United Rugby Championship: Cardiff v Ulster, Cardiff Arms Park, Saturday, 7.35 – Live Premier Sports
Not surprisingly Dan McFarland has made substantial alterations to the side that won with a bonus point last weekend in Durban, a result which has resuscitated Ulster’s drive towards potentially securing third in the URC table while staying in the chase with the Stormers in second.
Billy Burns, James Hume, Nathan Doak, Sam Carter and Ben Moxham were all kept back in Belfast last week and come straight back into the starting team while Ireland releases Rob Herring, Kieran Treadwell and Jacob Stockdale are also in the side from the get-go as the northern province take on Cardiff to conclude their three-game mini-block of away ties.
Also back in is openside flanker Marcus Rea, who has not been selected since the pre-Christmas game at Connacht, his inclusion doubtless due to the fact that neither Jordi Murphy nor Duane Vermeulen are part of the plan for the visit to the artificial surface at the Arms Park.
RM Block
Michael Lowry, Stewart Moore, Rory Sutherland, Jeff Toomaga-Allen and Nick Timoney, who shifts across to play number eight, are the only ones retained from last Saturday’s starting selection as Ulster seek to get the better of their ninth-placed hosts and win their first back-to-back league games since the end of November.
[ Ulster reboot season after victory in Durban against SharksOpens in new window ]
CARDIFF: B Thomas; O Lane, R Lee-Lo, M Llewellyn, J Harries; J Evans, L Williams; R Carré, K Dacey, D Lewis; L Timani, S Davies; J Turnbull (capt.), E Jenkins, J Ratti.
Replacements: L Belcher, C Domachowski, K Assiratti, T Williams, S Lewis-Hughes, E Bevan, A Summerhill, M Morgan.
ULSTER: M Lowry; B Moxham, J Hume, S Moore, J Stockdale; B Burns, N Doak; R Sutherland, R Herring (capt), J Toomaga-Allen; K Treadwell, S Carter; D McCann, Marcus Rea, N Timoney.
Replacements: T Stewart, C Reid, G Milasinovich, A O’Connor, H Sheridan, J Cooney, J Postlethwaite, E McIlroy.
Referee: H Davidson (Scotland).
