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Moore replaces Lowry in Ulster line-up for URC quarter-final clash with Munster

John Cooney will make his 100th appearance for Ulster in Friday night's Ulster Rugby Championship quarter-final against Munster at the Kingspan Stadium
John Cooney will make his 100th appearance for Ulster in Friday night's Ulster Rugby Championship quarter-final against Munster at the Kingspan Stadium John Cooney will make his 100th appearance for Ulster in Friday night's Ulster Rugby Championship quarter-final against Munster at the Kingspan Stadium

United Rugby Championship quarter-final: Ulster v Munster (Friday, Kingspan Stadium, 7.35pm, live on TG4 & Premiers Sports 2)

If Ulster are to advance to the semi-finals of this year's URC, they’re going to have to do it without the services of Michael Lowry.

Lowry picked up a nasty facial injury in the victory over the Cell C Sharks and has failed to fully recover meaning that Stewart Moore comes into the team in the only change from the side that recorded a 24-21 win two weeks ago.

The game also marks the occasion of John Cooney’s 100th appearance in an Ulster shirt.

Cooney joined the province in 2017 as a replacement for Ruan Pienaar and despite the controversial manner of his signing, quickly established himself as a fan favourite.

Cooney will again take up the reigns at scrum-half to form a half-back pairing with Billy Burns.

It’s been another long hard season for Dan McFarland’s outfit but after suffering somewhat of a dip in form towards the end of the regular league season, Burns thinks that Ulster still have plenty left in reserve as they aim to end their trophy famine which stretches back to 2006.

“We still have plenty left in the tank,” said the former England Under-20 international.

“Our season has probably gone up and down a little bit. We were probably playing some of our better rugby around Christmas time and right at the start of the new year.

“Then we had a slight dip around the time we went to South Africa. But I feel like we learnt huge lessons from those games and obviously the European games as well.

“It felt like the Sharks game was nowhere near perfect but it felt like we were back on that upward trend a little bit.”

While Munster may be arriving in Belfast off the back of another chastening defeat to Leinster, they’ll certainly back themselves to come away from the Kingspan with a win.

Just five weeks ago they inflicted a first home URC defeat on Ulster.

Early tries from Stephen Archer and Keith Earls helped the men in red to a 24-17 win, and Burns feels that if Ulster are to overturn that result tonight, then only their best will do.

“We are going to have to be as close to our best this weekend. They’re a top-quality team and they’ll come fully stacked. It will be two top sides going at it and we’ll have to be on the money to get a result.”

Tonight, could mark the end of Ulster’s season should they fall to Munster. It’s another added pressure in an already highly pressurised environment.

But it’s an environment that Burns suggests brings out the best in the Ulster players.

“There’s always pressure when it comes to these knockout games – the games are won on the night and that could be it.

“Yeah, I guess an added pressure, but that’s the sort of environment that I think this team thrives in. It seems to bring the best out of ourselves and we will be looking to do that again this weekend.”