IRELAND INTERNATIONALS TOM O’Toole, Nathan Doak, Tom Stewart, and Jacob Stockdale are available to make a return for Ulster in the province’s inter-provincial URC clash against Connacht on Friday.
O’Toole featured at loosehead prop in four of Ireland’s five Six Nations games, starting the two most recent, including last weekend’s win over Scotland, but he is available to Richie Murphy for the visit of Connacht to Belfast.
Left wing Stockdale had two starts for Ireland in the Six Nations but didn’t feature last weekend, while Stewart and Doak both came off the bench in Ireland’s win over Wales in Round 4 of the championship. That was Doak’s international debut.
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Having all four of those players available is an obvious boost for Ulster, who sit third in the URC table after their impressive win over Edinburgh last weekend.
However, head coach Murphy has been hit with a spate of injuries after the Edinburgh clash.
Centre Jude Postlethwaite, who was with the Ireland squad for much of the Six Nations, suffered a hand fracture last weekend and needs surgery to stabilise the injury, meaning he will be sidelined for “a number of weeks,” according to Ulster.
Lock/blindside Cormac Izuchukwu, centre James Hume, and scrum-half David Shanahan all suffered concussions in the Edinburgh game and are now following World Rugby’s graduated return to play protocols, so they will miss the Connacht game.
Out-half/fullback Jake Flannery picked up a shoulder injury and he will be sidelined for “the coming weeks,” while second row Charlie Irvine is a doubt to face Connacht due to a soft tissue injury in his lower leg.
Meanwhile, the URC has confirmed that Ulster second row Harry Sheridan has been handed a three-game suspension after he was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle during the win over Edinburgh.
Sheridan “accepted that he had committed an act of foul play” and though he was given a six-game entry point for his ban, he had 50% of that chalked off for his “exemplary record, immediate remorse and acceptance of the red card.”
Sheridan’s sanction will be reduced by a further game if he completes World Rugby’s Coaching Intervention Programme, meaning he should only miss this Friday’s game against Connacht and the clash with Zebre the following weekend.
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Return of four Ireland internationals boosts Ulster for Connacht clash
IRELAND INTERNATIONALS TOM O’Toole, Nathan Doak, Tom Stewart, and Jacob Stockdale are available to make a return for Ulster in the province’s inter-provincial URC clash against Connacht on Friday.
O’Toole featured at loosehead prop in four of Ireland’s five Six Nations games, starting the two most recent, including last weekend’s win over Scotland, but he is available to Richie Murphy for the visit of Connacht to Belfast.
Left wing Stockdale had two starts for Ireland in the Six Nations but didn’t feature last weekend, while Stewart and Doak both came off the bench in Ireland’s win over Wales in Round 4 of the championship. That was Doak’s international debut.
Having all four of those players available is an obvious boost for Ulster, who sit third in the URC table after their impressive win over Edinburgh last weekend.
However, head coach Murphy has been hit with a spate of injuries after the Edinburgh clash.
Centre Jude Postlethwaite, who was with the Ireland squad for much of the Six Nations, suffered a hand fracture last weekend and needs surgery to stabilise the injury, meaning he will be sidelined for “a number of weeks,” according to Ulster.
Lock/blindside Cormac Izuchukwu, centre James Hume, and scrum-half David Shanahan all suffered concussions in the Edinburgh game and are now following World Rugby’s graduated return to play protocols, so they will miss the Connacht game.
Out-half/fullback Jake Flannery picked up a shoulder injury and he will be sidelined for “the coming weeks,” while second row Charlie Irvine is a doubt to face Connacht due to a soft tissue injury in his lower leg.
Meanwhile, the URC has confirmed that Ulster second row Harry Sheridan has been handed a three-game suspension after he was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle during the win over Edinburgh.
Sheridan “accepted that he had committed an act of foul play” and though he was given a six-game entry point for his ban, he had 50% of that chalked off for his “exemplary record, immediate remorse and acceptance of the red card.”
Sheridan’s sanction will be reduced by a further game if he completes World Rugby’s Coaching Intervention Programme, meaning he should only miss this Friday’s game against Connacht and the clash with Zebre the following weekend.
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Connacht reinforcements Timely Ulster URC