Michael Lowry will miss the visit of the Sharks with neck and head injuries, but was said to be 'okay' by Richie Murphy after his side's defeat to Leinster. Nick Elliott/INPHO
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Ulster hit with injury absentees and doubts ahead of crucial Sharks meeting
Michael Lowry and Stewart Moore are ruled out, while Stuart McCloskey and John Cooney are among the doubts.
ULSTER HAVE BEEN hit with a spate of injury absentees and doubts ahead of Saturday night’s pivotal URC encounter with the Sharks at Kingspan Stadium.
The toll from the northern province’s 42-17 defeat at Leinster has been heavy, with Michael Lowry and Stewart Moore both definitively ruled out for this weekend’s meeting with the fourth-placed South Africans.
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Lowry was stretchered off at the Aviva Stadium, with Ulster confirming on Tuesday that he suffered both a concussion and a neck injury. The versatile back was said by head coach Richie Murphy to be “okay” after being taken to hospital on Saturday night, but a timeline for his return is yet to be determined.
Moore, meanwhile, also suffered a concussion against Leinster which will see him miss the visit of the Sharks on Saturday.
Ulster, who find themselves three points outside the URC play-off spots with three regular-season rounds remaining, also lost Stuart McCloskey before kick-off at Lansdowne Road. The inside centre, who was replaced in Richie Murphy’s starting lineup by Moore, is a doubt to face the Sharks with a minor groin injury which has lingered since last week.
So too are Rob Herring (calf), Callum Reid (knee), and John Cooney (ankle), whose fitness along with that of McCloskey will be assessed throughout the week.
However, loosehead Andrew Warwick, who replaced the stricken Reid before going off injured himself in the second half, is expected to be fit to face John Plumtree’s Durban outfit on Saturday.
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Ulster hit with injury absentees and doubts ahead of crucial Sharks meeting
ULSTER HAVE BEEN hit with a spate of injury absentees and doubts ahead of Saturday night’s pivotal URC encounter with the Sharks at Kingspan Stadium.
The toll from the northern province’s 42-17 defeat at Leinster has been heavy, with Michael Lowry and Stewart Moore both definitively ruled out for this weekend’s meeting with the fourth-placed South Africans.
Lowry was stretchered off at the Aviva Stadium, with Ulster confirming on Tuesday that he suffered both a concussion and a neck injury. The versatile back was said by head coach Richie Murphy to be “okay” after being taken to hospital on Saturday night, but a timeline for his return is yet to be determined.
Moore, meanwhile, also suffered a concussion against Leinster which will see him miss the visit of the Sharks on Saturday.
Ulster, who find themselves three points outside the URC play-off spots with three regular-season rounds remaining, also lost Stuart McCloskey before kick-off at Lansdowne Road. The inside centre, who was replaced in Richie Murphy’s starting lineup by Moore, is a doubt to face the Sharks with a minor groin injury which has lingered since last week.
So too are Rob Herring (calf), Callum Reid (knee), and John Cooney (ankle), whose fitness along with that of McCloskey will be assessed throughout the week.
However, loosehead Andrew Warwick, who replaced the stricken Reid before going off injured himself in the second half, is expected to be fit to face John Plumtree’s Durban outfit on Saturday.
Warwick is one of eight senior players who will depart Ulster at the end of the season, as confirmed by the province earlier on Tuesday.
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