URC: Ulster v Dragons, Kingspan Stadium, Friday, 7.35 – Live on Premier Sports
With the regular season finish line in sight Ulster ought to be in a good head space as they have control of third spot in the URC table with a potential option still available of going one place higher.
They sit five points ahead of Glasgow and two adrift of the Stormers with finishing second – and banking a home semi-final to sit alongside the already secured quarter-final at the Kingspan – dependent on the South Africans slipping up from the final two rounds, which as with Ulster, are both to be played at home.
It looks an unlikely scenario that the reigning champions will grant Ulster access to being runners-up but the northern province have nevertheless made it known that they will be going all out to get maximum returns from both Friday night’s opponents the Dragons and then again when they host Edinburgh next week.
The five points really ought to be there for Dan McFarland’s squad to collect against the traditionally struggling Welsh region, who in this campaign have won just three URC games. Their last URC success was over Zebre way back in October, and they last tasted victory in January when beating Pau in the Challenge Cup, their only away success this season.
“We’re going to make sure we do everything we can to try and secure that home semi,” said Ulster winger Jacob Stockdale, whose contract extension until 2025 was confirmed last week along with John Cooney’s.
“All we can do is try and get 10 points out of the next two games and hope that the Stormers slip up somewhere,” he added before referencing the 15th-placed Dragons and noting that they do possess quality players.
“For us to get five points from this game, we have to be on point,” stated Stockdale. “There’s no room for complacency and that’s the way we’re preparing.”
McFarland has made six alterations to the side which lost in the Heineken Champions Cup round of 16 tie with Leinster, with the URC’s leading try scorer Tom Stewart in at hooker – Rob Herring is listed as unavailable as is Robert Baloucoune – alongside Eric O’Sullivan, who plays instead of Rory Sutherland, who is not in the 23.
Also in the pack, Sam Carter starts ahead of the benched Kieran Treadwell and Marcus Rea is in for Nick Timoney, who is also a replacement.
Cooney is at nine after three straight games as a sub with Nathan Doak wearing the number 21 jersey.
The only other tweak to the backline is the most surprising of the selection as the rarely used Craig Gilroy is on the right wing, presumably due to Baloucoune’s unavailability. It remains unclear exactly why the 32-year-old, who is believed to be out of contract at season’s end and whose last Ulster game was in February, has got in ahead of the benched Ethan McIlroy.
Unless Ulster somehow find the going tougher than expected against a presumably deeply demoralised visiting squad, whose pack contains Aaron Wainwright, Taine Basham and Matthew Screech, though not former Ulster player Brad Roberts, the northern province should be able to go through the gears to keep up the pressure on the Stormers.
ULSTER: M Lowry; C Gilroy, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; B Burns, J Cooney; E O’Sullivan, T Stewart, T O’Toole; A O’Connor (Capt), S Carter; D McCann, Marcus Rea, D Vermeulen.
Replacements: J Andrew, A Warwick, J Toomaga Allen, K Treadwell, N Timoney, N Doak, S Moore, E McIlroy.
DRAGONS: J Williams; R Dyer, J Rosser, M Clark, A Hewitt; A O’Brien, R Williams (capt); R Jones, E Dee, L Brown; B Carter, M Screech; G Nott, T Basham, A Wainwright.
Replacements: B Coghlan, J Reynolds, L Fairbrother, S Lonsdale, G Young, L Jones, W Reed, A Owen.
Referee: B Blain (SRU).
