Lord of the Dance
Ulster and Connacht name teams for Galway interpro clash
Sport

Ulster and Connacht name teams for Galway interpro clash

Ulster and Connacht have named their sides for Saturday's URC interprovincial clash. The teams will face off in Galway at 7.35pm, with live coverage available on RTÉ2, RTÉ Player, and RTÉ Radio 1.

Starting with Ulster, the front row sees Eric O'Sullivan and Scott Wilson joining Rob Herring. Alan O'Connor captains the side from the second row, where he partners Cormac Izuchukwu.

Matty Rea starts in the back row alongside Nick Timoney and James McNabney.

Nathan Doak and Jack Murphy form the half-back pairing, with debutant Rory Telfer and Werner Kok named on the wings. Ben Carson and Jude Postlethwaite line up in midfield, while Michael Lowry completes the team from full-back.

Ulster: Michael Lowry; Werner Kok, Ben Carson, Jude Postlethwaite, Rory Telfer; Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak; Eric O'Sullivan, Rob Herring, Scott Wilson; Alan O’Connor (captain), Cormac Izuchukwu; Matty Rea, Nick Timoney, James McNabney.

Replacements: John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Corrie Barrett, Kieran Treadwell, David McCann, John Cooney, Aidan Morgan, and Wilhelm De Klerk.

Connacht

Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins has made three changes to his starting XV. Halfbacks Jack Carty and Caolin Blade return to the lineup, with Santiago Cordero starting on the wing.

The front row consists of Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, and Finlay Bealham. Josh Murphy and Darragh Murray maintain their partnership in the second row, while Cian Prendergast captains the team from the back row, joined by Shamus Hurley-Langton and Paul Boyle.

In the backs, Bundee Aki and Cathal Forde retain their places in midfield, with Mack Hansen on the right wing and Piers O’Conor at full-back.

The bench features Peter Dooley, who returns from injury, and Conor Oliver, poised to make an impact wearing the 23 jersey.

Wilkins says his side is braced for a tough challenge in Galway this evening.

“Ulster have brought real fire when they’ve come to the Dexcom Stadium in recent years. They might not have hit their stride against Munster, but their intensity was as good as I’ve seen in a while.

“To win, we need to play with the same energy we showed in the second half against Leinster. We can’t afford to let our execution slip.”

Connacht: Piers O'Conor; Mack Hansen, Cathal Forde, Bundee Aki, Santiago Cordero; Jack Carty, Caolin Blade; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham; Josh Murphy, Darragh Murray; Cian Prendergast (captain), Shamus Hurley-Langton, Paul Boyle.

Replacement: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Peter Dooley, Jack Aungier, Oisín Dowling, Sean Jansen, Ben Murphy, Shane Jennings, and Conor Oliver