A CORNER appeared to have been turned for Ulster before the International break with back-to-back wins in the URC and in Europe, so they will aim to pick up where they left off this evening at Scotstoun Stadium against Glasgow Warriors (7.35pm, live on Viaplay Sports).
Despite their sticky run of results, Dan McFarland's side remains in third place in the URC table, seven behind second-place DHL Stormers with a game in hand against Cell C Sharks in Durban next week, so there is plenty of scope to get things firmly on track with a good run.
That begins against Glasgow but they will know that nothing comes easy against this evening's opposition on their home patch.
The Scottish outfit has been in good form and although both sides will be short of their internationals, the Ulster Head Coach is wary of the task ahead.
“Glasgow are nine games unbeaten now," McFarland noted.
"They play a very exciting brand of rugby and are extremely dangerous. We saw they have a bit of steel about them when they played Edinburgh back-to-back over Christmas.
“They’ll definitely come into this game as favourites off the back of the run of wins they’ve had, and the position they are in the league. I see it that it’s all up for grabs.”
𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈 𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎
— Ulster Rugby (@UlsterRugby) February 16, 2023
Your Ulster side to face @GlasgowWarriors tomorrow evening at the Scotstoun Stadium in the @URCOfficial 👊 pic.twitter.com/clS4J76jLS
Loosehead prop, Eric O’Sullivan, will earn his 100th cap for the province this Friday in Glasgow. He will be joined in the front row by hooker, Tom Stewart, who returns from involvement with Andy Farrell’s Ireland squad, and Jeff Toomaga-Allen, who was crowned Player of the Match last time out.
The side will be skippered by lock, Alan O’Connor, who is joined in the second row by Irish international, Kieran Treadwell.
Ulster Rugby Academy player, Harry Sheridan, who made his Ulster debut against European champions Stade Rochelais last month, joins versatile back-rower Jordi Murphy, and Nick Timoney, who was one of the try-scorers in Ulster’s 35-29 win at Kingspan Stadium the last time the two sides faced each other.
Nathan Doak also made his presence known on the score sheet that night in Belfast, with the 21-year-old named at scrum-half this weekend, as he is paired with Billy Burns at fly-half, while the duo of Stewart Moore and James Hume is retained in the Ulster midfield.
Jacob Stockdale, following his recent involvement with Ireland, forms the back three with Ben Moxham, who scored his first try for Ulster in the province’s most recent win, together with full back Ethan McIlroy.