McGuigan and Cochrane will have to content themselves with the bench this time round.
The Ulster Ravens team to play Bedford this Saturday at Goldington Road in the British & Irish Cup has been named.
Ulster Ravens: (15-9) Jamie Smith; Craig Gilroy, Michael Allen, Luke Marshall, Tommy Seymour; Patrick Jackson, Ian Porter. (1-8) Conor Carey, Niall Annett, Declan Fitzpatrick, Neil McComb, Ryan Caldwell, TJ Anderson (Captain), Ali Birch, Robbie Diack. (16-22) John Burns, Jerry Cronin, Ian Henderson, David McGuigan, Blane McIlroy, James McKinney, Chris Cochrane
This is the first of two consecutive weeks of British & Irish Cup action with the Ravens entertaining Moseley at Ravenhill next Friday, 17th December, KO 4pm. The Ravens got their 2010-11 campaign off to a winning start in October with a 32-12 win over Swansea at St Helens.
I gave a lot of thought to missing the Bath match and going over to watch this fantastically balanced Ravens side instead. To refresh your memory, this is one of only two sides that has made me put down my camera and just watch the game so delightfully devastating was their third quarter destruction of a strong Leinster side at Donnybrook last month.
As it is I’ll make do with the two home fixtures at Ravenhill on successive weekends and I must admit I’m more excited about seeing the juniors play Moseley next weekend than I am about the seniors playing Bath.
The team sees Gilroy, Porter, Fitzpatrick, McComb, Caldwell, Anderson and Diack all join the team that beat Leinster with Henderson, McGuigan, McIlroy and Cochrane all dropping to the bench but it would be hard to pick a change that doesn’t strengthen the team further. Fitzpatrick, McComb, Caldwell and Anderson all add experience and grunt and are well suited for the high paced game the Ravens prefer. Diack should simply love playing in this team as it’s a selection that should let him display his vast range of skills to the full.
Porter and Gilroy will both slot in the talented back line nicely with, strangely enough, senior star Gilroy being perhaps the most fortunate to start ahead of his Dungannon team mate Cochrane who has been on sparling form of late. The bench sees Ballymena’s John Burns step in as reserve hooker for the first time this season.
I expect nothing but a big win for the Ravens and can’t wait till next Friday afternoon. If you’re not going to Bath make sure you don’t miss that one.
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