Sheridan Set For 50th Ulster Appearance

Harry Sheridan and Cormac Izuchukwu will combine in the second row for Ulster when they play provincial rivals Connacht in Saturday’s BKT United Rugby Championship encounter in Galway.

Following on from last week’s derby defeat to Leinster, there are six personnel changes for the sold-out interprovincial fixture at Dexcom Stadium (kick-off 5.30pm), as Ulster look to end the calendar year on a high.

Having been sidelined through injury and illness recently, Izuchukwu is back to full fitness and will feature just a few days after confirmation of his two-year contract extension with Ulster Rugby.

The 24-year-old Sheridan has been almost ever-present for Richie Murphy’s side in the current campaign, and will win his 50th Ulster cap just under three years after making his debut against La Rochelle in the Investec Champions Cup.

Tom Stewart retains his position at hooker after an impressive try-scoring performance against Leinster, but this time he is flanked in the front row by Sam Crean and Scott Wilson, a try-scoring replacement for the Ireland XV against Spain last month.

The ever-influential Nick Timoney continues as captain as Iain Henderson (back) remains sidelined. David McCann and Juarno Augustus join him in the starting back row for the fourth time in five matches.

Scrum half Conor McKee will make his third senior start for Ulster, and his first in an interpro clash, as he links up with Jack Murphy at half-back. Nathan Doak has been nursing a calf injury.

James Hume returns from illness to partner Stuart McCloskey in the centre, and Zac Ward replaces the injured Robert Baloucoune (shoulder). He fills the left wing berth with the in-form Werner Kok moving across to the right, and Jacob Stockdale continuing at full-back.

John Andrew, Angus Bell, Tom O’Toole, Joe Hopes, and Bryn Ward will provide the forward cover among the replacements, while Doak, Jake Flannery, and Jude Postlethwaite are the back-line options.

Ulster are fifth in the table, three points behind Glasgow Warriors but have played a game less than all the current top eight. They have won their last three matches against Connacht, but have lost their last three derby fixtures since beating the westerners 17-7 in Galway last December.

Seeking to right the wrongs of back-to-back losses on the road, head coach Murphy said: “We deal in the process of the game, get the process right, we’ve got a great chance of winning the fixture at the end of the day.

“Three games away between early December and over Christmas, two interpros away. It’s a difficult period.

“If you look around all the leagues, not a huge amount of teams are winning away from home, especially when they’re playing teams that are very equal in quality.

“We know we’re in a position that we need to get a lot of things right to go down and win in Connacht, and that’s what our focus has been.”

He added: “Connacht will be massively physical. The best games that they have played at home they’ve dominated gain line.

“They’ve played on the front foot and teams haven’t been able to deal with that. That’s going to be a huge part of the game.

“They’re obviously coming off a poor result. With that in mind, they will be extra dangerous because their awareness will be massively heightened around this game. Their need to win is huge, especially with the home advantage as well.”