AS MANY AS eight new players could take to the field for the first time in Ulster colours as the northern province begin their URC campaign at home to Edinburgh at Affidea Stadium tonight (7:45pm, Premier Sports 2).
Richie Murphy has selected five new starters for this curtain-raiser, and there is particular intrigue in his call to pick recent recruit Jamie Benson at inside centre.
Ex-Harlequin Benson, who turned 24 this week, was sufficiently rated in England that there was dismay at his departure at The Stoop and beyond. The Irish-qualified out-half, who showed glimpses of his class during Ulster’s pre-season, will instead seek to turn the head of Andy Farrell this season.
But whereas he will likely challenge the son of Ulster’s head coach, Jack Murphy, for the 10 jersey in Belfast, boss Richie Murphy clearly feels Benson can offer Ulster a point of difference even in midfield, where he has started on eight previous occasions in his professional career.
The addition of Benson as a second playmaker, standing in for Ireland incumbent Stuart McCloskey at 12, will be fascinating to observe as Ulster enter their second season under the tutelage of highly rated attack coach, Mark Sexton.
While last season ended with a whimper, it was one of clear progress overall for Ulster, who rose from 14th in the URC table to an agonising ninth, missing out on a play-off place in large part due to head coach Murphy’s decision to prioritise the Challenge Cup final over their final URC regular-season fixture against league leaders Glasgow.
Last season, Ulster’s swing in points difference from the campaign previous was plus 166. But there existed a stark difference between their home and away records: in 2025/26, Murphy’s side had a positive points difference of 89 at Ravenhill versus a negative difference of 15 on the road.
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Their supporters will expect them to continue that home trend on Friday night against Edinburgh, who themselves have named four debutants to start in their season opener.
Loosehead Alec Hepburn, out-half James Grayson, centre Kienan Higgins and wing Geordie Gwynn all start for Sean Everitt’s visitors, while 19-year-old academy fullback and Scotland U20 international Rory McHaffie is set to debut from the bench.
On Ulster’s side of the coin, Benson aside, the hosts’ pack includes new arrivals Eduardo Bello at tighthead, Eli Snyman and Ben Donnell at lock, and Martin Moloney at openside. Hooker Henry Walker, former Munster tighthead Keynan Knox, and ex-Connacht scrum-half Matthew Devine are all set for their first competitive minutes off the bench.
Such a turnover in personnel from last season poses its own questions, but Ulster will seek to answer them and rebuild the momentum that they attained for three quarters of the previous campaign.
Perhaps most exciting of all, though, is the inclusion of a ‘proverbial new signing’. The return of James McNabney should excite not only Ulster supporters but Irish rugby fans in general. The 23-year-old was one of the most exciting players in the country until he suffered an ACL tear at the end of 2024/25, ruling him out of last season entirely.
A back row of McNabney, Dave McCann and one of Bryn Ward or Juarno Augustus is, on paper, second only to Leinster’s all-international offering as a unit and, provided they can keep the bulk of it fit, Ulster should motor this season to an even greater extent than they did for most of the last.
The aforementioned Moloney, however, appears an excellent addition to the depth chart: the 26-year-old ex-Leinster man likely would have remained with Exeter Chiefs had he been English-qualified, and he offers a different profile – particularly at the breakdown and in defence – to his dynamic ball-carrying peers.
A victory in September counts on the table as much as a win in May, and Ulster will hope to kick off their campaign on the front foot against their Scottish opponents, who are without Lions Ewan Ashman and Darcy Graham through injury.
The hope will be that, where Ulster’s season petered out last term in large part due to an accumulation of injuries and the unexpected investment in a Challenge Cup run, they can finish the job this time around and put together an 18-game campaign which yields a play-off spot and perhaps more.
Their fresh faces will play a large role in such progress should it come to pass, and eight of them should earn minutes in Belfast on Friday night.
Ulster Rugby: Michael Lowry (Captain), Robert Baloucoune, Ben Carson, Jamie Benson, Aitzol Arenzana-King, Jack Murphy, Conor McKee, Eric O’Sullivan, James McCormick, Eduardo Bello, Eli Snyman, Ben Donnell, David McCann, Martin Moloney, James McNabney
Replacements: Henry Walker, Tom McAllister, Keynan Knox, Harry Sheridan, James McKillop, Matthew Devine, Jake Flannery, Zac Ward
Edinburgh Rugby: Piers O’Conor, Malelili Satala, Matt Currie (Co-captain), Kienan Higgins, Geordie Gwynn, James Grayson, Hector Patterson, Alec Hepburn, Harri Morris, Paul Hill, Callum Hunter-Hill, Glen Young, Liam McConnell, Freddy Douglas, Magnus Bradbury (Co-captain)
Replacements: Jerry Blyth-Lafferty, James Whitcombe, D’arcy Rae, Euan McVie, Tom Currie, Conor McAlpine, Cammy Scott, Rory McHaffie
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New-look Ulster need more of the same, but fresh faces should boost efforts to return to play-offs
AS MANY AS eight new players could take to the field for the first time in Ulster colours as the northern province begin their URC campaign at home to Edinburgh at Affidea Stadium tonight (7:45pm, Premier Sports 2).
Richie Murphy has selected five new starters for this curtain-raiser, and there is particular intrigue in his call to pick recent recruit Jamie Benson at inside centre.
Ex-Harlequin Benson, who turned 24 this week, was sufficiently rated in England that there was dismay at his departure at The Stoop and beyond. The Irish-qualified out-half, who showed glimpses of his class during Ulster’s pre-season, will instead seek to turn the head of Andy Farrell this season.
But whereas he will likely challenge the son of Ulster’s head coach, Jack Murphy, for the 10 jersey in Belfast, boss Richie Murphy clearly feels Benson can offer Ulster a point of difference even in midfield, where he has started on eight previous occasions in his professional career.
The addition of Benson as a second playmaker, standing in for Ireland incumbent Stuart McCloskey at 12, will be fascinating to observe as Ulster enter their second season under the tutelage of highly rated attack coach, Mark Sexton.
While last season ended with a whimper, it was one of clear progress overall for Ulster, who rose from 14th in the URC table to an agonising ninth, missing out on a play-off place in large part due to head coach Murphy’s decision to prioritise the Challenge Cup final over their final URC regular-season fixture against league leaders Glasgow.
Last season, Ulster’s swing in points difference from the campaign previous was plus 166. But there existed a stark difference between their home and away records: in 2025/26, Murphy’s side had a positive points difference of 89 at Ravenhill versus a negative difference of 15 on the road.
Their supporters will expect them to continue that home trend on Friday night against Edinburgh, who themselves have named four debutants to start in their season opener.
Loosehead Alec Hepburn, out-half James Grayson, centre Kienan Higgins and wing Geordie Gwynn all start for Sean Everitt’s visitors, while 19-year-old academy fullback and Scotland U20 international Rory McHaffie is set to debut from the bench.
On Ulster’s side of the coin, Benson aside, the hosts’ pack includes new arrivals Eduardo Bello at tighthead, Eli Snyman and Ben Donnell at lock, and Martin Moloney at openside. Hooker Henry Walker, former Munster tighthead Keynan Knox, and ex-Connacht scrum-half Matthew Devine are all set for their first competitive minutes off the bench.
Such a turnover in personnel from last season poses its own questions, but Ulster will seek to answer them and rebuild the momentum that they attained for three quarters of the previous campaign.
Perhaps most exciting of all, though, is the inclusion of a ‘proverbial new signing’. The return of James McNabney should excite not only Ulster supporters but Irish rugby fans in general. The 23-year-old was one of the most exciting players in the country until he suffered an ACL tear at the end of 2024/25, ruling him out of last season entirely.
A back row of McNabney, Dave McCann and one of Bryn Ward or Juarno Augustus is, on paper, second only to Leinster’s all-international offering as a unit and, provided they can keep the bulk of it fit, Ulster should motor this season to an even greater extent than they did for most of the last.
The aforementioned Moloney, however, appears an excellent addition to the depth chart: the 26-year-old ex-Leinster man likely would have remained with Exeter Chiefs had he been English-qualified, and he offers a different profile – particularly at the breakdown and in defence – to his dynamic ball-carrying peers.
A victory in September counts on the table as much as a win in May, and Ulster will hope to kick off their campaign on the front foot against their Scottish opponents, who are without Lions Ewan Ashman and Darcy Graham through injury.
The hope will be that, where Ulster’s season petered out last term in large part due to an accumulation of injuries and the unexpected investment in a Challenge Cup run, they can finish the job this time around and put together an 18-game campaign which yields a play-off spot and perhaps more.
Their fresh faces will play a large role in such progress should it come to pass, and eight of them should earn minutes in Belfast on Friday night.
Ulster Rugby: Michael Lowry (Captain), Robert Baloucoune, Ben Carson, Jamie Benson, Aitzol Arenzana-King, Jack Murphy, Conor McKee, Eric O’Sullivan, James McCormick, Eduardo Bello, Eli Snyman, Ben Donnell, David McCann, Martin Moloney, James McNabney
Replacements: Henry Walker, Tom McAllister, Keynan Knox, Harry Sheridan, James McKillop, Matthew Devine, Jake Flannery, Zac Ward
Edinburgh Rugby: Piers O’Conor, Malelili Satala, Matt Currie (Co-captain), Kienan Higgins, Geordie Gwynn, James Grayson, Hector Patterson, Alec Hepburn, Harri Morris, Paul Hill, Callum Hunter-Hill, Glen Young, Liam McConnell, Freddy Douglas, Magnus Bradbury (Co-captain)
Replacements: Jerry Blyth-Lafferty, James Whitcombe, D’arcy Rae, Euan McVie, Tom Currie, Conor McAlpine, Cammy Scott, Rory McHaffie
Referee: Federico Vedovelli (Italy)
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Rugby URC