Afoa misses out as Ulster make four changes for Pro 12 semi-final

Prop has a hamstring injury as Jackson returns at outhalf to face Scarlets

John Afoa has failed to recover from the hamstring injury he suffered against the Cardiff Blues. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
John Afoa has failed to recover from the hamstring injury he suffered against the Cardiff Blues. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

Ulster have made four changes and one positional switch to the team that defeated Cardiff last weekend, for Friday night’s RaboDirect Pro12 play-off against Llanelli Scarlets at Ravenhill.

Ireland internationals Paddy Jackson, Tom Court, Declan Fitzpatrick and Dan Tuohy all return to the side, while Ruan Pienaar moves from outhalf to scrumhalf. Paul Marshall, Callum Black and Iain Henderson, who all started last week, are named as substitutes for the game. Tighthead prop, John Afoa,has failed to recover from the hamstring injury that he sustained against Cardiff.

Mark Anscombe’s side will play the Llanelli Scarlets for a final place. The Welsh region finished fourth in the league and will make their first appearance in the play-offs tomorrow night.

The game will mark the end of an era at Ravenhill as Ulster fans bid farewell to the ground’s historic grandstand. It opened on January 12th 1924 and has witnessed almost 90 years of Ulster rugby. Demolition work will begin on the stand next week as part of the ongoing £14.7 million redevelopment of the ground.

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ULSTER: J Payne; A Trimble, D Cave, S Olding, T Bowe; P Jackson, R Pienaar; T Court, R Best, D Fitzpatrick; J Muller (c), D Tuohy; R Diack, C Henry, N Williams. Replacements: R Herring, C Black, R Lutton, I Henderson, M McComish, P Marshall, M Allen, P Nelson.