Brian Gleeson returns as Munster ring changes for Ulster clash

Ulster make five changes to their starting XV with captain Iain Henderson returning from injury.

TEAM NEWS: Brian Gleeson is set to make his comeback after an 11-week injury absence with a place on the Munster bench for Friday night’s URC derby at Ulster, with Clayton McMillan making 10 changes to the starting line-up which faced Leinster six days earlier. Picture: ©INPHO/James Crombie

Brian Gleeson is set to make his comeback after an 11-week injury absence with a place on the Munster bench for Friday night’s URC derby at Ulster, with Clayton McMillan making 10 changes to the starting line-up which faced Leinster six days earlier.

Calvin Nash returns from the illness which forced him out of last Saturday’s 13-8 league defeat at Thomond Park and is one of four backline changes with Dan Kelly, JJ Hanrahan and Paddy Patterson also set to start in Belfast with Ireland internationals Tom Farrell, Jack Crowley and Craig Casey all rested under IRFU player welfare guidelines.

The same protocols also apply to captain Tadhg Beirne with a starting forward pack refreshed with the presence of matchday skipper Diarmuid Barron, Josh Wycherley, Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley, John Hodnett and Alex Kendellen.

There is also one positional switch from the round eight defeat with Tom Ahern moving from the second row to blindside flanker while tighthead prop Michael Ala’alatoa retains his place in a front row also featuring Josh Wycherley at loosehead with Diarmuid Barron at hooker. Jean Kleyn and Fineen Wycherley step up from last week’s bench to replace Edwin Edogbo and Ahern, whose back-row partners are openside flanker Hodnet and No.8 Kendellen.

Mike Haley keeps his place at full-back with Nash on the right wing and Thaakir Abrahams on the left outside a centre partnership of Kelly and Alex Nankivell with Hanrahan and Patterson the half-backs.

Gleeson returns for his first game since October 18 when his try-scoring start at No.8 against Leinster at Croke Park was ended with a fractured elbow. The 21-year-old is one of two loose forwards alongside Jack O’Donoghue as Munster revert to a split of five forwards and three backs on their bench with Lee Barron, Jeremy Loughman and Conor Bartley providing the front row cover. Ethan Coughlan, Tony Butler and Seán O’Brien are the backline replacements.

Munster on Thursday also announced that tighthead prop Oli Jager was estimated to return to full training in two to three weeks following a lengthy absence following a head injury while wing Andrew Smith would return to full training in one to two weeks. Smith pulled up with a hamstring injury during the win at Croke Park.

Ulster, who could dislodge Munster from second place in the table with a victory at a sold-out Affidea Stadium in Friday night, make five changes and one positional switch from the side which landed a 29-24 derby victory at Connacht last Saturday.

Iain Henderson returns from injury to captain the side from the second row alongside Joe Hopes as Cormac Izuchukwu switches from lock to blindside flanker while Wallaby loosehead prop Angus Bell starts his first home interpro since arriving following Australia’s November internationals in the front row alongside Tom Stewart at hooker and tighthead Tom O’Toole. With Juarno Augustus sustaining a serious ankle ligament injury in Galway, Bryn Ward takes over at No.8 while the one backline change comes at scrum-half with Nathan Doak returning at number nine alongside fly-half Jack Murphy.

Otherwise, Richie Murphy sticks with the dangerous backline which has picked up six try bonus points from Ulster’s seven URC matches this season with Stuart McCloskey and James Hume the centres and Jacob Stockdale in the back three with wings Zac Ward and Werner Kok, both try scorers against Connacht.

ULSTER: Jacob Stockdale; Werner Kok, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Zac Ward; Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak; Angus Bell, Tom Stewart, Tom O’Toole; Iain Henderson - captain, Joe Hopes; Cormac Izuchukwu, Nick Timoney, Bryn Ward.

Replacements: Rob Herring, Eric O’Sullivan, Scott Wilson, Harry Sheridan, David McCann, Conor McKee, Jake Flannery, Jude Postlethwaite.

MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Dan Kelly, Alex Nankivell, Thaakir Abrahams; JJ Hanrahan, Paddy Patterson; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron - captain, Michael Ala’alatoa; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Tom Ahern, John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen.

Replacements: Lee Barron, Jeremy Loughman, Conor Bartley, Jack O’Donoghue, Brian Gleeson, Ethan Coughlan, Tony Butler, Seán O’Brien.

Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)