Ulster may be able to call upon Ireland centre Stuart McCloskey once more but Saturday’s United Rugby Championship clash with the Holywoodbets Sharks at Ravenhill looks like a fearsome task regardless (kick-off 7.35pm).
The Bangor midfielder, who was a late withdrawal from last weekend’s defeat to Leinster, has recovered to be named in the team to face the South African side as one of just three changes to the line-up from that game in Dublin.
Blindside flanker Matty Rea, in his final home appearance for the province before departing at the end of the season, and former Sharks winger Werner Kok are also drafted into the starting line-up.
But Richie Murphy’s side, in their final run-out at Ravenhill this season, are up against it when you consider that the Sharks have called upon 11 of their 12 current Springboks, the only exception being scrum-half Grant Williams who would have featured but for injury.
Lock Eben Etzebeth captains the visitors, who are fourth in the URC and all but guaranteed their place in the Play-Offs, as John Plumtree calls upon two former World Player of the Year nominees, centre Lukhanyo Am the other, with an all-Springbok front row spearheading their charge and the only non-international player in the Sharks back line being winger Ethan Hooker.
It rams home the challenge that Ulster face in their bid to book their place in the Play-Offs, with head coach Murphy claiming that ten points from their final three games – trips to Munster and Edinburgh following this game – and they could badly do with some points from their final match against their home fans.
Saturday’s outing will serve as a farewell of sorts as, while they will likely still feature in the last two games, the likes of O’Connor, Rea and Andrew Warwick will say goodbye as they start, while Kieran Treadwell will make his final home appearance off the bench.
There will not, however, be a chance for scrum-half John Cooney to get his farewell on the pitch as he misses out on selection due to injury, meaning he has been seen in a white jersey at Ravenhill for the last time.
Murphy has opted for an unchanged tight five, Warwick joined in the front row by the Ireland pair of Rob Herring and Tom O’Toole, with fellow international Cormac Izuchukwu packing down alongside O’Connor in the second row.
The only alteration to the pack sees the departing Rea come in for David McCann in the back row, with James McNabney moving to number eight and Ireland’s Nick Timoney continuing at openside flanker.
Jacob Stockdale will a rare start at full-back as the back line is shuffled, Zac Ward moving to the left wing and Kok returning to the right wing, while Jude Postlethwaite continues at outside centre alongside McCloskey, with the half-back pairing of Nathan Doak and Jack Murphy unchanged.
On the bench, once again Murphy has opted for a 6:2 split, David Shanahan and Aidan Morgan the odd backs out among a plethora of forwards, Tom Stewart, Callum Reid and Scott Wilson providing the front row ballast, while Matty Dalton joins Treadwell and McCann as impact loose options.
ULSTER: (15-9) J Stockdale; W Kok, J Postlethwaite, S McCloskey, Z Ward; J Murphy, N Doak; (1-8) A Warwick, R Herring, T O’Toole; A O’Connor (captain), C Izuchukwu; Matty Rea, N Timoney, J McNabney.
Replacements: T Stewart, C Reid, S Wilson, M Dalton, K Treadwell, D Shanahan, A Morgan, D McCann.
SHARKS: (15-9) A Fassi; E Hooker, L Am, A Esterhuizen, M Mapimpi; Jo Hendrikse, Ja Hendrikse; (1-8) O Nche, B Mbonambi, V Koch; E Etzebeth (captain), J Jenkins; J Venter, V Tshituka, S Kolisi.
Replacements: F Mbatha, N Mchunu, H Jacobs, M Tshituka, P Buthelezi, B Davids, S Masuku, J Julius.
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
