Magners League: Squad for Glasgow – who’s in the team?

Brian McLaughlin has brought his Irish contingent straight back into the squad ahead of Ulster’s Magners League game away to Glasgow on Friday 25th March (KO 20.05).

Rory Best, Andrew Trimble, Paddy Wallace and Tom Court all return to the 36 man squad as the 6 Nations finished at the weekend. Simon Danielli also returns having featured for Scotland in their win over Italy on Saturday.

Twenty year old winger Conor Gaston is named in the squad for the second week running.

Friday’s last gasp win over the Dragons was a massive result for Ulster who now sit fourth in the Magners League table. Ulster have now recorded victories in their last four outings but must continue that run to remain in the hunt for a play-off spot.

FORWARDS: Jerry Cronin, Declan Fitzpatrick, Tom Court, Adam Macklin, Paddy McAllister, Bryan Young, Rory Best, Nigel Brady, Andi Kyriacou, Ryan Caldwell, Neil McComb, Dan Tuohy, Johann Muller, Tim Barker, Pedrie Wannenburg, TJ Anderson, Willie Faloon, Chris Henry, Robbie Diack.

 BACKS: Ruan Pienaar, Paul Marshall, Patrick Jackson, Niall O’Connor, Ian Whitten, Nevin Spence, Paddy Wallace, Darren Cave, Mark McCrea, Andrew Trimble, Simon Danielli, Tommy Seymour, Craig Gilroy, Conor Gaston, David McIlwaine, Jamie Smith, Adam D’Arcy.

It’s probably more important who’s not in the squad rather than who’s in it as a record breaking 36 are rolled out for possible selection. Noticeable by their absence are Ian Humphreys and Stephen Ferris who, for all the Saffers influence, were probably our two best players going into the Six Nations.

In fact Humphreys was so on his game leading up to the break that his absence on the10th April would be a bigger blow than that of Ferris! Who would have thought we’d have been saying that at the start of the season?

Young Luke Marshall also sustained a knock on Friday that will keep him out for 4 – 6 weeks. And I’ve just noticed BJ isn’t there either – how soon we forget.

I suspect they’ll want to look at out-half options with Humphreys not involved so it’ll be a return for Paddy to the 10 spot which accommodates both Cave and Spence in the centre which should be interesting as both are playing for a start in two weeks time!

So here we go The FRONTROWUNION XXIII

1 – 15: Court, Best, McAllister, Muller, Barker, Wannenburg, Faloon, Diack, Pienaar, Wallace, Danielli, Cave, Spence, Trimble, D’Arcy. 16 – 23: Kyriacou, Young, Fitzpatrick, Tuohy, Henry, Marshall P, Seymour, Gilroy.

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