Ulster head coach Richie Murphy looks set for a bit of a family affair in Saturday night’s interprovincial in Belfast as his son Ben looks likely to be turning out for Connacht at the Kingspan Stadium.
The 23-year-old scrumhalf – the older brother of Jack, who is now at Ulster with his dad but is currently in South Africa with Emerging Ireland – has impressed after moving to Connacht over the summer and has started in their first three games.
“[It’s] a very unique situation,” explained Murphy Snr of having to factor in taking on his son in the build-up to the game.
“And he’s not giving much away as I don’t know whether he’s playing or not at the weekend, he won’t tell me.
“He’s had a really good start to the season since he moved down to Galway in the summer and has fitted in really well down there. And like every young player who makes a move, he has been given an opportunity and taken it and that’s really good to see him doing so well.
“But not this week,” added the Ulster coach.
“We’ve had a conversation on the phone, and there was a bit of banter back and forth, he’s not telling me much, he’s not even telling his mum much, which is very surprising.
“So, we’re not getting any information out of Connacht off him, he’s very loyal to his team.”
It’s not the only family situation in play though as locks Alan and Dave O’Connor might go into battle against one another on the pitch.
Ulster need a victory this weekend after two hefty beatings in South Africa left them 13th in the URC table.
They’ll have centre Jude Postlethwaite available for selection after he was released early from the Emerging Ireland tour.
Ireland centre Stuart McCloskey is not available due to an injury sustained in their bonus-point defeat to the Lions, while there is still no sign of a return for winger Rob Baloucoune. Hookers Rob Herring and Tom Stewart also remain out, meaning medical joker Tadgh McElroy continues to provide backup in the middle of the scrum.
Ulster, who notably had scrummaging issues against the Bulls pack last weekend have brought in a new face at tighthead prop as former Munster squad member Bryan O’Connor joins after stints with Bedford Blues and Gloucester.
With a shorter schedule than ideal having only returned from South Africa on Monday, Ulster are focusing on getting their game plan right for Saturday and avoiding a third successive loss.
Asked for a response to Connacht coach Peter Wilkins’s comment that Ulster’s fairly callow selection against the Bulls was probably put together in order to go all-out with a stronger team to defeat the westerners this weekend, Murphy refused to bite too hard.
“[I’ve] no response,” Murphy said before adding: “Peter should concentrate on coaching his own team.”
