For the first time the GUINNESS PRO14 hosts a play-off game for the final place in the Champions Cup as a result of adopting a Conference format this season. It is winner-takes-all as Ulster host the Ospreys in Belfast.
CHAMPIONS CUP QUALIFICATION PLAY-OFF: Sunday, May 20
ULSTER (4th, Con B) v OSPREYS (5th, Con A), Kingspan Stadium, 3.05pm (live BBC 2 Northern Ireland/S4C)
Team News: Robbie Diack, Callum Black and Charles Piutau will play their final games in Ulster colours after being named in the starting XV for today’s crunch Champions Cup qualification play-off against the Ospreys at Kingspan Stadium.
Tickets for Sunday afternoon’s clash in Belfast, which is part of the GUINNESS PRO14 final series, are available from just £12 for children and £17 for adults via ulsterrugby.com/buytickets.
The Ulster management team have been boosted by the return of key backs John Cooney and Piutau, who missed the PRO14 derby trip to Munster earlier this month due to concussion and personal reasons respectively.
However, Rory Best (hamstring), Iain Henderson and Clive Ross (both knee) have been ruled out through injury, so Rob Herring, Kieran Treadwell and Diack come into the line-up. That means that there are five personnel changes to the side that drew 24-all at Thomond Park.
Cooney, the newly-announced Bank of Ireland Ulster Player of the Year, will start at scrum half, resuming his half-back partnership with fellow former Ireland Under-20 international Johnny McPhillips, who is set for his ninth consecutive start.
The Bistol-bound Piutau’s inclusion at full-back sees Louis Ludik switch to the right wing berth, with Jacob Stockdale named on the other flank. Stuart McCloskey and Luke Marshall will form a familiar partnership in the province’s midfield.
Diack, who will earn his 206th Ulster cap on Sunday, will be joined in the back row by Sean Reidy and Nick Timoney. With Best out injured, Herring comes in to start at hooker and will also take over the captaincy role. Black and Ross Kane will pack down either side of their skipper, while Alan O’Connor and Treadwell are paired together in the second row.
Abbey Insurance Academy lock Jack Regan could make his senior debut after being named among the replacements. Fellow Academy player Tom O’Toole, hooker John Andrew, prop Andrew Warwick and back rower Chris Henry are also included on the bench, and David Shanahan, Darren Cave and Craig Gilroy are the reserve backs.
Meanwhile, Ospreys boss Allen Clarke, the former Ulster and Ireland hooker, has made three changes to the team that overcame Cardiff Blues 26-23 in the sides’ ‘Judgement Day’ clash at the Principality Stadium three weeks ago.
With Dan Evans (foot) and Kieron Fonotia (hamstring) both nursing injuries, Sam Davies and Ashley Beck come in to start at full-back and outside centre respectively. Dan Lydiate’s return to fitness following a bicep injury sees him included at blindside flanker, replacing the benched Sam Cross.
Dan Biggar, who is leaving to join Northampton Saints, will be eager to bow out with the Ospreys on a winning note. The Wales out-half has played for the Ospreys since 2007 and scored almost 2200 points, with this afternoon’s match marking his 221st and final appearance for the Welsh region.
Long-serving centre Beck, who is departing for Worcester Warriors, Canadian winger Jeff Hassler and France-bound Moldovan prop Dmitri Arhip are also set for their last run-outs in an Ospreys jersey.
ULSTER: Charles Piutau; Louis Ludik, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Johnny McPhillips, John Cooney; Callum Black, Rob Herring (capt), Ross Kane, Alan O’Connor, Kieran Treadwell, Robbie Diack, Sean Reidy, Nick Timoney;
Replacements: John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Tom O’Toole, Jack Regan, Chris Henry, David Shanahan, Darren Cave, Craig Gilroy.
OSPREYS: Sam Davies; Jeff Hassler, Ashley Beck, Owen Watkin, Hanno Dirksen; Dan Biggar, Tom Habberfield; Nicky Smith, Scott Otten, Dmitri Arhip, Bradley Davies, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Dan Lydiate, Justin Tipuric, James King.
Replacements: Ifan Phillips, Rhodri Jones, Ma’afu Fia, Adam Beard, Sam Cross, Matthew Aubrey, Cory Allen, James Hook.
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Mike Adamson (Scotland), Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
Television Match Official: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ulster to win: 4/7; Draw: 14/1; Ospreys to win: 7/5
Pre-Match Quotes: Ross Kane (Ulster) – “We’ve a big task ahead of us but we’re ready for the challenge. We played the Ospreys only a few weeks ago so we know it’s going to be a difficult game. They’ve been doing really well and have won seven out of their last 10 PRO14 games. So, it’ll be tough but we’re up for the task.
“It will be a huge occasion and I think the home advantage is definitely a big positive for us. Any game you play at home is definitely helpful, but particularly in the big games. Hopefully there will be a big crowd and we’ll give them something to cheer about.
“Having such a long break is not the norm. Usually you get your day or two at the weekend and then you’re straight back into focusing so we’ve just tried to keep that concentration and working on improving as individuals and as a collective.
“We’ve been making good strides in our scrum, we’ve been doing a lot of work on our set-ups and various other bits and pieces with Aaron (Dundon) and I definitely think that we’re seeing positive progress from the work that we’re putting in.”
Allen Clarke (Ospreys) – “It’s a big game, no doubt, and there is a prize for both sides at the end of it. Both teams want to be playing in the Champions Cup next season. You earn the right to play in the elite competition and, for ourselves and Ulster, it all comes down to this one game.
“As a collective, we’ve had to work hard to put ourselves into a position where we are one win away from qualification. We’ve come from somewhere where absolutely nobody would have backed us to get through, after we lost in Connacht in February, and we did that by digging in, staying tight as a team and working hard together to put together a run of results that has put us where we are.
“Ulster are a very good team and they will have home advantage but our preparation, our focus, has been all about us and that will be the case again for 80 minutes on Sunday.”
Top Scorers – 2017/18 GUINNESS PRO14: Ulster – Points: John Cooney 160; Tries: Craig Gilroy 8; Ospreys – Points: Dan Biggar 107; Tries: Dan Evans 5
2017/18 TEAM FORM: Ulster – Played 21, Won 12, Drawn 2, Lost 7, 62 Points; W 42-19 v Toyota Cheetahs (home), W 21-14 v Benetton Rugby (away), W 27-20 v Scarlets (home), W 52-25 v Dragons (home), L 27-23 v Zebre (away), W 16-8 v Connacht (home), L 25-10 v Leinster (home), W 43-36 v Southern Kings (away), W 23-22 v Benetton Rugby (home), D 32-32 v Dragons (away), L 44-16 v Connacht (away), W 24-17 v Munster (home), L 38-7 v Leinster (away), W 59-10 v Southern Kings (home), L 17-16 v Edinburgh (home), L 34-10 v Scarlets (away), L 35-17 v Cardiff Blues (away), W 32-20 v Edinburgh (away), W 8-0 v Ospreys (home), W 36-15 v Glasgow Warriors (home), D 24-24 v Munster (away); Ospreys – Played 21, Won 9, Lost 12, 44 Points; W 22-13 v Zebre (home), L 31-10 v Glasgow Warriors (away), L 21-16 v Munster (home), L 16-6 v Benetton Rugby (away), L 44-25 v Toyota Cheetahs (away), L 19-18 v Scarlets (home), W 28-14 v Dragons (home), L 37-10 v Edinburgh (away), L 47-6 v Glasgow Warriors (home), L 36-10 v Munster (away), L 12-9 v Scarlets (away), W 22-9 v Dragons (away), W 29-28 v Cardiff Blues (home), L 26-15 v Connacht (away), W 26-12 v Southern Kings (home), W 27-26 v Toyota Cheetahs (home), W 32-18 v Leinster (home), W 39-10 v Connacht (home), L 8-0 v Ulster (away), L 37-14 v Zebre (away), W 26-23 v Cardiff Blues (away)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Saturday, December 20, 2014 – Ospreys 31 Ulster 20, Liberty Stadium
Friday, September 4, 2015 – Ulster 28 Ospreys 6, Kingspan Stadium
Saturday, May 7, 2016 – Ospreys 26 Ulster 46, Liberty Stadium
Saturday, October 1, 2016 – Ulster 9 Ospreys 7, Kingspan Stadium
Saturday, April 29, 2017 – Ospreys 24 Ulster 10, Liberty Stadium
Friday, April 13, 2018 – Ulster 8 Ospreys 0, Kingspan Stadium
MATCH FACTS:
– This is the first time that either team have had to try to qualify for the Champions Cup through a play-off match
– Ulster are the only side to have played in the Champions Cup every year since its inception in 1995/96 and who have never played a game in the Challenge Cup
– Ulster are unbeaten in their last four matches since their 35-17 reversal to Cardiff Blues at the Arms Park in round 18
– Ulster lost just twice in Belfast this season, to Leinster in round 7 and Edinburgh by a single point in round 15
– The Ospreys have lost two of their last three matches but did beat Cardiff Blues 26-23 at the Principality Stadium on ‘Judgement Day’ in round 21
– The Welshmen have lost on their last seven visits to an Irish province since beating Connacht in Galway in September 2016
– Ulster’s only defeat in their last five fixtures with the Ospreys was 24-10 at the Liberty Stadium in April 2017, while the last occasion that the Ospreys won in Belfast was 16-12 in February 2013
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