Ulster ‘A’ Team Selected For Scarlets Tie
Head coach Alex Codling has named the Ulster ‘A’ squad that will travel to west Wales to take on a Scarlets Premiership Select in round 3 of the British & Irish Cup on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).
Willie Faloon will captain the side from openside flanker and he forms part of an impressive back row that includes Ballymena’s Stephen Mulholland at blindside and Sean Reidy at number 8.
Lewis Stevenson and Matthew Rea will start together in the second row for the first time, while Callum Black, John Andrew and Jonny Simpson make up the front row for the Parc y Scarlets tie.
David Shanahan and Sam Windsor form the half-back pairing, with Mark Best and Callum Patterson linking up in an exciting Belfast Harlequins/Ballymena centre partnership.
Hughes Insurance Academy backs Johnny McPhillips and Robert Lyttle will feature in a pacey back-three alongside Aaron Cairns, who is back on provincial duty after playing for the Ireland Sevens team in Dubai last weekend.
Alex Codling has opted to include Academy players Johnny Murphy, Ross Kane and John Donnan among five forward replacements, along with Ruaidhri Murphy and Conor Joyce. Paul Rowley, a try scorer for Ballynahinch last week, and young Ballymena out-half Andrew Magrath will provide cover for the backs.
ULSTER ‘A’ (v Scarlets Premiership Select): Johnny McPhillips; Aaron Cairns, Callum Patterson, Mark Best, Robert Lyttle; Sam Windsor, David Shanahan; Callum Black, John Andrew, Jonny Simpson, Lewis Stevenson, Matthew Rea, Stephen Mulholland, Willie Faloon (capt), Sean Reidy.
Replacements: Johnny Murphy, Ruaidhri Murphy, Ross Kane, John Donnan, Conor Joyce, Paul Rowley, Andrew Magrath.