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Ulster roll out ten internationals for visit of Glasgow Warriors

By Online Editors
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

The Ulster match-day squad has been named to take on Glasgow Warriors in Round 5 of the Guinness PRO14 at Kingspan Stadium on Monday, and it’s full of international talent.

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Coetzee missed his team’s win over the Cardiff Blues on Monday because of an ankle strain and his return will be welcomed by the Belfast side who have been in red-hot form this season thus far. Coetzee’s return, as well as the availability of fellow talisman John Cooney, who was left out of the Ireland squad this weekend, means that coach Dan McFarland will be in good spirits hoping to win a fifth consecutive game in the competition.

Coetzee, despite missing the game still leads the season stats on most carries (45) and offloads (9) and has certainly been one of the stars for his team in their bid to catch Leinster in Conference A this season.

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There are eight changes to the side that defeated Cardiff Blues at Rodney Parade last Monday. Michael Lowry has been retained at full-back, with Matt Faddes and Craig Gilroy joining him in the back three. Luke Marshall – who returned last week from injury off the bench – will make his first start of the season, pairing with Stewart Moore in midfield. Ian Madigan has been selected at fly-half, with Cooney starting at scrum-half.

Marcell Coetzee returns to the side and is joined in the back-row by Matty Rea – who made his 50th appearance for Ulster last week – and Sean Reidy. Sam Carter will lead the Ulster men from the second row and will partner Kieran Treadwell. Jack McGrath comes in to start at loosehead, with John Andrew being given the nod at hooker, and Marty Moore keeping the tighthead starting berth.

Eric O’Sullivan could make his 50th appearance for the province if called upon from the Ulster replacements. He is named alongside Adam McBurney, Gareth Milasinovich, Alan O’Connor and Marcus Rea in the forwards, while David Shanahan, Bill Johnston and Ethan McIlroy offer back line cover. Squad PCR testing was clear.

Ulster team to play Glasgow Warriors
Michael Lowry, Craig Gilroy, Luke Marshall, Stewart Moore, Matt Faddes, Ian Madigan, John Cooney; Jack McGrath, John Andrew, Marty Moore, Kieran Treadwell, Sam Carter (Captain), Matty Rea, Sean Reidy, Marcell Coetzee.

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Replacements: Adam McBurney, Eric O’Sullivan, Gareth Milasinovich, Alan O’Connor, Marcus Rea, David Shanahan, Bill Johnston, Ethan McIlroy.

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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