Less Kiss makes seven changes to Ulster team

Ulster’s new director of rugby Less Kiss has named Rory Best and Ruan Pienaar on the bench for tomorrow’s Guinness PRO12 clash away to Newport Gwent Dragons.

Kiss has made seven changes from the side that lost to Munster last Friday. Sammy Arnold and Rory Scholes come onto the wings for the injured Andrew Trimble and Craig Gilroy while Kyle McCall gets a start at loose-head and Dan Tuohy starts in the engine room.

Ballymena’s promising flanker Stephen Mulholland gets his first start in a new back-row alongside Chris Henry and fit-again Robbie Diack. Ulster skipper Best will play his first game for the province since May. Scrum-half Paul Marshall wins his 153rd cap after starting all games this season and is likely to step aside for Springbok Pienaar during the game.

Dragons, meanwhile, have made five changes to the side that lost to the Scarlets and give 20-year-old flanker Ollie Griffiths his first run.

NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS:

C Meyer; A Hewitt, A Hughes, A Warren, N Scott; D Jones, S Pretorius; B Stankovich, E Dee, S Knight; C Hill, R Landman (capt); E Jackson, O Griffiths, T Faletau.

Replacements:

R Buckley, P Price, B Harris, M Screech, L Evans, C Davies, J Tovey, R Wardle.

ULSTER:

P Nelson; R Scholes, D Cave, S McCloskey, S Arnold; P Jackson, P Marshall; K McCall, R Herring (captain), W Herbst; D Tuohy, F van der Merwe; R Diack, C Henry, S Mulholland.

Replacements:

R Best, R Lutton, B Ross, L Stevenson, S Reidy, R Pienaar, I Humphreys, C Gilroy.