James McKinney in action for Ireland U20's v South Africa. Picture Front Row Union
Brian McLaughlin has called on a mix of youth and experience for his side’s first pre-season friendly against Bayonne on Wednesday evening.
Development outhalf James McKinney and Phoenix Academy winger Ricky Andrew will both make their début for the senior Ulster side. McKinney was a member of the Ireland U20 squad which competed in the IRB Junior World Championships in June. The twenty year old was awarded a development contract with Ulster ahead of this season. Andrew spent the past season at the Castres Academy, as he completed a compulsory year in France for his French and Spanish Joint Honours degree at Queen’s. The 21 year old is a current member of the Phoenix Ulster Academy and plays his club rugby for Ballymena.
Darren Cave, who showed impressive form on his return from injury at the end of last season, is partnered in the centre by Ian Whitten. At 26, scrum half Paul Marshall is the most senior member of the Ulster backline, which also includes Conor Gaston and Adam D’Arcy in the back three alongside Andrew.
The pack has a more experienced look about it with Tom Court, Andi Kyriacou and Declan Fitzpatrick making up the front row. Tim Barker and Neil McComb have been given an early chance to impress as a second row partnership. Chris Henry will captain the side from openside flanker and will combine once again with back row colleagues Pedrie Wannenburg and Robbie Diack.
New recruits Callum Black, Lewis Stevenson and Mike McComish are among 11 replacements hoping to see some action. Academy players Adam Macklin and John Burns are also in line to taste their first action in a senior Ulster shirt. Dan Tuohy, Ian Humphreys, Nevin Spence, Luke Marshall and Nigel Brady are being rested to give them extra time to prepare for the new season. Meanwhile, Ulster remain without a number of senior players who are with international sides in the build up to the World Cup next month.
Ulster (15-9): Adam D’Arcy, Conor Gaston, Darren Cave, Ian Whitten, Ricky Andrew, James McKinney, Paul Marshall. (1-8) Tom Court, Andi Kyriacou, Declan Fitzpatrick, Tim Barker, Neil McComb, Pedrie Wannenburg, Chris Henry, Robbie Diack. (16-26) Callum Black, Paddy McAllister, Adam Macklin, Jerry Cronin, John Burns, Lewis Stevenson, Mike McComish, Willie Faloon, Ian Porter, Paddy Jackson, Craig Gilroy.
Interesting that McKinney has made the starting line up ahead of Jackson with this selection indicative that Ulster are looking to play a fairly straight forward game in their return to action this season. McKinney impressed during his Under 20 World Cup outings with his game management and his positional play so my guess is that Ulster will want to keep things fairly simple from the off and play for territory. Jackson, this season’s expected standby standoff , is likely to come on in the second half with Porter to look to open things up as defences tire.
With the raft of youngsters coming through in the midfield I think we sometimes forget how good Ian Whitten is and his partnership with Cave should provide a solid midfield and it wil lbe interesting to see how Gaston and Andrew perform on the wings, though in truth I’d rather see Gaston getting a run from full back.
Solid enough pack with McComb being the man with something to prove after a quiet season at provincial level last year, but I think this will be a big year for the Quins man who will be hoping to get a run at the start of the season.
Court must also have something to prove to the Irish set up as I suspect his inclusion for 40 minutes is at their request and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ulster play with a rolling front row with poor old Andi Kyriacou, the only dedicated hooker in the squad, being the man expected to figuratively and literally hold it all together. With Niall Annett still recuperating after an energy sapping Junior World Championship it’s likely that academy player John Burns will step into hooker if required.
Glad to see Diack at 8 and Pedrie at 6 but would have liked to see Faloon at 7.
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2 Responses to “Team for Bayonne.”
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just to let you know John Burns is a hooker (for Ballymena) as he switched from flanker which he played at schools and u20s. It also says so on the ulster site.
sadly I think bayonne will be too strong for this lineup to take
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Thanks for confirming that Stuart.
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