Ulster v Benetton Fri Apr 26 7:35pm KO BBC2 NI / RTE2 / Premier Sports UK

[Neill_M]

Ulster v Benetton
Kingspan Stadium, Belfast – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA
Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU, 42nd league game)
AR 1: Robbie Jenkinson (IRFU) AR 2: Padraig Reidy (IRFU)
TMO: Sean Brickell (WRU)

TV - BBC2 NI / RTE2 / Premier Sports (UK) 1 / Premier Sports (Ireland) 1 / Super Sport / URC TV

[justinr73]

Sam Grove-White?

Thought he’d picked up a groin strain in Cape Town….?

[Neill_M]

The Ulster Rugby Medical Performance team has issued a squad update ahead of this Friday’s BKT United Rugby Championship Round 15 fixture against Benetton Rugby at Kingspan Stadium.

James Hume sustained a significant knee injury during Friday night's BKT United Rugby Championship game against Cardiff. He will see a specialist knee surgeon this week.

Jake Flannery (thigh), Tom O'Toole (ankle) and Nathan Doak (groin) also suffered injuries during the same game and their availability for selection will be monitored through this week.

Steven Kitshoff suffered a knee injury against Clermont in the EPCR Challenge Cup Quarter-Final fixture and following a scan and specialist opinion it has been determined that unfortunately this is season- ending.

He will travel back to South Africa this week, where he will see a knee specialist to decide on the required treatment plan.

Squad updates in association with The Ulster Independent Clinic.

[thecrouch]

And so endeth Kitshoff.

[justinr73]

Ffs.

I would have rested Hume for that game.

More starts than anyone else I believe.

[jean valjean]

Addison to 13 for the rest of the year for me. Will allow us to put Marshall on the bench for leinster game for a nice sign off.

[Neill_M]

Interesting to see what approach Benetton take re the game on Friday. They have their Challenge Cup Semi Final the week after away to Gloucester whose best hope of Champions Cup rugby lies in winning the Challenge Cup.

Do they send the 1st XV or hold a few back for the following week?

[justinr73]

Lineout legend Ruzza missed last week after getting subbed off early the week before.

Dunno what was wrong with him but could well be missing again.

[Big-al]

Interesting to see what approach Benetton take re the game on Friday. They have their Challenge Cup Semi Final the week after away to Gloucester whose best hope of Champions Cup rugby lies in winning the Challenge Cup.

Do they send the 1st XV or hold a few back for the following week?

Treviso need the win as much as Ulster.

I think only 3 pts separate 5th from 11th on the league table. If they lose this match they could struggle to qualify for the champions cup.

[Neill_M]

Interesting to see what approach Benetton take re the game on Friday. They have their Challenge Cup Semi Final the week after away to Gloucester whose best hope of Champions Cup rugby lies in winning the Challenge Cup.

Do they send the 1st XV or hold a few back for the following week?

Treviso need the win as much as Ulster.

I think only 3 pts separate 5th from 11th on the league table. If they lose this match they could struggle to qualify for the champions cup.

Just looked at their fixtures, Sharks away week after Challenge Cup Semi Final, likely to be a 2nd XV from Sharks, winnable. Bulls away, tricky and Edinburgh home, winnable.

[solidarity]

Good exciting time to be a Benetton supporter!

[CIMANFOREVER]

Step up Luke Marshall not before time

[Bobbievee]

The Ulster Rugby Medical Performance team has issued a squad update ahead of this Friday’s BKT United Rugby Championship Round 15 fixture against Benetton Rugby at Kingspan Stadium.

James Hume sustained a significant knee injury during Friday night's BKT United Rugby Championship game against Cardiff. He will see a specialist knee surgeon this week.

Jake Flannery (thigh), Tom O'Toole (ankle) and Nathan Doak (groin) also suffered injuries during the same game and their availability for selection will be monitored through this week.

Steven Kitshoff suffered a knee injury against Clermont in the EPCR Challenge Cup Quarter-Final fixture and following a scan and specialist opinion it has been determined that unfortunately this is season- ending.

He will travel back to South Africa this week, where he will see a knee specialist to decide on the required treatment plan.

Squad updates in association with The Ulster Independent Clinic.

Lucky B&B didn't catch an earlier train!

[Dharper]

I think our goose is cooked, and we won’t qualify for Champ Cup.

That said I’m bizarrely excited for next yr, and pre season. I think we’ll try to play a far more attractive brand of rugby, and there’ll be opportunities for young pups if they show promise. For me these few games are a free hit out, and I form RM of where we are. For me he already had the gig.

[justinr73]

I think our goose is cooked, and we won’t qualify for Champ Cup.

That said I’m bizarrely excited for next yr, and pre season. I think we’ll try to play a far more attractive brand of rugby, and there’ll be opportunities for young pups if they show promise. For me these few games are a free hit out, and I form RM of where we are. For me he already had the gig.

I don’t consider the remaining games to be a free hit at all and I certainly wasn’t excited about next season until I saw the rumours thread.

So far, the best performance under Murphy has supposedly been the one against the Stormers (who had one eye on La Rochelle) when we scored a grand total of seven points and none at all in the second half.

The Ospreys went there and won last week, the same Ospreys that Dan got potted for losing to with the last kick of the game.

We need an experienced head coach. If we can’t get one, I’d take Payne over Murphy.

But if the rumours are true…