SEVENS STAR ZAC Ward could make his senior Ulster debut in Saturday’s pre-season friendly against Benetton at Kingspan Ravenhill [5pm].
Ward, 25, joined Richie Murphy’s squad on an ‘extended trial’ following his impressive showing at the Paris Olympics, and is named on an extended 15-man bench.
Irish-qualified out-half Aidan Morgan is named to start at 10 following his arrival from the Hurricanes earlier this summer while Corrie Barrett, who played Championship rugby with Doncaster Knights last season and is currently on trial at the province, starts in the front row.
The match will be streamed live on Ulster Rugby Live.
Ulster Rugby
15. Mike Lowry (capt)
14. Rory Telfer
13. Stewart Moore
12. Jude Postlethwaite
11. Aaron Sexton
10. Aidan Morgan
9. Nathan Doak
1. Eric O’Sullivan
2. John Andrew
3. Corrie Barrett
4. Harry Sheridan
5. Kieran Treadwell
6. James McNabney
7. Sean Reffell
8. David McCann
Replacements from: James McCormick, Henry Walker, Callum Reid, Scott Wilson, Charlie Irvine, James McKillop, Alan O’Connor, Tom Brigg, Marcus Rea, David Shanahan, Conor McKee, Zac Ward, James Humphreys, Ben Carson, Jack Murphy.
Ulster sign a Barrett and it barely gets a mention, yet when Leinster do theres 5 articles a day for a week?
@Kingshu: There should be articles about the bizarre decision to lumber Ulster with a TH prop who didn’t make the Academy nor cut the mustard in the Championship. How is that helping anyone, Humph? PS Good luck to the lad obviously.
@Justin Robinson: would be great if JTA was about still. Ulster are very short at TH with Moore’s recent injury record and if ToT moves to LH. Restriction on TH isnt in effect to next season, I suspect Ulster may get a bye if the IRFU move ToT to LH. For this season every decent TH is already signed I think its get the best IQ one we can (Barrett?) And then sign someone short term when super rugby is over (JTA?)
Not sure why headline is about Ward, Morgan is the bigger and more important signing and seeing how quickly he settles in at Ulster, and what level he can play too will have bigger impact on Ulster and maybe Ireland, than Ward. I hope Ward does make the transition, not easy to convert from 7s to 15s, but be nice if he could.
What position will he play???
@Tom: Wing.
@Tom: prop
@Tom: centre forward