Ulster Head Coach Brian McLaughlin has named his starting XV, plus replacements, ahead of Tuesday’s Magners League match, against Ospreys at Ravenhill, kick off 7.30pm.
Commenting on the Magners League clash, Ulster Assistant Coach Neil Doak said:
With our last game against Cardiff providing a ten day window to recover and prepare for the Ospreys on Tuesday night, it has given us the opportunity to get a few bodies back on board. We have to see how things work out with regards to fitness, but the aim is to push to win all the remaining games. We have two games at home and two away left, so we have got to make sure we are ready to put in a performance, in what is sure to be a very physical challenge tomorrow night.
The Ospreys are on a mini-tour, they are out of the Heineken Cup, having narrowly lost to Biarritz on Saturday, so now they will be focused on getting a top four finish in the Magners. We are expecting a high quality side to take the field tomorrow and we have to be ready to make our home advantage count. If we can get a few early points on the board, then we can settle into the game and play a bit of rugby.
There are a number of changes in the pack. Bryan Young starts at loose head, in place of Declan Fitzpatrick. Dan Tuohy pulls on the No 5 Jersey, while Ryan Caldwell begins the match on the bench. Captain Chris Henry starts as open side flanker, with Robbie Diack at No8. In the backs; Paddy Wallace starts at full back, in place of Jamie Smith, with Ian Whitten partnering Darren Cave in the centre.
Ulster Team: (1-8) Bryan Young, Rory Best, BJ Botha, Ed O’Donoghue, Dan Tuohy, Stephen Ferris, Chris Henry (Capt), Robbie Diack. (15-9) Paddy Wallace, Andrew Trimble, Darren Cave, Ian Whitten, Simon Danielli, Niall O’Connor, Isaac Boss. (16-22) Andi Kyriacou, Tom Court, Ryan Caldwell, David Pollock, Paul Marshall, Ian Humphreys, Nevin Spence
Tickets are still available for Ulster v Ospreys and will be available to purchase on the gates tomorrow night.
So there you go - a few changes there. Good to see Bryan Young start but I still have my reservations over Rory’s full recovery. However if he and Ferris are fully fit then this pack wouldn’t be far off our strongest selection in my opinion.
The backs are a different matter. Paddy is again suffering due to his versatility. I would have loved to have seen what sort of player he would have become if he had stuck to the centre all the way through his career and moving him to full back takes away some of the creative play from the midfield. I think this is a risky move given that Humps is not starting and it’s difficult to see where we’re going to make the linebreaks. However given that Smith and Nagusa aren’t in the squad I’m assuming they have’t recoverd from knocks so maybe the options are limited.
It therefore looks like we’re going to be taking the Ospreys on up front and this could be risky enough considering that the O’s are fielding their full strength side for this league match and are probably expecting to win this one and take the hit against Leinster at the weekend.
However, the Ulster pack do tend to up thier perform when they are playing what they regard as the “better” sides so as long as the Ulster pack take it too them they might just have a chance. If the pack don’t front up I can’t see it being anyting but an Ospreys win, and a comfortable one at that!
Ospreys: (15-9) Lee Byrne, Tommy Bowe, Sonny Parker, James Hook, Shane Williams, Dan Biggar, Mike Phillips. (1-8) Ryan Bevington, Huw Bennett, Ian Gough, Jonathan Thomas, Jerry Collins, Marty Holah, Ryan Jones (Capt). (16-22) Ed Shervington, Paul James, Alun Wyn Jones, Filo Tiatia, Jamie Nutbrown, Andrew Bishop, Nikki Walker
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Good to see McLaughlin looking towards the future. He is clearly preparing for a run in the Amlin Cup next season.
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Not the Ospreys team I expected. I hope after losing in the heat of San Sabastian and carrying a few knocks they will not be up for it. If we can get stuck into them early hopefully they will choke and/or throw their teddies out of the pram.
Nigel Owens was originally scheduled to referee the postponed fixture.
McLaughlin must have read my post in relation to team selection as I called most of the changes, Young at loose head, the return of Tuohy and Diack to the pack and the return of Whitten to centre and Paddy to full back. His season rests on the choice of O’Connor at out half which I feel is a mistake.
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Paddy at fool-back is someone at Raving Hill taking the piss or do they just have a short memory span
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DD – the problem is Smith, McCrea and Cunningham are injured and “the management” let Schifcofske go off and play rugby league in Wales.
Who else is there?
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Paddy has developed and matured since his last outing at full-back v Leicester and unless Isaac was going to move to full-back leaving Paul Marshall as scrumhalf then Paddy is probably the right choice, the worry that I have is at no.10, Ian Humphs should be starting but then I’m beginning to think that BMcL has been reading Matt Williams coaching manual……signed disillusioned.
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