DAN MCFARLAND HAS handed the out-half reins back to Jake Flannery for Ulster’s home URC meeting with South Africa’s Lions at Kingspan Stadium on Friday (7:35pm, RTÉ 2/BBC NI 2/Premier Sports 1), while Marty Moore is set for his first appearance for the northern province in 11 months.
Flannery partners Nathan Doak at half-back with Billy Burns moving back to the bench following a fine display against Munster last time out.
McFarland has deployed an all-new front row for Friday consisting of Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring and Scott Wilson, the latter of whom materially changed the game upon his introduction last Friday.
Club captain Iain Henderson, who also made a tremendous impact as a substitute in Ulster’s comeback success over Munster, starts at lock alongside Alan O’Connor.
The on-fire Dave McCann is partnered in the back row by new signing Dave Ewers at blindside and former Ireland U20 captain Reuben Crothers at openside.
Crothers returns after his debut against Connacht was ended in the opening minutes by a sickening head clash with Shamus Hurley-Langton.
Among Ulster’s replacements is Ireland international tighthead Marty Moore, who has been out since January with a torn ACL. The 32-year-old Dubliner is set to make his 86th Ulster appearance 11 months after he sustained the serious injury in an interpro with Munster.
Meanwhile, academy back row Lorcan McLoughlin will hope to make his debut off the bench.
A product of the IRFU’s IQ system, McLoughlin played rugby for the Sherborne school in Dorset, England, before becoming a member of Ireland’s Reuben Crothers-led Grand Slam-winning squad in 2022.
McLoughlin accepted a place in Ulster’s academy last season and is currently studying Business Economics at Queen’s University, Belfast.
Ulster (v Lions)
- 15. Stewart Moore
- 14. Rob Baloucoune
- 13. James Hume
- 12. Stuart McCloskey
- 11. Jacob Stockdale
- 10. Jake Flannery
- 9. Nathan Doak
- 1. Andrew Warwick
- 2. Rob Herring
- 3. Scott Wilson
- 4. Alan O’Connor
- 5. Iain Henderson (Captain)
- 6. Dave Ewers
- 7. Reuben Crothers
- 8. David McCann
Replacements:
- 16. John Andrew
- 17. Eric O’Sullivan
- 18. Marty Moore
- 19. Harry Sheridan
- 20. Lorcan McLoughlin
- 21. John Cooney
- 22. Billy Burns
- 23. Mike Lowry
