Ulster able to call upon Ireland trio for must-win URC derby clash with Munster

Belfast Telegraph

08-05-2025

The skipper, who hasn't featured for the province since January, is back just in time to aid in their bid for the URC Play-Offs, with winger Rob Baloucoune and tighthead prop Tom O'Toole back in the squad, too.
Baloucoune starts after recovering from a hamstring injury, while O'Toole was a late withdrawal from their loss to the Cell C Sharks two weeks ago due to a family bereavement and is named on the bench.
In total, head coach Richie Murphy has made just three changes to the team that conceded 22 unanswered points against the South Africans last time out, with the other alteration seeing Michael Lowry restored at full-back after shaking off a neck injury sustained against Leinster.
That means there is no place for centre James Hume or prop Eric O'Sullivan, who both returned to training this week after respective injury lay-offs.
Ulster know that only a win will do in Limerick if they are to finish in the top-eight of the League standings, which would bring with it a place in the Play-Offs and a coveted spot in next season's European Champions Cup.
Murphy's men are currently 12th, three points outside the Play-Off spots with two rounds to go – the province head to Edinburgh next weekend in their final regular season fixture – while Munster are also battling for their lives in ninth.
Accordingly, both sides have gone strong, with Munster bringing the likes of Jean Kleyn and Peter O'Mahony back into their starting line-up, with Conor Murray on the bench and the retiring Stephen Archer lining out at tighthead prop.
On the Ulster side, Baloucoune returns to an all-international back three as Jacob Stockdale switches back to the wing to accommodate Lowry's return at full-back, with Werner Kok dropping to the bench and Zac Ward missing out altogether, while in Hume's absence the centre pairing of Stuart McCloskey and Jude Postlethwaite is unchanged.
Nathan Doak and Jack Murphy form a still inexperienced but now familiar half-back pairing, with Scott Wilson getting the nod over O'Toole at tighthead prop as he continues in a front row that also contains loosehead prop Andrew Warwick and Ireland hooker Rob Herring.
Cormac Izuchukwu partners returning skipper Henderson in an Ireland second row pairing, while blindside flanker Matty Rea is once again preferred to David McCann in the back row, with Ireland openside flanker Nick Timoney and James McNabney rounding out the starting line-up.
Loosehead prop Callum Reid retains his place on the bench despite O'Sullivan's return, with Ireland hooker Tom Stewart and O'Toole forming the rest of the front row replacements, with Alan O'Connor and McCann adding further ballast in the loose.
In the backs, Dave Shanahan and Stewart Moore complete the squad alongside Kok.
ULSTER: (15-9) M Lowry; R Baloucoune, J Postlethwaite, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; J Murphy, N Doak; (1-8) A Warwick, R Herring, S Wilson; I Henderson (c), C Izuchukwu; Matty Rea, N Timoney, J McNabney.
Replacements: T Stewart, C Reid, T O'Toole, A O'Connor, D McCann, D Shanahan, S Moore, W Kok.
MUNSTER: (15-9) T Abrahams; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, D Kilgallen; J Crowley, C Casey; (1-8) M Milne, N Scannell, S Archer; J Kleyn, T Beirne (c); P O'Mahony, J Hodnett, G Coombes.