Humphreys, Longwell, Out of Ulster Side
18/04/02.Ulster will be without several of their leading players including David Humphreys & Gary Longwell for Friday’s Guinness Interprovincial clash against Connacht in the Sportsground
Announcing the side yesterday, Alan Solomons was forced to omit Humphreys and Longwell along with Jeremy Davidson, Mark Blair and Rusell Nelson.
In what he described as a “game of opportunities” there are a couple of new faces in the Ulster line-up. Following an injury to Paul Shields and Matt Sexton’s family bereavement Dungannon’s Nigel Brady has been given his first Ulster start, less than a month after he received a development contract.
Warren Brosnihan, the former Springbok and Natal Sharks player will also make his Ulster debut in his first competitive match since October of last year. Brosnihan has been in Ulster since the beginning of March and while the fractured season has been somewhat of a disruption to some players he has been grateful of the time he has had to settle down to life in Ulster, get to know his team mates and to get used to the weather! He’s been greatly impressed by the work ethic of the Ulster Squad and has so far relished his opportunity to work with Alan Solomons and his management team.
Paddy Wallace will move to the out half position as Humphreys rests his niggling ankle injury, and said he was looking forward to blowing out a few cobwebs and get back to playing his preferred position.
Solomons has selected Wallace at 10 with an eye to next season, “Obviously Ireland will have to qualify for the World Cup and so David Humphreys may be unavailable for many of the Celtic League ties”.
For an Ulster side that last played together against Treviso on the 11th January it is extremely important not to underestimate their opponents. With player focus having been on international and club rugby in the past few months, Andy Ward, who will once again captain the side, stressed the importance of the past week in allowing players to gell together again.
,b>Ulster: Bryn Cunningham, James Topping, Ryan Constable, Adam Larkin, Tyrone Howe, Paddy Wallace, Neil Doak, Justin Fitzpatrick, Nigel Brady, Simon Best, Paddy Johns, Aidan Kearney, Tony McWhirter, Andy Ward (Captain), Warren Brosnihan.
Replacements: Bryan Young, Richie Weir, Matt McCullough, Andrew Hughes, Kieran Campbell, Sheldon Coulter, Jan Cunningham.