'We’ve got five games and we probably need bonus points wins in them all': Ulster start daunting run-in

Jordi Murphy will captain Ulster for the first time while John Cooney and Stuart McCloskey come straight into the team having been released from the Ireland camp. Picture: INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Five games left and five wins needed, probably all with bonus points, is the task Ulster head coach Dan McFarland has set his players for the PRO14 run-in.

The province play Glasgow Warriors tonight in their first outing since losing to champions Leinster five weeks ago.

That was their only setback in the competition this season yet it could be the critical result, unless they finish with five wins from five including a home win next month over Leinster, who are currently four points clear at the top of Conference A.

“Finishing out this section of the competition the way we’ve got to approach it is that we’ve got five games and we probably need bonus points wins in them all so that narrows the mind and the focus to each game,” said McFarland.

Ulster are a massive 31 points ahead of a Glasgow team that’s been woefully off the pace this season winning just three of their 10 games.

Even allowing for a five-week lay-off and playing on an 4G artificial surface at Scotstoun, Ulster will be warm favourites to come away with a victory.

“It feels like we’ve come off a mini pre-season,” said fullback Michael Lowry, one of 23 players to sign contract extensions with Ulster during the break.

“It has been a really competitive few weeks in training and we hope to bring out that competitive nature against Glasgow because it’s exciting to actually have a game at the end of the week.

It is one step at a time and one game at a time but we know what we have to do to get a crack at the final.

Jordi Murphy will captain Ulster for the first time while John Cooney and Stuart McCloskey come straight into the team having been released from the Ireland camp earlier this week.

Ulster have made seven changes to the team which lost to champions Leinster.

Craig Gilroy and Rob Lyttle come in on the wings for Matt Faddes and Ethan McIlroy and with Billy Burns unavailable due to international commitments, Ian Madigan starts at fly-half.

There are four changes up front with Eric O’Sullivan, John Andrew, Treadwell and Nick Timoney completing a strong starting XV.

There are significant milestones for two of the forwards. Kieran Treadwell earns his 100th cap in the second row while Marty Moore earns his 50th in the front row.

Glasgow have five players back from Scotland camp while Adam Hastings is also fit and available.

ULSTER: M Lowry; C Gilroy, J Hume, S McCloskey, R Lyttle; I Madigan, J Cooney; E O’Sullivan, J Andrew, M Moore; A O’Connor, K Treadwell; N Timoney, J Murphy, M Coetzee.

Replacements: A McBurney, A Warwick, T O’Toole, C Izuchukwu, G Jones, A Mathewson, S Moore, M Faddes.

GLASGOW: H Jones; R Tagive, R Ferguson, S Johnson, R McLean; A Hastings, J Dobie; O Kebble, J MattheNws, E Pieretto; R Gray, L Nakarawa; R Harley, T Gordon, R Wilson.

Replacements: G Stewart, A Seiuli, D Rae, J Scott, TJ Ioane, S Kennedy, R Thompson, O Smith.