Ulster host Connacht in the first interprovincial derby of the season at Kingspan Stadium, with this important inter-conference match pitting together two sides who are both looking to bounce back from defeat.
GUINNESS PRO14: Friday, October 6
ULSTER (3rd, Con B) v CONNACHT (5th, Con A), Kingspan Stadium, 7.35pm (live BBC 2 Northern Ireland/TG4)
Team News: Chris Henry returns to captain Ulster from the back row, where he will be joined by two robust ball carriers in Iain Henderson and Jean Deysel. Kyle McCall, Rob Herring and Wiehahn Herbst come in to occupy the front row positions, with Alan O’Connor and Kieran Treadwell pairing up in the second row.
John Cooney, the former Connacht scrum half who joined Ulster in the summer, and Christian Lealiifanoare retained as the province’s half-backs and will steer an all-international back-line.
Stuart McCloskey is back in midfield alongside Luke Marshall, with Jacob Stockdale and Tommy Boweselected on the wings and Charles Piutau at full-back.
John Andrew, Andrew Warwick and Rodney Ah You are the front row reserves this week, while Robbie Diack and Sean Reidy will provide Les Kiss with further forward options from the bench. Paul Marshall, Peter Nelson and Louis Ludik are the replacement backs.
Ulster have confirmed that back rower Marcell Coetzee suffered a recurrence of left knee pain and swelling in training. Due to the ongoing problems with this knee, he is travelling back to South Africa to seek the opinion of the surgeon who performed his original ACL repair. Ulster will provide a further update following this consultation.
Meanwhile, Ireland scrum half Kieran Marmion is set to make his 100th Championship appearance for Connacht in tonight’s GUINNESS PRO14 derby. Head coach Kieran Keane includes captain John Muldoon and Marmion in the starting XV, along with Matt Healy as the winger has recovered from a groin injury.
Tiernan O’Halloran moves to full-back having scored two tries against the Scarlets last time out with Cian Kelleher, also a try scorer in Llanelli last week, on the right wing.
Tom Farrell and Bundee Aki form the centre partnership. Aki has played every single minute for Connacht so far this season and Farrell’s four offloads last week were more than any other PRO14 player in round 5.
Marmion, who has made more passes than any other player so far this season (405), teams up with Jack Carty in the half-back position, with the out-half the PRO14’s fifth top scorer on 39 points.
Hooker Tom McCartney is flanked by Denis Buckley and Finlay Bealham in the front row, while the second row partnership of Ultan Dillane and Quinn Roux remains intact. Eoin McKeon, Jarrad Butler and Muldoon are the starting loose forwards.
ULSTER: Charles Piutau; Tommy Bowe, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Christian Lealiifano, John Cooney; Kyle McCall, Rob Herring, Wiehahn Herbst, Alan O’Connor, Kieran Treadwell, Iain Henderson, Chris Henry (capt), Jean Deysel.
Replacements: John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Rodney Ah You, Robbie Diack, Sean Reidy, Paul Marshall, Peter Nelson, Louis Ludik.
CONNACHT: Tiernan O’Halloran; Cian Kelleher, Bundee Aki, Tom Farrell, Matt Healy; Jack Carty, Kieran Marmion; Denis Buckley, Tom McCartney, Finlay Bealham, Ultan Dillane, Quinn Roux, Eoin McKeon, Jarrad Butler, John Muldoon (capt).
Replacements: Dave Heffernan, Denis Coulson, Conor Carey, James Cannon, Eoghan Masterson, Caolin Blade, Steve Crosbie, Eoin Griffin.
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Frank Murphy, Paul Haycock (both Ireland)
Television Match Official: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ulster to win: 1/4; Draw: 22/1; Connacht to win: 7/2
Pre-Match Quotes: Les Kiss (Ulster) – “If you come off what we did against Zebre, Connacht’s a good game to have. Since I’ve been here it’s been tough, it’s been a struggle each game, we’ve lost one of those and they’re just the ideal game.
“It’s ideal for them (Connacht) as well, they went close against the Scarlets last week, they probably should have got more out of the game. That’s the first game they played out of the conditions they usually play in down in Galway so we know it’s going to be better conditions in Belfast and they’ll be a better team, so it will be tough for us.
“We probably have to right a few wrongs this week against Connacht, without doubt. I don’t think it (the next two weeks) defines the season but it certainly gives us real strong clues as to where we’ve got to, to this stage.
“We’ve made some good progression, put some real good building blocks in place, but Connacht will give us another test, that’s for sure.”
John Muldoon (Connacht) – “Traditionally, Ravenhill has not been a good place for us to go visit. Down through the years it’s always been a bit of a graveyard for us. But in the last couple of seasons we’ve managed to go up there and play quite well and in a lot of ways unfortunately come out on the wrong side of a tough result.
“We’ve had a disappointing start to the season but we’ve progressed in every game, we’ve got better and confidence is starting to build.
“On the flip side to that, Ulster have had a phenomenal start to the season and just had a bad result (against Zebre) last weekend, so it’s two contrasting ways of coming into the game, both looking to get back on track.”
Top Scorers – 2017/18 GUINNESS PRO14: Ulster – Points: John Cooney 39; Tries: Jacob Stockdale, Andrew Trimble 3 each; Connacht – Points: Jack Carty 39; Tries: Darragh Leader, Tiernan O’Halloran 2 each
2017/18 TEAM FORM: Ulster – Played 5, Won 4, Lost 1, 19 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); Connacht – Played 5, Won 1, Lost 4, 8 Points; L 18-12 v Glasgow Warriors (home), W 32-10 v Southern Kings (home), L 21-8 v Dragons (away), L 17-15 v Cardiff Blues (home), L 36-27 v Scarlets (away)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
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
Friday, April 1, 2016 – Ulster 18 Connacht 10, Kingspan Stadium
Friday, October 7, 2016 – Connacht 30 Ulster 25, the Sportsground
Friday, December 23, 2016 – Ulster 23 Connacht 7, Kingspan Stadium
MATCH FACTS:
– Ulster’s perfect start to the new GUINNESS PRO14 season was spoiled by their 27-23 reversal to Zebre in Parma last Saturday
– The Ulsterman have not lost at Kingspan Stadium in any competition since Bordeaux-Begles were the visitors in the Champions Cup last January
– Ulster have been defeated only twice by an Irish province in Belfast since May 2014, and both of those were to Munster
– Connacht have slipped to three straight PRO14 defeats, while their only victory in the Championship since April was 32-10 at home to the Southern Kings on September 9
– Connacht have lost their last five encounters with Irish opposition since beating Ulster 30-25 in Galway in October 2016
– Ulster have lost just one of their last ten clashes with Connacht, at the Sportsground in round 6 last season, while Connacht have not triumphed in Belfast since November 1960
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