Sport

Ulster hoping to build on European success as Stormers visit Kingspan Stadium

Ulster head coach Dan McFarland is without his Ireland contingent for Friday night’s URC tie at home to the Stormers
Ulster head coach Dan McFarland is without his Ireland contingent for Friday night’s URC tie at home to the Stormers Ulster head coach Dan McFarland is without his Ireland contingent for Friday night’s URC tie at home to the Stormers

BKT United Rugby Championship

Ulster v Stormers

(Friday, 7.35pm, live on BBC Two, RTÉ2 & Viaplay Sports 1)

ULSTER will be hoping to build on the momentum gained from last week’s Champions Cup win over Sale to keep themselves in the hunt for a top two finish in this season’s URC.

A loss of form saw Ulster go into that game with just one win in six outings, but a battling performance against the side that crushed them 39-0 just six weeks ago has restored some of the lost belief around the Kingspan Stadium. And it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Currently sitting fourth in the URC rankings, and seven points adrift of Friday night’s opponents, the Stormers, Ulster will need to deliver another display akin to last Saturday night.

After weathering an early storm from Sale, Ulster dug deep to battle their way to a 22-11 victory.

But if they are to close the gap on the first-time Belfast visitors from Cape Town they’ll have to dig even deeper.

With Iain Henderson and Robert Baloucoune already ruled out through injury, Dan McFarland will also have to do without Rob Herring, Stuart McCloskey and Jacob Stockdale, who are in Portugal with the Irish squad ahead of the Six Nations which kicks off next week.

Stewart Moore and Ben Moxham come into the backline for McCloskey and Stockdale while Herring, who made a try scoring appearance from the bench last week, is replaced at hooker by John Andrew.

In one further change to the starting team, Eric O’Sullivan comes in at loosehead prop for Andrew Warwick.

Warwick drops to a bench that also includes Rory Sutherland. The Scottish international has spent much of the last month on the treatment table and his return will also be welcome news for Scottish head coach Gregor Townsend.

Townsend will also be keeping close tabs on another Ulster replacement in John Cooney. The scrum-half has been the subject of much debate of late as he ponders an offer to switch international allegiance following the introduction of new eligibility rules.

The Stormers will arrive in Belfast in a rich vein of form, having also qualified for the knock-out stages of the champion’s cup.

But hopes of Ulster fans getting a closer look at new signing Steven Kitshoff (above) have been dealt a blow as the Springbok prop isn’t part of the travelling party. Instead, they’ll have to wait until late November to see the flame-haired forward take to the Kingspan Stadium turf.

Also left behind is South African out-half Damian Willemse, but the current URC champions still travel with a squad stacked with experience with Brok Harris, Evan Roos, and Clayton Blommetjies all included.

After losing twice to the Stormers in Cape Town last year, Ulster will be more than fired up for Friday night’s showdown.

A late Callum Reid try was incorrectly ruled out in the first fixture before an injury-time Stormers try saw the South Africans steal a place in the final last June.

Fuelled by the hurt of last season’s encounters and the belief from last week’s result, a home win would see Ulster take a bite out the eight-points that separate the sides in the URC table.