ASSISTANT COACH DAN Soper has named the Ulster XV to face Dragons in the URC tomorrow [KO 7.35pm] in the wake of Dan McFarland’s departure.

Ulster parted company with McFarland last week, and now return to URC action at Kingspan Stadium for the first time since the interpro win over Connacht before Christmas.

James Hume captains the side, with seven changes on show from McFarland’s final defeat to Ospreys. The Ulster Academy graduate forms a centre partnership with 21-year-old Jude Postlethwaite. 

🚨 Team News

Your Ulster side to take on Dragons tomorrow night in the @URCOfficial Origin Round 🔥

🎟️| https://t.co/NeAczk2L8o#GrassrootsToGreatness pic.twitter.com/jDcT8paX0k

— Ulster Rugby (@UlsterRugby) March 1, 2024

Mike Lowry is named on the wing in a surprise move, with Jacob Stockdale — who has been in Andy Farrell’s Ireland Six Nations squad — on the bench. Ethan McIlroy is on the other flank.

Tom O’Toole returns to the XV for the first time since his Six Nations call-up, while Tom Stewart and Nick Timoney have also been released and catapulted into the starting team.

Meanwhile, Cormac Izuchukwu starts in the second row, with John Cooney and Billy at nine and 10. Kieran Treadwell is back in the matchday squad after the lock sustained an injury against Harlequins in January, and is in line for a return to action from the bench.

Dragons, meanwhile, have also shown their hand:

🚨 𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈 | Here is how your Dragons line-up to face @UlsterRugby in @URCOfficial action in Belfast this weekend! 💪⤵️

7️⃣ Changes to starting XV
🔙 Basham Returns
🔥 Debut for Harry Taylor
🙌 First start for Joe Westwood
🆕 Potential 🐉 debut for Huw Anderson#WeAreGwentRugby pic.twitter.com/YEhm6h9IGS

— Dragons RFC (@dragonsrugby) March 1, 2024

Ulster (v Dragons)

• 15. Will Addison (Upper Eden RUFC)
• 14. Ethan McIlroy (Ballynahinch RFC)
• 13. James Hume (Instonians RFC – captain)
• 12. Jude Postlethwaite (Lisburn RFC)
• 11. Mike Lowry (Dromore RFC)
• 10. Billy Burns (Walcot RFC)
• 9. John Cooney (Gonzaga College)

• 1. Steven Kitshoff (Maties RFC)
• 2. Tom Stewart (Belfast Academy)
• 3. Tom O’Toole (Ashbourne RFC)
• 4. Cormac Izuchukwu (Tullamore RFC)
• 5. Harry Sheridan (Civil Service NI RFC)
• 6. David McCann (Cooke RFC)
• 7. Marcus Rea (Ballymena RFC)
• 8. Nick Timoney (Blackrock College).

Replacements

• John Andrew (Ballymena RFC)
• Andrew Warwick (Ballymena RFC)
• Scott Wilson (Dromore RFC)
• Kieran Treadwell (Chipstead RFC)
• Sean Reffell (Bromley RFC)
• Nathan Doak (Lisburn RFC)
• Luke Marshall (Ballymena RFC)
• Jacob Stockdale (Ballynahinch RFC).