17 hours Ago
With Eric O’Sullivan and Andrew Warwick both ruled out through injury, and Callum Reid also struggling to prove his fitness, it means head coach Richie Murphy has had to turn to the former RBAI Schools’ Cup winning captain for the first time. Boyd, the son of former Ulster prop Clem, did feature in the friendly against the Queensland Reds a week ago but this will be his first taste of competitive action for the province as they look to get back to winning ways after their shock defeat to Zebre Parma last time out. Ulster have full faith that the 20-year-old – who has the experience of Ireland hooker Rob Herring and tighthead prop Tom O’Toole alongside him at the Stadio di Monigo – can do the job, though, as assistant coach Jimmy Duffy explained during the week.
“(Playing against the Reds) was massive for Jacob, he played against a Wallaby who played in the last World Cup and I’m sure that young man will derive a lot of confidence out of that performance,” said Duffy. “That progression for props is probably getting shorter. In some positions some people come through a little bit later but if they are ready, they are ready.
An opportunity arose and we felt we could have a look at Jacob and he did admirably well in the game, and we are delighted it is another option for us.” The absence of his other three senior loosehead options means Murphy has had to patch together his bench, too, with tighthead prop Bryan O’Connor forced to fill in on the left side of the scrum for at least a week to cover the shortage, although Ulster have been boosted by the return of Cormac Izuchukwu from international duty. In all, Murphy has made 11 changes to the side that lost to Zebre, with Stewart Moore, Mike Lowry, Nick Timoney and David McCann the only survivors, although they have in the whole made the team better as there is a first competitive start for James Hume since April and further returns for Stuart McCloskey and Jacob Stockdale after they made their injury comebacks against the Reds.
Hume, who looked sharp against the Australians last weekend, is named in the midfield alongside McCloskey in a centre pairing that Ulster fans have been waiting a long time to see reunited, while Stockdale is restored to a back three that also contains Lowry and Moore, with no place for former Sevens star Zac Ward. Aidan Morgan is restored to the fly-half jersey for the first time since the defeat to Leicester Tigers in January as he partners the returning Nathan Doak at half-back, with Boyd joined by the experience of Herring and O’Toole, the latter of whom is available again after a six-week suspension, in the front row. Ireland star Izuchukwu will join captain for the day Alan O’Connor in the second row, while the back row sees Matty Rea accompany Timoney and McCann in completing the scrum.
There is the potential of a first Ulster appearance since May for former Ireland Under-20s captain Reuben Crothers, who is named on the bench as Murphy continues to look at his back row options. The inexperience of Bryan O’Connor as stand-in loosehead for the trip is mitigated somewhat by the experience of John Andrew and Scott Wilson either side of him, while the now confirmed to be departing Kieran Treadwell is also among the replacements. Scrum-half David Shanahan, fly-half Jake Flannery and centre Jude Postlethwaite round out the bench for a clash that Ulster realistically have to win in order to boost their Play-Off hopes.
(15-9) S Moore; M Lowry, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; A Morgan, N Doak; (1-8) J Boyd, R Herring, T O’Toole; I Henderson (c), C Izuchukwu; J McNabney, N Timoney, D McCann. J Andrew, B O’Connor, S Wilson, K Treadwell, R Crothers, D Shanahan, J Flannery, J Postlethwaite..
