Returning internationals Rory Best and Jacob Stockdale boost Ulster

By John Fallon

Ireland duo Rory Best and Jacob Stockdale are ready to bear their teeth against Connacht at the Kingspan Stadium this evening when Ulster attempt to get over the humiliation of that record defeat in Limerick.

Best returns to lead the side while Stockdale is on the left-wing again following respective hamstring injuries and they are two of a number of changes from the side trounced 64-7 by Munster in the PRO14 last Saturday.

Stuart McCloskey is also back in the starting line-up in the midfield alongside youngster Angus Curtis while Iain Henderson is named at lock and expected to play following HIA protocols for concussion and scrum-half John Cooney has also recovered from a second cut to the head that saw him depart from the Thomond Park mauling after 33 minutes. Marcell Coetzee and Tom O’Toole are also named in the starting line-up.

Connacht, meanwhile, have made four changes with Jarrad Butler back to the lead the side at flanker with Paul Boyle returning at No. 8 and Jack McCartney coming in at hooker.

Matt Healy returns to the right wing following injury.

Meanwhile, 22-year-old wing sensation Stockdale believes he will be better for his enforced layoff.

I think to be honest, the injury in the long run probably did me a power of good,” explained Stockdale.

“It gave me a chance to recover from a pretty long season. Obviously you would rather be out playing a match every week, but there are definitely positives you can take from it.

“Everybody has areas to work on. I’m a bit of a perfectionist. Even stuff that isn’t a weakness I want to improve.

“My high ball game is something I thought was a strength of mine, but there are players out there who are better. You look at the first game (against Australia) and Israel Folau was better than me in the air. That’s something that really annoyed me. That’s something that I’ve gone away and worked on.

There’s other stuff that you keep chipping away at every day,” said Stockdale, who knows tonight won’t be easy after last week’s defeat.

“Obviously after the weekend, there were a lot of tough words spoken. On the whole, the guys have reacted really well to that. We want to make a point at home this week.”

ULSTER: P Nelson; A Kernohan, A Curtis, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; B Burns, J Cooney; A Warwick, R Best (capt), T O’Toole; A O’Connor, I Hendersonm, M Rea, N Timoney, M Coetzee.

Replacements: A McBurney, E O’Sullivan, R Kane, K Treadwell, S Reidy, D Shanahan, J McPhillips, J Hume.

CONNACHT: T O’Halloran; N Adeolokun, T Farrell, B Aki, M Healy, J Carty, K Marmion; D Buckley, T McCartney, F Bealham, U Dillane, Q Roux, S O’Brien, J Butler (capt), P Boyle.

Replacements: S Delahunt, P McCabe, C Carey, J Cannon, C Fainga’a, C Blade, K Godwin, C Kelleher.