International John Cooney ruled out of Ulster’s Cheetahs clash

By Jim Stokes

Ireland’s John Cooney has been ruled out of Ulster’s Guinness PRO14 clash with the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein this evening (kick-off, 6.15 pm Irish time).

There is also a doubt over Craig Gilroy who picked up a bang on the ribs during training yesterday. While the Conference B table toppers pivot was keen to play with a scrum-cap to shield the nine stitches he received last week following a kick to the head, medical opinion was against him playing.

Dave Shanahan starts for the first time this season in a side that sees six changes from last week’s victory over the Kings in Port Elizabeth.

Gilroy was selected in that line-up for his fourth game on the trot, but a decision will be made today after the bruising has settled down.

But the good news for Ulster is that Ireland hopeful Will Addison has recovered from illness following a last-minute cry-off last week, and returns to full-back with Wallaby Henry Speight named in the centre in place of the in-form Darren Cave with Academy teenager Angus Kernohan, a try-scorer last week from the bench, getting his first start on the left wing.

As expected, loose-head star Eric O’Sullivan also makes his first start in a pack that sees Wiehahn Herbt returning at tight-head and Matty Rea coming in for Nick Timoney in the back-row.

Marcell Coetzee, who has played more this season since he first signed back in Feburay 2016, moves across to No. 8 looking to better his 27 carries from last week.

Ulster will obviously go in as favourites, but after a meager five-day turnaround during their South African trip; then toss altitude in the High Veld into the equation, anything could happen.

The Cheetahs are known to have pace to burn and have now have added more aggression plus a little game nous which was lacking last season.

Although they have shipped 108 points from their opening three games, Ulster have not been exactly setting the house on fire after two squeaky victories over the Scarlets and Edinburgh, and they were not exactly dominant or accurate in defeating the Kings 28-7 last week.

Like Ulster, the Cheetahs have scored six tries from their three games so far.

Victory for Ulster will put them in fine fettle for next two week’s inter-provincial derbies against Munster in Limerick next Saturday followed by a home date with Connacht the following Friday.

ULSTER: W Addison; C Gilroy, H Speight, S McCloskey, A Kernohan; B Burns, D Shanahan; E O’Sullivan, R Herring (capt), W Herbst, A O’Connor, K Treadwell, M Rea, S Reidy, M Coetzee.

Replacements: J Andrew, A Warwick, T O’Toole, J Deysel, N Timoney, J Stewart, A Curtis, D Cave.

CHEETAHS: M Jaer;R Maxwane, B van Rensburg, W Small-Smith; T Shoeman, T Meyer, capt, O Nche, A Cooetzee, JP du Preez, G Olivier, J Pokomela, N Jordaan.

Replacements: J du Toit, C Marais, G van Vuuren, J Basson, S Malan, S Venter, L Fouche, R Eksteen.

Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU).