Well it looks as though we’re still struggling to get inside the head of the new management team. It looks as though they’re happy to go into the Heineken Cup campaign with one frontline out-half, Humphreys, and Wallace as reserve in case of injury. This leaves Whitten as cover for the centre and Trimble or McCrea as cover for the centre or wing assuming Danielli returns from injury next week.
In the pack Brady and Caldwell get some much needed game time and both need big games if they are to feature in the starting line-up next week. Faloon appears to be being rested though it’s dangerous to miss even one game in this back row.
At the minute you could perm any three from five, and when Houra gets fit and Pollock returns it’ll be perm any three from seven with Anderson, Diack, Faloon, Ferris, Henry, Pollock and Houra all vying for a start. Great!
There is great competition in most positions but there is the beginning of a settled look about the key positions. I always feel the spine of the team runs through 2, 8, 9, 10 and the coaches seemed to have settled fairly emphatically on Diack, Boss and Humphreys at 8, 9, 10 with Brady getting a last chance to oust Kyriacou.
I’m going for an Ulster win here but I don’t know how much. The team will be very keen to make a big statement but at times this can be their undoing as they tend to loose a bit of control.
If Stephen Jones brings his kicking boots, which isn’t always the case at Ravers, it could nearly end up as another Edinburgh, but on balance, with the exception of Jones and Rees, it doesn’t look an overly formidable Scarlets side so I’m going to tip a bonus point win again.
Here’s hoping!
Note: Chris Henry has been withdrawn due to a training injury. Faloon moves into the starting 15 with Anderson stepping up to the bench. The team now reads: -
Ulster Team: (1-8) Court, Brady, Botha, O’Donoghue, Caldwell, Ferris, Faloon, Diack. (15-9) Schifcofske, Nagusa, Cave, Wallace, Trimble, Humphreys, Boss. (16-22) Kyriacou, Fitzpatrick, McComb, Anderson, Marshall, Whitten, McCrea
Scarlets: (15 – 9) Priestland; Lamont, Maule, Davies, Williams, Jones, Roberts. (1 – 
Thomas, Rees, Thomas, Cooper, Reed, Jones, Edwards, Lyons. (16 – 22) John, Owens, Welch, Turnbull, Pugh, Evans, Higgitt.
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