Ulster Receive Fitness Boost As Team To Face Exeter Is Revealed

Timoney will link up with David McCann and South African number 8 Juarno Augustus, forming the same starting back row from the last two rounds of European action. Bryn Ward has overcome a shoulder injury to claim the back row spot on the bench.

The half-back berths are occupied again by Jack Murphy and Nathan Doak, who have scored 22 points each during Ulster’s Challenge Cup run, while the returning Postlethwaite will partner Stuart McCloskey, a 2026 Guinness Six Nations Player of the Championship nominee, in midfield.

After captaining his province for the first time in a competitive match against Munster in Limerick, Lowry will have Zac Ward, Ulster’s leading try scorer this season with 12 tries, and Jacob Stockdale for company in the back-three. Ward bagged braces against La Rochelle and Leinster recently.

Murphy has selected a five-three split among the replacements, with exciting talents ready to make their impact. James McCormick, Eric O’Sullivan, sufficiently recovered from a back injury, Tom McAllister, Charlie Irvine, and Bryn Ward are the forward options.

21-year-old Academy prop McAllister is in line for his Challenge Cup debut, following three URC appearances from mid-March onwards. Conor McKee, Jake Flannery, and Ethan McIlroy will cover the back-line for the Ulstermen.

Murphy’s men are unbeaten at home in Europe this season – beating Racing 92, Stade Français, the Ospreys, and La Rochelle along the way – and have scored 27 tries and 210 points from their six Challenge Cup fixtures so far.

Ulster were convincing 52-24 winners when Exeter last visited Belfast in the Investec Champions Cup in January 2025, but Henderson warned: “We know the Exeter side, and the games that they’ve been producing over the last number of weeks and months, is way different to the Exeter side that we saw here last year.

“I think it’s going to be incredibly tough, but look, it’s exciting to have a home knockout match again, and something we’re incredibly proud of.

“A semi-final is big for any club, but a home semi-final is massive. It’s something we strived towards at the start of the season. We talked about getting home knockout matches. We didn’t talk about getting to quarters or semis, we just wanted home knockout matches.

“There’s a lot of guys really disappointed with how they played against Leinster. A lot of guys disappointed with how a few of the performances have been this year, and I think there’s been a handful of guys who have been very honest about that.

“I know that whenever we have those chats, we often get good reactions out of that, and I’m really excited about what the lads are going to bring this weekend. We’ll have to wait and see if we can get one more game in this competition.”