Updated 21.35pm
CORK HAVE MADE one switch in defence for Sunday’s Allianz Division 1A hurling league tie against Tipperary.
Conor O’Sullivan comes in at corner-back instead of Damien Cahalane in the only change from the starting side that lost to Kilkenny last weekend.
Opponents Tipperary have made four alterations. In defence James Barry starts for the first time since the league opener against Dublin while Conor O’Brien gets his first start of this campaign.
In attack John O’Dwyer is also recalled to the starting fifteen at wing-forward while Kieran Morris from Moycarkey-Borris makes his league debut at right corner-forward.
Tomas Hamill, Michael Cahill, Kieran Bergin and Dan McCormack are the players to make way.
Tipperary
1. Darren Gleeson (Portroe)
2. Cathal Barrett (Holycross-Ballycahill)
3. James Barry (Upperchurch-Drombane)
4. Conor O’Brien (Éire Óg Annacarty)
5. Barry Heffernan (Nenagh Éire Óg)
6. Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields)
7. Padraic Maher (Thurles Sarsfields)
8. Brendan Maher (Borris-Ileigh – captain)
9. Michael Breen (Ballina)
10. John O’Dwyer (Killenaule)
11. Niall O’Meara (Kilruane MacDonaghs)
12. Noel McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
13. Kieran Morris (Moycarkey-Borris)
14. John McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
15. Adrian Ryan (Templederry Kenyons)
Subs:
16. Brian Hogan (Lorrha Dorrha)
17. Kieran Bergin (Killenaule)
18. Seamus Callanan (Drom & Inch)
19. Andrew Coffey (Nenagh Éire Óg)
20. Tomás Hamill (Moyne-Templetuohy)
21. Dan McCormack (Borris-Ileigh)
22. Liam McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
23. John Meagher (Loughmore-Castleiney)
24. Daire Quinn (Nenagh Éire Óg)
25. Gearóid Ryan (Templederry Kenyons)
26. Willie Ryan (Clonakenny)
Cork
1. Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig)
2. Killian Burke (Midleton)
3. Stephen McDonnell (Glen Rovers – captain)
4. Conor O’Sullivan (Sarsfields)
5. Cormac Murphy (Mallow)
6. Christopher Joyce (Na Piarsaigh)
7. Lorcan McLoughlin (Kanturk)
8. Paul Haughney (Midleton)
9. John Cronin (Lisgoold)
10. Brian Lawton (Castlemartyr)
11. Bill Cooper (Youghal)
12. Conor Lehane (Midleton)
13. Luke O’Farrell (Midleton)
14. Seamus Harnedy (St Ita’s)
15. Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers)
Subs:
16. Anthony Nash (Kanturk)
17. Stephen Murphy (Blackrock)
18. Shane O’Neill (Bishopstown)
19. Niall Cashman (Blackrock)
20. Daniel Kearney (Sarsfields)
21. William Egan (Kilbrin)
22. Patrick Cronin (Bishopstown)
23. Paudie O’Sullivan (Cloyne)
24. Alan Cadogan (Douglas)
25. Stephen Moylan (Douglas)
26. William Leahy (Aghada)
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Good to be see Tom Stewart back! Hopefully his injuries are behind him.
Not an Ulster fan but would have liked Jude Postlethwaite, Nathan Doak and / or Scott Wilson to have been included as training panelists in the Ireland squad.
@Andrew: Doak is overdue (imo)
@Thesaltyurchin: Not as a training panellist though. He’s got as many caps for Ulster as Cooney has minutes for Leinster.
@Thesaltyurchin: his pass – as Gordon D’Arcy alluded to on the IT podcast, is so slow, it has to be seen ‘live’ to be believed. I don’t think he’s ever going to be included in an AF influenced selection. Must be awkward given his dad’s position.
@John Morris: Last season Ulster fans would have agreed with you, and it has to be taken into account it was behind a weak pack with opposition regularly slowing down ball. This season and since RM came in has been a different story has been playing better than Blade (who may not even be Connachts 1st choice SH at present) this season, outplayed him in the recent interpro, but wont get picked up by southern media as vast majority are only intrested in the 4 games Ulster play against Leinster and Munster each season.
@John Morris: I would say both him and his Dad are far too professional to let it be a thing
@Kingshu: wouldn’t agree with your last comment .. have always tried to keep up with Ulster Rugby (from Wicklow) but the SA period a few years back really alienated me. That and the parochial home commentators on TV! Seriously though, a healthy UR supplying players to Ireland is what most fans want to see again. Hopefully, RM may be at the start of that journey, he’s from a great Wicklow family.
Jake Flannery back too. Hope he gets a good stint injury free, had a dogged few seasons.
Great to see Lyttle back, hoped hed return sooner, think we’ll need him to end of season at least, quality player and too good to drop out of professional rugby. Murphy as previously said, I think will be 1st choice before season end, but can’t overplay him so young. Think this could be the start of a 5/6 game winning run for Ulster. Big game for Flannery as pecking order is up in the air, could go to 2nd choice or 4th choice. If Cooney is leaving prob need a new SH, Shanahan is good 3rd choice, dont think McDonald has really shown at Ulster or Connacht, would be good to see Armstrong.
@Kingshu: I see Matty Dalton, another returnee, has signed up for a year after his trial. That, plus Tredders being on the bench for Europe, lends some support to the rumours of Kieran heading back across the water.
Big game for Ulster. A win would give them a decent shot at the Challenge Cup which is quite winnable. That would bring confidence into next season
@TL55: It is a very big game in terms of it leading into a run of winnable fixtures. Failing to put away Exeter reserves would be extremely disappointing. A nice away trip for us to look forward to, when the likes of JS, Stu and JH should be available, would be great.
Has Jack Dunne been injured or is he just not getting a look into the side ? Fine player I thought when he was at Leinster
@Barry Leahy: Think he’s had an ankle injury. First appearance since October.
It’s great to see Rob Lyttle back. I do think SH is going to be an issue going forward. I find Doak’s progress very frustrating, his pass isn’t the only slow thing going on, he’s slow into the scrum, slow out of the scrum, slow at ruck time and gets caught in possession a bit too often. I do realise it isn’t always his fault but there’s an all round lack of urgency to his game that will be hard to turn around. You can see he’s really working on the speed issue and I hope he comes good. I suspect JC’s place kicking averages are way down this season, and I wonder is that why he’s not starting?
@Dave Campbell: Just my opinion but I’m curious about the thoughts of others.
@Dave Campbell: His place kicking hasn’t been at its brilliant best but I reckon it’s probably not that. He missed a bit of rugby with the hammy and then Doak had an excellent game in Galway, shooting out of the line defensively which wouldn’t suit John. It also seems likely that it’s his last season and, whilst he’s still got a big role to play, it probably makes sense for Doak to get the nod more often than not.
Lads is there any way to download the Rugby Weekly Extra podcast to listen to it offline? Lying long haul tonight and want to listen to it. Thanks
@Patrick Kennedy: If you are a subscriber you should be able to it. I don’t use the 42 app, I have a separate podcast app (pocket casts) that manages everything in the back
ground. Hopefully someone here knows if you can do it in the 42 app
@Carlos Mendoza: Great tip. Might try it. I find it very frustrating listening to them through the app whilst driving because I have to start again every time I stop.
@Patrick Kennedy: I download and listen to the podcast on the Overcast app. If, in the 42App, you go into Account, then Manage Podcast, you’ll get a link for the Rugby Weekly Extra podcast, which you can then copy in to your podcast app. It’s a while since I did it, so can’t remember if this worked smoothly – if not you’ll need to contact the 42 Subscription Team (who’ve been helpful to me in the past)
@Kevin Ryan: That worked perfectly, thanks a million!