwick, T O'Toole, J Deysel, N Timoney, J Stewart, A Curtis, D Cave.

Cheetahs: Malcolm Jaer; William Small-Smith, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Nico Lee, Rabz Maxwane; Tian Schoeman, Tian Meyer; Ox Nche, Jospeh Dweba, Aranos Coetzee; Walt Steenkamp, JP du Preez; Gerhard Olivier,. Junior Pokomela, Niell Jordaan. Replacements: Jacques du Toit, Charles Marais, Günther Janse van Vuuren, Justin Basson, Stephan Malan, Shaun Venter, Louis Fouche, Ryno Eksteen.

LATEST STORIES