Dungannon's Conor Gaston makes his first appearance in the senior squad.
Ulster have announced the squad for the Dragons match:
A 31 man squad from which the Ulster starting XV and replacements to play the Dragons this Friday evening at Ravenhill will be chosen, has been named.
Irish Internationals Rory Best, Andrew Trimble, Tom Court and Paddy Wallace are unavailable this week, ahead of Ireland’s final Six Nations match against England on Saturday while Ian Humphreys remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.
BJ Botha and Stephen Ferris continue their rehab from elbow and knee injuries respectively but on a more positive note, Dan Tuohy is included in the extended squad looking close to returning from rugby after recovering from a quad tear.
Ulster’s game against the Dragons was originally due to be played at the beginning of December but fell foul to frosty weather conditions. Tickets issued for the December match are valid for Friday night’s game.
Ulster currently occupy fifth place in the Magners League table with ambitions of making a play off place. Tickets for the match which kicks off at 19.05 are available to purchase from www.ulsterrugby.com
FORWARDS: Declan Fitzpatrick, Bryan Young, Adam Macklin, Paddy McAllister, Jerry Cronin, Nigel Brady, Andi Kyriacou, Neil McComb, Dan Tuohy, Tim Barker, Johann Muller, Willie Faloon, Robbie Diack, Chris Henry, TJ Anderson, Pedrie Wannenburg. BACKS: Adam D’Arcy, Jamie Smith, Tommy Seymour, David McIlwaine, Craig Gilroy, Mark McCrea, Luke Marshall, Conor Gaston, Nevin Spence, Ian Whitten, Darren Cave, Paddy Jackson, Niall O’Connor, Paul Marshall, Ruan Pienaar
It is strange to think that (at least) three of the backs and one of the forwards will be leaving the Ulster set up at the end of the season. McCrea, O’Connor, Anderson and now Seymour are off to pastures new and I’ll be genuinely sad to see them go. However the transfers are probably the best move for the players and the best move for Ulster as they clear out the crowded undergrowth to let the next crop of talent poke their heads into the sunlight.
And the latest little bud is Dungannon’s Conor Gaston who featured last weekend in the Stevenson Park outfit’s win over Galway Corinthians in the All Ireland “Bateman” Cup semi final. He’s had a few quiet games, by his own high standards, the last couple of outings, but on the whole young Gaston has been very impressive this season.
An exciting full back with power, pace, a good line break as well as a big boot. So far he’s only featured on the wing for the Ravens but I’d like to see him get a run out at full back and that’s where he’ll be playing this week, but for the Ravens on Wednesday, and not the senior side on Friday would be my guess. However congratulations to the young man on making it into the senior squad – the first of many.
Ideally this game should be the start of the build up to the Heineken Cup Quarter Final but with so many absentees through Ireland duty and injury I’m afraid it can be nothing more than another training run with a few of the plan B options examined, similar to the outing against Aironi.
With the Dragons having a bit of a busy schedule of late I, would like to think that Ulster will try and move them around the pitch and not let the game descend into a slug fest or a tennis match so my Match Day XXIII would be as follows:
(1-15) McAllister, Kyriacou, Young, Muller, Barker, Henry, Faloon, Diack, Marshall P, Pienaar, Gilroy, Marshall L, Spence, McIlwaine, D’Arcy. (16-23) Fitzpatrick, Macklin, Brady, Tuohy, Wannenburg, Cave, Whitten, Smith.
Though I seriously doubt that the Ulster coaches will share my vision!
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4 Responses to “Magners League: Squad for Dragons!”
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Agree the forwards( but he might go for Diack for Faloon with Wannenberg at 8 with Faloon on the bench) ie a big backrow of ball carriers
half backs agreed as the most likely starters but wouldn’t rule out Jackson /Pienaar with Marshall on 1/2 time — Paddy W( which is not an impossiblity) is made available Jackson would be off to U20s this would see a repeat of the Aironi selection at half back and inside centre.
Personally I would like to see Cave start ahead of Spence for reasons previously stated and would prefer Seymour to McIlwaine on the wing again my reasons are already a matter of record ie McIlwaine is not and never will be a winger who inspires confidence.
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Diack will start at 8.
The Greek at 2.
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????? ???? ??? ?????? ????
Multi-lingual, me!
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It’s all greek to me GC!!
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