1
Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the Guinness PRO14 match between Ulster and Connacht at Kingspan Stadium.
ADVERTISEMENT
Keep up to date with the latest score, stats and join the conversation from anywhere in the world in our Live Match Centre (click here).
Hooker Rob Herring will lead out Ulster and he is joined in the front row by Marty Moore and the returning Jack McGrath. Alan O’Connor and Kieran Treadwell are paired together in the engine room, with Matthew Rea, Sean Reidy and Marcell Coetzee selected as the loose forward trio.
Will Addison returns from suspension to start at full-back and he is joined in the back three by Robert Baloucoune and Louis Ludik. The familiar pairings of Stuart McCloskey and Luke Marshall, and John Cooney and Billy Burns are named as the midfield and half-back pairings respectively.
Connacht, meanwhile, will be skippered by scrum-half Caolin Blade, who has taken part in all of his province’s twelve games this season. His half-back partner will be Conor Fitzgerald.
(Continue reading below…)
WATCH: RugbyPass went behind the scenes with the Barbarians before their recent clash with Wales
Elsewhere in the backline, Peter Robb has returned from injury to partner Tom Daly in midfield while Tiernan O’Halloran starts at full-back in a back three that includes John Porch and Matt Healy on the wings.
ADVERTISEMENT
Up front, Paddy McAllister is another to return from injury, the loosehead joining a front row consisting of hooker Dave Heffernan and Finlay Bealham at tighthead.
With Quinn Roux picking up a hand injury against Munster that will likely keep him out of action until the end of January, Ultan Dillane will line up with Joe Maksymiw who came off the bench last weekend. In the back row, Robin Copeland comes in at No8 and will be flanked by Eoin McKeon and Paul Boyle.
This doesn't look good for those who argue that the PRO14 is just as competitive a tournament as the English Premiership and the French Top 14https://t.co/F7yigyrdGa
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 27, 2019
Connacht boss Andy Friend said: “We have had a short turnaround from the Munster game and with Christmas in the middle of that, there isn’t a huge volume of training the squad can get through.
“We are boosted by the return of Paddy McAllister, Matt Healy and Peter Robb, and those fresh legs are important as we head into the tenth weekend in a row of PRO14 and Champions Cup action.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Ulster have a fantastic record at home and are unbeaten in Kingspan since we defeated them some 14 months ago.”
ULSTER: 15. Will Addison; 14. Robert Baloucoune, 13. Luke Marshall, 12. Stuart McCloskey, 11. Louis Ludik; 10. Billy Burns, 9. John Cooney; 1. Jack McGrath, 2. Rob Herring (capt), 3. Marty Moore, 4. Alan O’Connor, 5. Kieran Treadwell, 6. Matthew Rea, 7. Sean Reidy, 8. Marcell Coetzee. Reps: 16. Adam McBurney, 17. Kyle McCall, 18. Tom O’Toole, 19. David O’Connor, 20. Nick Timoney, 21. David Shanahan, 22. Bill Johnston, 23. Craig Gilroy.
CONNACHT: 15. Tiernan O’Halloran; 14. John Porch, 13. Tom Daly, 12. Peter Robb, 11. Matt Healy; 10. Conor Fitzgerald, 9. Caolin Blade (capt); 1. Paddy McAllister, 2. Dave Heffernan, 3. Finlay Bealham, 4. Ultan Dillane, 5. Joe Maksymiw, 6. Eoin McKeon, 7. Paul Boyle, 8. Robin Copeland. Reps: 16. Shane Delahunt, 17. Denis Buckley, 18. Dominic Robertson McCoy, 19. Niall Murray, 20. Eoghan Masterson, 21. Stephen Kerins, 22. Kyle Godwin, 23. Stephen Fitzgerald.
WATCH: RugbyPass travelled to Brecon to see how life after rugby is treating Andy Powell, one of Wales’ biggest characters on and off the pitch
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
34 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
34 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments