Ulster Team Announced For Edinburgh Pre-Season Match
Cormac Izuchukwu, who now has three Ireland senior caps to his name, will start in the back row for Ulster against Edinburgh ©INPHO/Tom Maher
Five players who were part of the Ireland Men’s summer tour squad will be on duty for Ulster in Friday’s Bank of Ireland pre-season match against Edinburgh at Affidea Stadium (kick-off 7.35pm – live on Ulster Rugby Live). Tickets are available to buy here.
Tom O’Toole, Cormac Izuchukwu, and Nathan Doak will all start for Richie Murphy’s men, while Scott Wilson and Nick Timoney are selected on an extended bench for the visit of the Scottish side to Befast.
Izuchukwu was involved in both of Ireland’s tour wins in July, starting the Georgia game in the second row. Timoney was a try scorer from openside flanker in Tbilisi, and prop O’Toole was brought on as a second half replacement against Portugal.
Iain Henderson will captain Ulster tomorrow as they warm up for the start of the BKT United Rugby Championship. Having only returned from a hamstring injury late last season, he was not considered for Ireland’s recent tour in order for him to focus on a full pre-season programme.
He will be partnered in the second row by Matthew Dalton, with Izuchukwu, Sean Reffell, and David McCann the starting loose forwards. Tighthead prop O’Toole is joined in the front row by Callum Reid and John Andrew.
At half-back, Doak pairs up again with the 21-year-old Jack Murphy, who had a breakthrough first season in the Ulster Academy, earning himself a senior contract following 13 senior appearances, including eleven starts, and a 46-point haul.
Raring to go for his first run-out since April, James Hume will combine with Jude Postlethwaite in midfield, and Jake Flannery dons the number 15 jersey in a back-three that also features Werner Kok and Ireland Sevens international Zac Ward.
Among the replacements are prop Sam Crean, who has joined Ulster on a permanent basis following a loan spell last season, and Ulster Academy backs Jonny Scott, Ethan Graham, Lukas Kenny, and Wilhelm de Klerk.
Banbridge centre Scott played three times for the Ireland Under-20s at this summer’s World Rugby U-20 Championship in Italy. He bagged a first-half brace of tries during their play-off win over Spain in July.
Henderson commented: “It’s been the culmination of a whole pre-season of work, and it’s been great to have new faces in amongst the squad, really putting their best foot forward in the weeks we’ve had leading into this game.
“We had a bit of an internal match last week, so the guys are champing at the bit to get into this week’s game against Edinburgh. Every game is special here, so it’s up to us to kind of bring that atmosphere to begin with, and hopefully the fans will enjoy what we put out there.
“I’m really excited. There’s been guys that have been training really well, showing really exciting stuff in training, so hopefully we see a bit of that out there tomorrow night.”
Friday’s Bank of Ireland pre-season friendly between Ulster and Edinburgh will be streamed exclusively live on Ulster Rugby’s streaming platform, Ulster Rugby Live. Click here for details on how to watch.
ULSTER (v Edinburgh): Jake Flannery; Werner Kok, James Hume, Jude Postlethwaite, Zac Ward; Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak; Callum Reid, John Andrew, Tom O’Toole, Iain Henderson (capt), Matthew Dalton, Cormac Izuchukwu, Sean Reffell, David McCann.
Replacements: James McCormick, Sam Crean, Scott Wilson, Harry Sheridan, Nick Timoney, Conor McKee, Jonny Scott, Ben Carson, Marcus Rea, Ethan Graham, Lukas Kenny, Wilhelm de Klerk.