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Jordi Murphy starts for Ulster in Wales, while international team-mate John Cooney also returns. Alex Davidson/INPHO

Jordi Murphy starts as Ulster shuffle half-back pairing once more for Dragons trip

Sean Reidy will make his 100th appearance for the northern province at Rodney Parade.

ULSTER BACK ROW Sean Reidy will earn his 100th cap for the northern province when they travel to Rodney Parade to face the Dragons this Sunday (3pm).

The Auckland-born 29-year-old made his debut at Ravenhill against the same opposition in 2014 and this weekend starts at blindside flanker, where he’s joined in the back row by Jordi Murphy who started in Ireland’s Six Nations win over Italy in Rome last weekend.

Murphy is one of only three changes in Dan McFarland’s starting 15, with a new half-back pairing of John Cooney and Billy Burns replacing Dave Shanahan and Peter Nelson at scrum-half and out-half respectively.

Shanahan and Nelson are both on the bench, with Andrew Warwick, John Andrew, Wiehahn Herbst, Ian Nagle and Matthew Rea covering the forward options the forward options and James Hume providing further backline reinforcement.

On the Dragons’ side, Wales winger Hal Amos returns in one of nine changes to the starting lineup made by head coach Ceri Jones.

Ulster (v Dragons)

Louis Ludik
Robert Baloucoune
Darren Cave
Stuart McCloskey
Rob Lyttle
Billy Burns
John Cooney

Eric O’Sullivan
Rob Herring
Marty Moore
Alan O’Connor (Captain)
Kieran Treadwell
Sean Reidy
Jordi Murphy
Nick Timoney

Replacements
Andrew Warwick
John Andrew
Wiehahn Herbst
Ian Nagle
Matthew Rea
David Shanahan
James Hume
Peter Nelson

Dragons (v Ulster)

Jordan Williams
Hallam Amos
Adam Warren
Jarryd Sage
Dafydd Howells
Josh Lewis
Rhodri Williams

Brok Harris
Richard Hibbard (Captain)
Lloyd Fairbrother
Joe Davies
Matthew Screech
Huw Taylor
Taine Basham
Harri Keddie

Replacements
Rhys Lawrence
Josh Reynolds
Leon Brown
Max Williams
Lennon Greggains
Tavis Knoyle
Jason Tovey
Tyler Morgan

Bernard Jackman joins Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey to discuss the backlash to World Rugby’s league proposal, captaincy styles, sports psychology and more in The42 Rugby Weekly.


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‘All rugby has done with the Islands is just take from them… There’s nothing given back’

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