URC round 6: Cardiff v Ulster, Arms Park, Saturday, 7.35 – Live on Premier Sports 2
Having seemingly overcome their South African experience by producing two successive bonus-point wins in Belfast, Ulster get to test their mettle on the road again at a considerably less hostile Cardiff on Saturday night.
With momentum behind them from their home victories over Connacht and the Ospreys, Richie Murphy’s strong selection – five Ireland squad members for the Autumn Nations Series are in the starting team – journey to the Welsh capital with what would appear to be a good chance of signing off for the break by registering the first away win of the season.
Iain Henderson returns from the concussion he shipped against Connacht to lead the side which includes fellow Irish squad members Tom O’Toole, Cormac Izuchukwu, Nick Timoney and Stuart McCloskey.
With still no sign of Rob Herring – he has been named in Andy Farrell’s squad for next month’s four Tests – or indeed Tom Stewart, double try-scorer from last week James McCormick is given a second successive start since the 22-year-old made his debut on opening day against Glasgow.
“We’re building nicely now each week, and we’ll hopefully finish off the block strongly,” said McCormick, an Ireland under-20s Grand Slam winner in 2022, who has impressed so far.
Kieran Treadwell joins Henderson in a new engine room from the Ospreys fixture, while Timoney comes back in at openside flanker, with Marcus Rea dropping to the bench.
Behind the scrum Nathan Doak starts at nine for only the third time this season after featuring in every game, while Ireland squad member Jacob Stockdale, who along with McCormick also scored twice against the Ospreys, is stood down, with Michael Lowry moving from fullback to the left-wing berth.
Ethan McIlroy has recovered sufficiently from his ankle issue to take the number 15 shirt, and in midfield Ben Carson and Jude Postlethwaite swap, the latter starting alongside McCloskey, while the former warms a bench including Harry Sheridan, John Cooney and Scott Wilson.
Cardiff, who come into this game off the back of three successive losses, have made four changes up front and two in their backline following a 27-8 defeat at Edinburgh. Ben Thomas leads the hosts who have six members of Warren Gatland’s autumn squad on show. Former Leinster prop Ed Byrne starts in a Cardiff frontrow including Wales call-ups Evan Lloyd and Keiron Assiratti.
In the backline Mason Grady and Cameron Winnett make up two-thirds of Cardiff’s back three, while veteran Rey Lee-Lo is in midfield alongside Thomas.
CARDIFF: C Winnett; M Grady, R Lee-Lo, B Thomas (capt), I Stephens; C Sheedy, A Davies; E Byrne, E Lloyd, K Assiratti; J McNally, T Williams; B Donnell, D Thomas, A Lawrence.
Replacements: D Hughes, C Domachowski, R Litterick, R Thornton, J Botham, T Young, J Mulder, R Jennings.
ULSTER: E McIlroy; W Kok, J Postlethwaite, S McCloskey, M Lowry; A Morgan, N Doak; E O’Sullivan, J McCormick, T O’Toole; I Henderson (capt), K Treadwell; C Izuchukwu, N Timoney, D McCann.
Replacements: J Andrew, A Warwick, S Wilson, H Sheridan, Marcus Rea, J Cooney, B Carson, B Moxham.
Referee: S Grove-White (SRU).
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