Jack Murphy and Rory Telfer to make first senior starts for Ulster versus Connacht
Action Murphy In Ulster’s Jack Munster Against
Ulster Head Coach, Richie Murphy, has named his Ulster side to face Connacht tomorrow at Dexcom Stadium in Round 9 of the BKT United Rugby Championship.
The Ulstermen will be looking to end 2024 on a high note with an interprovincial derby victory, after Round 8’s narrow home defeat against Munster.
Academy fly-half, Jack Murphy, who made his Senior Men’s debut against Munster, makes his first start for the province at ten. Fellow Academy back, Rory Telfer, also is in for his first start after two appearances from the bench against Bordeaux and Munster.
Academy centre, Wilhelm De Klerk, is also in line for a senior debut should he be called on from the replacements bench.
The front row sees two changes from Munster, with Eric O’Sullivan starting at loosehead prop, joining hooker, Rob Herring, and Scott Wilson at tighthead prop.
Alan O’Connor once again captains the team in the second-row engine room, with Cormac Izuchukwu returning to start alongside him.
In the back-row, Matty Rea starts at blindside flanker, with Nick Timoney coming back in at openside flanker. After scoring his first Senior Men’s try against Munster, James McNabney, gets the nod in the number eight jersey.
In a new half-back partnership, scrum-half, Nathan Doak, returns from injury to partner Murphy on his maiden start.
Telfer starts on the left wing, with Werner Kok retaining his position on the right wing.
The centre partnership sees one change, with Ben Carson returning from injury to start at outside centre and Jude Postlethwaite shifts over to inside centre.
Fresh after nailing down his future with a new contract extension, Michael Lowry, completes the backfield at full-back.
Murphy opts for a 5:3 split on the bench, with John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Corrie Barrett, Kieran Treadwell, David McCann providing the forward replacements and John Cooney, Aidan Morgan and De Klerk as the backline options.
M Lowry, W Kok, B Carson, J Postlethwaite, R Telfer, J Murphy, N Doak; E O’Sullivan, R Herring, S Wilson, A O’Connor (C), C Izuchukwu, M Rea, N Timoney, J McNabney
J Andrew, A Warwick, C Barrett, K Treadwell, D McCann, J Cooney, A Morgan, W De Klerk.