Challenge Cup: Cardiff v Connacht, Cardiff Arms Park, Friday, 8.0 – Live on Premier Sports
Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins has made four changes to the side that hammered Lyon last weekend for Friday night’s Challenge Cup pool game away to Cardiff.
In the backline Byron Ralston starts on the wing, while in the pack there are starts for Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver and Paul Boyle.
The experienced frontrow of Peter Dooley, Dave Heffernan and Finlay Bealham is unchanged, while Joe Joyce partners Murphy. Captain Cian Prendergast continues at blindside flanker, with Oliver on the opposite side and Boyle at number eight.
The 9-10 pairing of Ben Murphy and Josh Ioane continues, as does the centre pairing of Bundee Aki and Piers O’Conor. Ralston is named on the left wing, with Chay Mullins on the opposite side and Santiago Cordero again at fullback.
Among the changes on the bench is the welcome return of JJ Hanrahan. The outhalf has fully recovered from the ACL injury he sustained against the Dragons last April, and will wear the number 22 jersey in a 5:3 split on the bench.
Connacht have already secured a home Round of 16 and home quarter-final if successful, with a win on Friday securing a potential home semi-final.
Wilkins said: “Tomorrow is both an enormous opportunity and a massive challenge. To finish as one of the top two seeds would give us huge motivation for the rest of the competition, and I’ve no doubt we have the ability to get the result we need.
“We’re also conscious that Cardiff are a very tough, physical side who are strong at home and have their own motivations to win, so it should be a great contest.”
CONNACHT (v Cardiff): Santiago Cordero; Chay Mullins, Piers O’Conor, Bundee Aki, Byron Ralston; Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy; Peter Dooley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham; Josh Murphy, Joe Joyce; Cian Prendergast (capt), Conor Oliver, Paul Boyle.
Replacements: Eoin de Buitléar, Jordan Duggan, Jack Aungier, David O’Connor, Sean Jansen, Matthew Devine, JJ Hanrahan, David Hawkshaw.
Champions Cup: Ulster v Exeter Chiefs, Kingspan Stadium, Friday, 8.0 – Live on Premier Sports
Ulster head coach Richie Murphy hands his son Jack his first start at outhalf in Friday night’s Champions Cup game against Exeter Chiefs at Kingspan Stadium.
The 20-year-old came on as a second-half replacement at Leicester Tigers last weekend and will join Nathan Doak in a youthful halfback pairing.
Both sides have yet to win a game in Pool1 but with fifth-placed teams qualifying for the Challenge Cup knock-out stages, Murphy has included four players called up to the extended Ireland squad on Wednesday, as Iain Henderson, Rob Herring, Cormac Izuchukwu, and development panellist James McNabney are all included among the Ulster pack.
Herring returns from injury to start at hooker, where he is joined in the frontrow by props Eric O’Sullivan and Scott Wilson at loosehead and tighthead respectively. O’Sullivan committed his future to the province earlier this week, signing a new two-year deal until 2027.
Henderson captains the side from the secondrow, with Izuchukwu getting the nod alongside him. The backrow features McNabney at blindside flanker, Nick Timoney on the openside flank and David McCann starting at number eight.
The midfield partnership remains the same, as Jude Postlethwaite and Ben Carson continue at inside and outside centre respectively.
Michael Lowry and Stewart Moore make welcome returns from injury to start in the back three, with Lowry on the left wing, Moore at fullback and Werner Kok on the right wing.
Murphy opts for a 5:3 split on the replacements bench, with a return to the matchday squad for Rob Lyttle, who has agreed a short-term deal as emergency injury cover and is line for his first Ulster appearance since 2023.
Hooker Tom Stewart, and outhalf Jake Flannery both return from injury to feature on the bench, with Flannery hoping to make his first appearance of the season.
Stewart, Callum Reid, Corrie Barrett, Kieran Treadwell and Harry Sheridan provide the forward options and John Cooney, Flannery and Lyttle the backline replacement choices.
ULSTER (v Exeter Chiefs): Stewart Moore; Werner Kok, Ben Carson, Jude Postlethwaite, Michael Lowry; Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak; Eric O’Sullivan, Rob Herring, Scott Wilson; Iain Henderson (capt), Cormac Izuchukwu; James McNabney, Nick Timoney, David McCann.
Replacements: Tom Stewart, Callum Reid, Corrie Barrett, Kieran Treadwell, Harry Sheridan, John Cooney, Jake Flannery, Rob Lyttle.
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