Ulster v Scarlets
URC, Kingspan Stadium, tonight, kick-off 5.15pm.
The pressure is well and truly now on Ulster as they seek to crash back into the playoffs and bring some sense of substance to what has been, so far, a largely forgettable season.
With the chances of knockout rugby in the URC looking increasingly fragile (failure to do so will even see the northern province out of next season’s Champions Cup) in what is Richie Murphy’s first full campaign at the helm, Ulster know they must now start collecting as many wins as possible from the remaining seven rounds to achieve some sense of liberation from the growing feeling of meltdown in Belfast.
Is Ireland’s production line of talent beginning to falter?
With just four victories from 11 up to this point in the league, there is a sense of urgency when the province host the Scarlets this evening, the Welsh region sitting just inside the play-off zone – at least before this evening’s game between Munster and Edinburgh – and four points ahead of Ulster.
Murphy has made six changes to the side which lost two weekends ago at Benetton Rugby – a second straight loss to an Italian side after Zebre’s win at the Kingspan Stadium – with the most eye-catching being at scrumhalf where 23-year-old Conor McKee makes his senior competitive debut, while Nathan Doak, who played for Ireland A last Sunday, is benched.
McKee links up alongside even younger outhalf Jack Murphy, who comes back into the side while, up front, the province have deployed Callum Reid at the injury-hit position of loose head prop, with cover from short-term signing from Saracens Sam Crean, and Matthew Dalton at lock for what will be his first competitive game since leaving Pro D2 side Soyaux Angoulême last October and hooking up again with his home province.
Scott Wilson starts at tight head with Tom O’Toole – who also featured for Ireland A last weekend – benched. At number eight, James McNabney gets the call after his stint in the Ireland camp.
The Scarlets – coached by former Ulster pair Dwayne Peel and Jared Payne – have made seven changes from the side which was beaten at Munster last time out, with dangerous winger Macs Page retained and Wales squad member Joe Roberts at centre.
The Welsh region have won just once on the road this season and have been nine years without tasting victory in Belfast. In that sense, it’s advantage Ulster but perhaps only just.
ULSTER: S Moore; M Lowry, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; J Murphy, C McKee; C Reid, R Herring, S Wilson; A O’Connor (capt), M Dalton; Matty Rea, N Timoney, J McNabney. Replacements: J Andrew, S Crean, T O’Toole, K Treadwell, D McCann, N Doak, J Flannery, J Postlethwaite.
SCARLETS: I Nicholas; M Page, J Roberts, J Williams, T Lewis; I Lloyd, G Davies; A Hepburn, R Elias (capt), S Wainwright; A Craig, S Lousi; M Douglas, D Davis, J Taylor. Replacements: M van der Merwe, S O’Connor, G Hawley, J Price, V Fifita, A Hughes, C Titcombe, S Evans.
Referee: S Grove-White (SRU)
