There are some fascinating individual battles in tonight’s Ulster-Connacht showdown – not least the sight of Ireland centres Jared Payne and Robbie Henshaw opposing each other at full-back – as Les Kiss’ men look to halt the westerners’ impressive run.
GUINNESS PRO12: Friday, April 1
ULSTER (5th) v CONNACHT (1st), Kingspan Stadium, 7.35pm (live BBC 2 Northern Ireland/TG4)
Team News: Ulster director of rugby Les Kiss welcomes back his Ireland international trio of Rory Best, as captain, Andrew Trimble and Jared Payne who starts at full-back.
Due to injury and the return of the international players, there are five changes to the Ulster side that faced Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium last weekend.
Rob Herring makes way for Best who returns to the front row following Ireland’s Six Nations campaign. Callum Black retains his position at loosehead prop, as does Ricky Lutton at tighthead.
Peter Browne replaces the injured Alan O’Connor in the second row, partnering Franco van der Merwe. Iain Henderson will make his first home appearance since December in the back row, and he is joined by Chris Henry and Roger Wilson, who steps in for the injured Nick Williams.
Paddy Jackson and Ruan Pienaar continue their half-back partnership, Payne and Trimble are back to full fitness and they replace Stuart Olding and Rory Scholes respectively, while Stuart McCloskey continues to partner Luke Marshall in the centre.
Paul Marshall, Olding and Darren Cave will provide back-line cover. Herring, Kyle McCall, Bronson Ross, Robbie Diack and Sean Reidy are named as the forward replacements.
A limited number of tickets are still available – buy here. The interprovincial encounter in Belfast will be broadcast live on BBC 2 Northern Ireland and TG4.
Meanwhile, ahead of Connacht’s trip north, head coach Pat Lam has made seven personnel changes to the team that defeated Leinster five days ago.
In the absence of Tiernan O’Halloran, who suffered a quad injury in training this week, Robbie Henshaw will line out at full-back with the centre partnership of Bundee Aki and the Academy’s Peter Robb retained.
Shane O’Leary is handed the reins at out-half for his first PRO12 start, while scrum half John Cooney – on his return from injury – takes over from Kieran Marmion who is also sidelined this week with a minor quad injury.
Up front, Rodney Ah You comes in for the injured Nathan White and Andrew Browne forms a new second row partnership with Aly Muldowney. Captain John Muldoon shifts to blindside flanker in a back row with Academy player James Connolly and last week’s man-of-the-match, Eoin McKeon.
Ireland international Ultan Dillane will be on bench duty for his first Connacht game since his involvement in the Six Nations. Also included among the replacements is utility back Cormac Brennan from year 1 of the Connacht Academy. This is the first matchday involvement for the 21-year-old who plays his club rugby with Galwegians.
ULSTER: Jared Payne; Andrew Trimble, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Craig Gilroy; Paddy Jackson, Ruan Pienaar; Callum Black, Rory Best (capt), Ricky Lutton, Peter Browne, Franco van der Merwe, Iain Henderson, Chris Henry, Roger Wilson.
Replacements: Rob Herring, Kyle McCall, Bronson Ross, Robbie Diack, Sean Reidy, Paul Marshall, Stuart Olding, Darren Cave.
CONNACHT: Robbie Henshaw; Niyi Adeolokun, Bundee Aki, Peter Robb, Matt Healy; Shane O’Leary, John Cooney; Denis Buckley, Tom McCartney, Rodney Ah You, Andrew Browne, Aly Muldowney, John Muldoon (capt), James Connolly, Eoin McKeon.
Replacements: Dave Heffernan, Ronan Loughney, Finlay Bealham, Ultan Dillane, Sean O’Brien, Caolin Blade, Cormac Brennan, Danie Poolman.
Referee: Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Gary Conway, Nigel Correll (both Ireland)
Television Match Official: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ulster to win: 2/9; Draw: 19/1; Connacht to win: 7/2
Pre-Match Quotes: Craig Gilroy (Ulster) – “What stands out about Connacht is the way as individuals and as a group, the players have bought into what their coach Pat Lam has been doing there over the last few years.
“They’re top of the table, and that’s no accident, they totally deserve to be there. They play a good running game, but when they have to – and they showed this against Leinster in grinding out a narrow win last weekend – they are well-organised and well-drilled.
“They’ll come flying out of the box, we know that and we’ve prepared properly this week, concentrating on the things we can do well but ready for what we expect to be thrown at us. You can have all the tactics in the world but without being mentally strong they won’t count. We have to have the right attitude. And I’m convinced we have.
“The 27-17 loss in Glasgow last week was really hard to take, it was a game we were controlling and we played some good rugby for most parts, but we didn’t take all the chances we should have.
“What I can say is that I think that when we are consistent, and playing as we can, we can beat any team in this league, and that’s what we have to do in our final four matches in the regular season – starting with Connacht.”
Pat Lam (Connacht) – “Our squad depth is strong in all positions except 10 and 15 so to lose AJ (MacGinty) to injury, have Shane go down with sickness at the start of a short week and then have Tiernan and Kieran drop out with injuries at kicking practice, it is a challenge to say the least.
“However, once again I believe it is an opportunity for us to strengthen our resolve and continue to rely on our team systems and work ethic.
“History and the short turnaround is certainly against us for the massive physical challenge that awaits us from Ulster, but we go there knowing that focusing on the quality of our team performance will give us the best chance of getting the points on offer.”
Top Scorers – 2015/16 GUINNESS PRO12: Ulster – Points: Paddy Jackson 83; Tries: Craig Gilroy 6; Connacht – Points: Craig Ronaldson 89; Tries: Matt Healy 9
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, April 19, 2013 – Connacht 18 Ulster 34, the Sportsground
Saturday, September 21, 2013 – Connacht 7 Ulster 18, the Sportsground
Friday, April 11, 2014 – Ulster 58 Connacht 12, Ravenhill
Friday, December 26, 2014 – Ulster 13 Connacht 10, Kingspan Stadium
Saturday, April 11, 2015 – Connacht 20 Ulster 27, the Sportsground
Saturday, December 26, 2015 – Connacht 3 Ulster 10, the Sportsground
MATCH FACTS:
– Ulster’s only victory in their last four GUINNESS PRO12 fixtures was 32-0 against Zebre in Belfast in round 17
– Ulster’s two home defeats in the PRO12 this season were by a margin of only two points to Munster in round 11 and just one point against the Scarlets in round 15
– Connacht are in the midst of their best ever sequence of wins in the PRO12, having won their last six matches since their 21-19 reversal at the Scarlets in round 12
– Connacht have won their last three away games, all with maximum points
– Ulster’s only defeat in their last 19 encounters with Connacht since 2005 was 26-21 in Galway in April 2012, while Connacht’s most recent victory in Belfast came in November 1960 in the Interprovincial Championship
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