Ulster Rugby v Cardiff Blues

OFFICIAL MATCH DAY PROGRAMME £3 ULSTER FRI 25 OCT, 7.35PM KINGSPAN STADIUM vCARDIFFBLUES

Welcome back to Kingspan Stadium, the home of Ulster Rugby, where tonight the Ulster squad welcome Cardiff Blues for Round 4 of the Guinness PRO14. Following a strong win over the Southern Kings, we are delighted to welcome the Ulstermen back to their home soil where they will look to maintain their good form. Cardiff Blues will be looking to bounce back from defeat to Glasgow Warriors which is sure to provide an edge to this game. With a number of Ulstermen away still to return from international duty, there is no doubt some of the rising stars of the squad will look to make the most of their opportunity this evening. After two consecutive weeks in South Africa, we look forward to a rousing atmosphere for the Ulster squads’ return to Kingspan Stadium. We are known for our warm welcome and I am sure that the Cardiff Blues Rugby squad and their travelling supporters will experience nothing less from their visit. Tonight is also a special night for our Kingspan mascot competition winner, Faith Miskimmin. We wish her all the best in leading out the Ulster team this evening. Finally, on behalf of Kingspan, I would like to wish the Ulster Rugby Squad and management team the very best of luck. To Ulster’s committed fans, enjoy the game, lead the way and help ensure that this is an evening to remember at Kingspan Stadium.

INTHIS

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Tonight's Mascots President’s Welcome

2 3 5 8 11

Guinness PRO14 Welcome Interview: Marcell Coetzee Player Focus: Luke Marshall

Q&A: Kyle McCall

13 14 16 19 21

Interview: James Hume

Ulster Women & U18 Girls Update

Academy Squad Ulster A Update

Schools' Rugby Update Ulster Squad Profiles

24 26 30 32 37 39 43 44 47 49 53 56 57 58 59 60 31

Ulster Team

Cardiff Blues Team Cardiff Blues Profiles

Match Statistics

Ulster Men in Japan Charity Partner: Extern Guest Article: Rod Nawn

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Referees Update

Stand Up Membership Packages

Half-Time Rugby Teams

URSC Update

Stadium Information Competition Standings

Fixtures

Sponsors And Partners

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TONIGHT'S MASCOTS

JESSICA MISKIMMIN (8) FROM NEWTOWNARDS

JUDE MORRISON (10) FROM NEWTOWNABBEY Jude attends Carnmoney Primary School and plays rugby for Ophir. As well as playing and watching rugby Jude also enjoys skateboarding and playing his Xbox. His favourite player is Iain Henderson as he plays in a no. 5 shirt as well. Jude wants to be like Iain and also play for Ulster, Ireland and the Lions.

Jessica attends Londonderry Primary School and as well as watching rugby she also loves playing football. When she grows up she would like to be a midwife.

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PRESIDENT'S WELCOME

After a three week gap we are back at Kingspan Stadium looking forward to our fourth game of the 2019/20 Guinness PRO14 Championship. I was fortunate to join the squad during the very enjoyable trip to South Africa and it was great to catch up with an Ulster Rugby legend in Ruan Pienaar after the Cheetahs game. It was very clear from his contribution on the field that the Cheetahs will be a formidable outfit this season. Dan and the guys came back with a well earned six points from the trip and thankfully limited injuries. We wish Michael Lowry a speedy recovery after his ankle surgery and look forward to seeing him back playing in Ulster jersey in the near future. The Rugby World Cup is now well into the knock-out stages and I wish Wales and England both the best in their respective semi- final games this weekend. Unfortunately, it was a disappointing tournament for Ireland and the Irish supporters, but it was great to see the ovation Rory Best got from the crowd and both sets of players on his final professional appearance. I wish him a very long and fruitful retirement. It was also pleasing to see that Jordi Murphy and Rob Herring both got belated call ups to join the squad in Japan. I am sure you all, like myself, are looking forward to see our Ulster contingent of Iain, Jacob, Jordi and Rob back in the white jersey in the forthcoming weeks. I would also like to acknowledge the contribution that Joe Schmidt has made to Irish Rugby during his tenure as national coach and wish him all the best in whatever is his next venture. On the domestic front, the club league and cup competitions are well under way as well as the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup, which kicked off last week. I wish all the teams and players every success in their respective competitions. It was fantastic to see the Ulster A team make it through to the final of this season’s Celtic Cup. Well done to the playing squad and management group, under the leadership of Kieran Campbell and Willie Anderson. It was great to see so many of our Development and Academy players making huge contributions and this only bears well for the future of Ulster Rugby. To the travelling Cardiff Blues Officers, management team and playing squad – I hope you have an enjoyable, but not successful, visit to Belfast. To the Ulster supporters – let’s get behind the team and generate our unique match night atmosphere at Kingspan Stadium, and hopefully cheer the Ulster men on to another important win. SUFTUM! Gary Leslie President, IRFU Ulster Branch On behalf of Ulster Rugby, I would like to welcome everyone to Kingspan Stadium for this evening’s Guinness PRO14 fixture versus Cardiff Blues.

IRFU ULSTER BRANCH 2019/20 OFFICERS Gary Leslie President Philip Gregg Senior Vice President Denis Gardiner Junior Vice President & Honorary Secretary Michael Boyd Honorary Treasurer Greg Irwin Competitions Secretary Jonny Petrie Chief Executive Officer

Kingspan Stadium, 134 Mount Merrion Avenue Belfast, BT6 0FT T +44 (0)28 9049 3222 ulsterrugby.com

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After a fast-paced start to the Guinness PRO14, the first break weekend allowed everyone to focus on the Rugby World Cup where stars from our Championship found themselves experiencing great highs and lows. Commiserations to Ireland, but congratulations are in order to both Wales and South Africa for reaching the Semi-Finals. There is no doubting the quality of both squads, coaching set-ups and no matter who goes through to the Final on November 2. To see Wales with an opportunity to reach their first World Cup Final is really encouraging. All but three players in their squad will turn out in the Guinness PRO14 this season which highlights the quality that will return from Japan – with or without the Webb-Ellis trophy.

In our Championship new stars are born all the time and Aaron Wainwright’s rise from Dragons has been meteoric. It is incredible to see such influence from a 22-year-old and fantastic that his region will add his profile to their growing stable of Welsh internationals. Facing the Springboks is not anyone’s first choice when it comes to Test rugby and with former Munster Director of Rugby, Rassie Erasmus, in the coaching box he will not find any surprises in the Welsh set-up. Former Munster coach, Felix Jones, and ex-Cheetahs winger, Makazole Mampimpi, will also be familiar with their opposition so it promises to be a real chess match. Before that riveting Semi-Final kicks off on Sunday morning, we’ll have a full slate of Guinness PRO14 action to feast upon. After three rounds only three teams remain undefeated and two of them have a chance to set a small piece of history. Leinster and the Toyota Cheetahs have picked up a bonus point in all of their games to date – but no team has ever managed to open the season with four bonus-point wins. Nobody has posted as many tries as the Cheetahs and Leinster either, and that’s leading to a whopping average of seven tries per game in the Championship. Scarlets are also unbeaten but with all three of these sides playing away from home it’s difficult to say who’ll still be flying the undefeated flag ahead of Round 5. Another milestone in the offing is the potential for Benetton’s Ian Keatley to become only the fourth man to play 200 times in the history of the Championship. At the age of 32, I am sure he has aspirations to keep on for a few seasons yet as he is just 140 points away from becoming the all-time leading scoring in the Guinness PRO14. Now third on the list, Keatley has Dan Parks (1582) and Dan Biggar (1585) in his sights. Keatley and Benetton will be eager to recover from their winless start to the season as they have no doubt got their sights set on a return to the Guinness PRO14 Final Series. But it’s an incredibly competitive field and while we have spoken about three unbeaten teams, there are another seven or eight teams who all believe they have a chance to fight for this title. This season’s Guinness PRO14 Final takes place at Cardiff City Stadium on June 20 and while we can’t predict which teams will run out at Cardiff City Stadium, you can book the best seats at the best prices right now. Last year saw yet another record attendance at the Guinness PRO14 Final in Glasgow, but with limited availability in 2020 be sure to visit www.pro14rugby.org/final to take advantage of early bird prices before they’re gone! Enjoy the game, Martin Anayi Chief Executive Officer

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MARCELL COETZEE

We caught up with Marcell Coetzee to hear how he’s been getting on since the trip to South Africa, where he made his most recent return from injury.

With the Ulster squad back in his native homeland for the last two rounds of the PRO14, Coetzee didn’t feature in the game against the Cheetahs but was part of the touring squad and contributed to the team bouncing back against the Southern Kings. “We had to have a good look at ourselves after the defeat against the Cheetahs, we weren’t proud of that result. We had to sit down and identify what our weak points were and what to improve on. Sometimes you need a couple of games to humble yourself and ask, ‘is this working and how can I fix this?’ “As much as it was a bad game for us, we learned a lot from that game; we just went into training straight away the following Monday, we knew what we had to do to bounce back and that’s the thing about rugby. You always get a chance the following week to show it. It’s not a game we want to remember but we want to remember it for the right reasons and that’s the learning we had to apply for the following week against the Southern Kings.” Although he enjoyed being back in his country of birth, the 28-year-old is pleased to have returned to Belfast for two back-to- back home games.

The powerful back row looked to be at his devastating best when playing for South Africa in the Rugby World Cup warm-up games before an ankle injury cruelly ruled him out of selection for the rugby World Cup squad. Despite this setback, he has shown incredible resolve and positivity to make his way back to playing rugby. “I thought the South Africa Test against Argentina was a chance to show what I can do and fight for a spot on the World Cup squad. Unfortunately, it didn’t go my way and it was just not meant to be. I think the biggest thing is the mindset after injury; are you going to lay down or fight back? I try to make a choice to fight back and see what happens. This is the second time it has happened and was a tough one to swallow, but time heals all wounds eventually and you just learn to get back on the horse. “Every time you get an injury you realise how grateful you are when you get back on the field with the guys. I just enjoy the game and want to be out there as much as possible. You can’t control injuries, but it humbles you and makes you hungrier to play again.”

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“WEWEREFANSBEFOREWE BECAMERUGBYPLAYERS; THATWILLNEVERDIE INUS...”

“It’s great to be back in Belfast now with the home game against Cardiff awaiting us. It will be nice to see the home fans to come and support us. It’s great playing at Kingspan Stadium, we have really passionate and loyal fans. I’m sure that will get the guys electrified and keep that momentum. “Cardiff won’t be an easy game, but we will take it day-by-day and we’re really looking forward to this challenge.” With South Africa progressing to the World Cup semi-finals, how does the Springbok flanker watch his teammates compete in such a crucial game? “We were fans before we became rugby players; that will never die in us,” he says. “I shout a lot at the TV, even though they can’t hear me. If you have a passion for the game and live your dream every day, it’s hard not to be like that. In general, South Africa is doing really well, they’ve got a tough one with Wales this weekend but I’m sure the boys will back themselves – I just hope they do the job.”

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PLAYER FOCUS

MARSHALL Luke was recruited to the Academy and made rapid strides to break into the Ulster and Ireland sides. Born in 1994 and from Ballymena, he is a combative, strong-running midfielder with great rugby intelligence. In 2016 he rejected the lure elsewhere to sign an extended deal with Ulster, and again put pen to paper for the 2018/19 season, keeping him at Kingspan Stadium until at least the summer of 2021.

SO FAR THIS SEASON

TRIES 1 APPEARANCES 3 Luke’s appearance against Isuzu Southern Kings marked his 100th game in the Guinness PRO14 competition. METRES 111 PASSES 22

TACKLES 20

New season, new team on and off the pitch Openreach is proud to join Ulster Rugby

To find out what broadband speed is available in your area visit www.openreach.co.uk/ni

PLAYER Q&A KYLEMcCALL When did you start playing rugby, and who was your first team? 6 years old playing for Lisburn Rugby Club Minis

What’s your favourite rugby memory? Getting my 1st Ulster Cap with an away win to Leinster If you could re-live one moment from your rugby career, what would it be? 2010 Schools Cup semi-final playing against BRA What’s the one thing you could not live without? Boojum Favourite subject in school? Mathematics All time favourite movie? Avengers Endgame Best player you have played with? Rory Best Best player you have played against? Wesley Fofana What’s your pre-match routine? Any superstitions? I have to put on my left boot first! What’s on your pre-match playlist? Blink 182, Ed Sheeran, Limp Bizkit and Stormzy Who has been the biggest influence on your rugby career and why? My Dad – brought me to my first training session, goes to every game and loves sharing every moment with me What area of your game do you want to improve most this season? Jackal technique – to get more turnovers Tell us something not many people would know about you? I have been off chocolate for 14 years!

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JAMES HUME

At only 21 years old, James Hume has made a rapid rise to the professional rugby scene.

“You speak to a lot of guys more than you would have chatted with them previously, like the older guys. We were put into sub- teams for dinners, so everyone got along really well, and I got closer to the guys I wasn’t as close to before, which was great. “There was quite a lot of time off; once we had got the training and gym done, we had most of the evenings free. We were near a massive mall and there were loads of restaurants, so we got a taste of the nice steaks, which I really enjoyed. We were all given our free time after putting the work in, and relaxed in each other’s company.” With Cardiff Blues up next, Hume is very conscious of the threat they pose to Ulster. “Cardiff are a very physical side and they like to get up in your face. They have some individuals who like to feed off the line breaks, so we have our plans in place to close them down and do our best.” In terms of his personal objectives for the season, the centre is keen to continue on this upward trajectory by grabbing any opportunity that comes his way with both hands. “At my age, it’s just about taking the opportunities when I’m given them. There’ll be injuries throughout the year so it’s up to me to take the chance. I’m working hard with all the coaches, so it’s rewarding when they trust me to fill the shirt when required.”

Making his competitive debut in 2018, the three-times Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup winner with RBAI has gone on to feature 14 times for the senior team, including appearances in all three rounds of the PRO14 so far this season. The young centre credits his swift development to getting plenty of minutes played under his belt: “It has massively helped me develop as a player to play regularly at that level,” he says. “In the two warm-up games against Glasgow, I was playing against Huw Jones, a Scotland international, and the Ospreys had Scott Williams who played for Wales for years. Coming up against players like that to test yourself is massive so it’s been really beneficial. I feel like my game is developing a lot quicker now I’m getting consistent professional game time.” Hume has just returned from the mini tour to South Africa, where Ulster played against relative PRO14 newcomers, Toyota Cheetahs and Isuzu Southern Kings. Fortunately for Ulster, playing both away games back-to- back means they only needed to make one long-haul trip during this campaign. It also meant the squad were in close quarters for two weeks together, which Hume found to be hugely beneficial at this early stage of the season:

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U18GIRLS REGIONALBARBARIANS PROGRAMME

Sunday saw the first gathering of the U18 Girl’s Regional Barbarian teams at a PHA funded event at Portadown RFC. This kicked off the programme of fixtures that will see each of the teams play against each other over the upcoming months. If you are interested in the programme and would like more information, please contact Zoe Templeton, Rugby Development Officer (Women and Girls): zoe.templeton@ulsterrugby.com NORTH EAST BAABAAS *Need identified from participation numbers based at; » Ballymena » Randalstown » Ballyclare NORTH WEST BAABAAS/EAGLES *Need identified from participation numbers based at;

The ‘Regional Barbarians’ programme is a new initiative, that will complement the existing, established structures in Enniskillen & Virginia. The benefits of this approach are as follows; » Bigger player pool available to each team to ensure a regular, quality training numbers & ability to fulfil fixtures. » Utilise the Ulster Rugby staff resource to lead and guide the sessions. » More competitive 15 a-side games. » Environment to develop and educate local coaches through peer learning & coach education » Easily facilitates Talent ID for Interprovincial U18 7s/XVs squads. » Increased Club engagement by the Branch Staff involved in the Regional Teams. » Progression: If an individual Club grows capacity through the programme, they will be encouraged to go out on their own and field an U18 team outside of the Barbarians programme. programme that would encourage more 15-a-side rugby throughout the province. Due to the increased numbers of girls at U18 level, Ulster rugby were tasked with designing a fit for purpose

» Letterkenny » City of Derry

» Strabane » Limavady

EAST BAABAAS *Need identified from participation numbers based at;

» Malone » Cooke » Donaghadee

» Larne » Lisburn

SOUTH BAABAAS *Need identified from participation numbers based at; » Armagh » Dungannon » Portadown » Clogher Valley

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ULSTERU18GIRLS&SENIORWOMEN JERSEYPRESENTATION

Ulster Senior Women’s summer training programme. Another big thank you to City of Armagh RFC for the use of their facilities that our U18 girls used. The Women and Girls programme was under the direction of Derek Suffern with Neill Alcorn as Head Coach of the Senior Women alongside Paul Heasley (S&C), John Creighton, Peter Weir and Neal Johnston (Manager). Charlie Farrell was Head Coach of the U18s with a coaching team of Zoe Templeton (Backs) and Ruth Sloan (Manager). The coaches are excited to see the development of all players throughout our young squad and the integration of players moving up from our successful U18 setup over the last few seasons. A highlight of this season has to be the U18 girls making it to the final of the interprovincial series for the second time in the four years since it became a competitive interprovincial series.

The players have shown a huge commitment to a very busy summer programme, working tirelessly on and off the pitch to represent their Province. This year, the Women’s and Girls interprovincial series took place at the end of August and throughout September. In a new venture this season, the series had an extended format with three round robin games being played before semi-finals and finals. This has been a great initiative to get all the players more game time at interprovincial level to allow them to develop before returning to their clubs to begin their domestic season. The U18 and senior women’s round robin games were all played as double headers with the first game against Munster being We are delighted to welcome the Ulster U18 Girls and Ulster Senior Women, sponsored by Deloitte, to tonight’s game for their annual Jersey Presentation event.

played in Irish Independent Park before playing Leinster in City of Armagh RFC and Connacht at Queen’s University playing fields. A big thank you is also due to Wallace High School for the use of their facilities, which were used as a base for the

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Abbey InsuranceBrokersLimited isauthorisedandregulatedbytheFinancialConductAuthority

2019/20ABBEY INSURANCE ACADEMYSQUAD

MATTHEW AGNEW

AZUR ALLISON

GRAHAM CURTIS

MATTHEW DALTON

Year 2 Back Row 20.11.98 180cm 89kg

Year 2 Back Row 19.04.99 192cm 95kg

Year 2 Scrum Half 12.09.99 176cm 84kg

Year 3 Lock 16.11.98 197cm 105kg

JOE DUNLEAVY

AARON HALL

BRUCE HOUSTON

IWAN HUGHES

Year 3 Back Row 22.12.98 190cm 101kg

Year 4 Back Row 26.06.98 193cm 98kg

Year 2 Fly Half 16.08.99 192cm 84kg

Year 2 Back Three 06.04.99 174cm 79kg

HAYDEN HYDE

DAVID McCANN

STEWART MOORE

CONOR RANKIN

Year 1 Centre 15.09.00

Year 2 Back Row 13.06.00

Year 2 Centre 08.08.99 183cm 91kg

Year 1 Back Three 27.05.01 186cm 83kg

191cm 101kg

191cm 103kg

JACK REGAN

CALLUM REID

AARON SEXTON

TOM STEWART

Year 3 Lock 09.05.97

Year 1 Prop 06.01.99 183cm 111kg

Year 1 Back Three 24.08.00 188cm 88kg

Year 1 Hooker 11.01.01 182cm 97kg

197cm 108kg

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ULSTERA CELTICCUPREVIEW

Ulster A Head Coach, Kieran Campbell commented on the squad’s progression throughout the Celtic Cup as a positive: “The guys put themselves in a positive learning experience by building good performances and wins. Learning to deal with pressure and the nature of delivering in professional sport week in, week out will hold them in good stead when they get into the senior squad with Dan McFarland hopefully. “We’ve got a little way to go still, but these guys have done themselves a lot of good and can be proud of their performance throughout the campaign.”

Under the guidance of coaches Kieran Campbell and Willie Anderson, the young Ulster A team made a fantastic start to this season’s campaign with a last-gasp victory over last year’s finalists, Scarlets. They backed up that two wins over Cardiff Blues and Connacht to make it three on the bounce and a maximum 15 points in the bank. The first defeat came in Round 4 away to defending champions Leinster. However, the Ulster men did come away with a losing try bonus point. Ulster continued to perform well, winning another two games against the Dragons and Ospreys. Their next game was against a strong Munster side at Shaw’s Bridge, and despite a good opening from Ulster, the visitors responded strongly, with the game finishing 12-31. Despite the loss, Ulster A finished in second place, setting them up for the final on 13 October at Energia Park against Leinster A. The final saw a hugely spirited performance from Ulster. The final scoreline of 31-10 to Leinster A bore little reflection of a very competitive game where Ulster dominated large periods of possession and territory but were ultimately unable to convert this into points. Ulster’s only try came in the first half from Graham Curtis, set up by an Ethan McIlroy break, converted by fly half, Bruce Houston. Houston also made a successful penalty kick in the first half. That is how Ulster’s scoreline remained, while the hosts dotted down for four unanswered tries in spite of the intense pressure from the men in white.

ULSTER A’S CELTIC CUP 2019/20 RESULTS SCARLETS 32 ULSTER A 35 Saturday 24th August at Llandovery RFC ULSTER A 32 CARDIFF BLUES 5 Saturday 31st August at Malone RFC ULSTER A 33 CONNACHT 13 Friday 6th September at Ballymena RFC LEINSTER 55 ULSTER A 24 Saturday 14th September, at Energia Park, Donnybrook DRAGONS 31 ULSTER A 43 Saturday 21st September at Ystrad Mynach ULSTER A 19 OSPREYS 3 Friday 27th September at Malone RFC ULSTER A 12 MUNSTER 31 Friday 4th October at Shaw’s Bridge LEINSTER A 31 ULSTER A 10 Saturday 12th October at Energia Park, Donnybrook

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SCHOOLS' RUGBY DANSKEBANKULSTER SCHOOLS’ ROUND-UP

The remaining teams will be joined by the winners and runners-up of the Tier 4 competition to compete in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Bowl competition. On Wednesday 16th October, one Group B game took place when Foyle and Londonderry College hosted Down High School. The Down High School team recorded an emphatic 40-0 victory in the course of the game. On Friday 18th October, Belfast High School entertained Belfast Royal Academy in group E. Following a closely contested first half, the Belfast Royal Academy team took a 7-0 lead into the break before going on to win the game by 38-7. On Saturday 19th October, the remaining ten group games took place. In Group A, Rainey Endowed School played Dromore High School in a game the Rainey Endowed School team won by 22-10.

Twenty-four teams competed in the twelve games last week. Each of the twenty four teams will play three group games over three weekends in October, November (16th) and December (7th) with the six group winners, and four highest placed runners up, joining the six schools who are exempted from the group games, in the last sixteen of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. Those six schools are Ballymena Academy, Campbell College, Belfast, Methodist College, Belfast, Royal Belfast Academical Institution, Royal School, Armagh and Wallace High School. games take place in the newly formatted Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup group stage games. Wednesday 16th, Friday 18th and Saturday 19th October saw twelve

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the pristine Pirrie Park Paddock Pitch. Following a very close encounter the Methodist College, Belfast team emerged as 12-5 winners. Wallace High School travelled to play Belvedere College in Dublin and, after a free-flowing game, the Wallace High School team game out on the wrong side of a 38-33 score line.

Friends’ School, Lisburn hosted Limavady Grammar School, a team that had been in a rich vein of form in the course of their recent games. However, it was the Friends’ School team that dominated proceedings in the course of this game which the Lisburn team won by 45-0. In Group B, a local derby took place at Regent House School when their near neighbours and close rivals from Bangor Grammar School were the visitors. The Bangor Grammar School team controlled the game for long periods of play and emerged eventually as 36-0 winners. In Group C, the Ballyclare High School team hosted Omagh Academy in a game the Ballyclare High School team won by 36-17. Cambridge House Grammar School played Lurgan College and continued their recent run of good results with a 29-12 victory. In Group D, Dalriada School hosted a Sullivan Upper School team that was keen to get back to winning ways following a number of recent defeats. The Sullivan Upper School team did get back to winning ways and won the game by 36-7. Strabane Academy played Grosvenor Grammar School in an exciting game the Grosvenor Grammar School team won by 22-5. The second of the Group E games took place on Saturday 19th when Banbridge Academy played Coleraine Grammar School. The Coleraine Grammar School team proved too strong for the home team and won the game by 64-7. In Group F, Enniskillen Royal Grammar School played Portadown College in a game the Enniskillen Royal Grammar School team won by 83-0. Royal School, Dungannon entertained Larne Grammar School in a game the Royal School, Dungannon team won by 61-5. In a friendly 1st XV game, Methodist College, Belfast hosted the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team on

DANSKE BANK ULSTER SCHOOLS’ CUP RESULTS

GROUP A FRIENDS SCHOOL LIMAVADY GS

45

0

RAINEY ENDOWED SCHOOL

22 10

DROMORE HS

GROUP B REGENT HOUSE SCHOOL 0 BANGOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL 36 FOYLE COLLEGE 0 DOWN HIGH SCHOOL 40 GROUP C CAMBRIDGE HOUSE GS 29 LURGAN COLLEGE 12 BALLYCLARE HS 36 OMAGH ACADEMY 17 GROUP D DALRIADA SCHOOL 7 SULLIVAN UPPER SCHOOL 34 STRABANE ACADEMY 5 GROSVENOR GS 22 GROUP E BANBRIDGE ACADEMY 7 COLERAINE GS 64 BELFAST HIGH SCHOOL 7 BELFAST ROYAL ACADEMY 38 GROUP F ENNISKILLEN GS 83 PORTADOWN COLLEGE 0 ROYAL SCHOOL DUNGANNON 61 LARNE GS 5

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2019/20 ULSTERSQUAD

Head Coach Dan McFarland Assistant Coach Dwayne Peel Forwards Coach Roddy Grant Defence Coach Jared Payne Skills Coach Dan Soper

WILL ADDISON

JOHN ANDREW

ROBERT BALOUCOUNE

BILLY BURNS

Utility Back 20.08.1992 186cm 93kg 11 IRE 4

Hooker 26.05.1993

Wing 19.08.1997 193cm 90kg

Fly Half 13.06.1994 185cm 86kg 26 —

181cm 104kg 58 —

13 —

SAM CARTER

MARCELL COETZEE

JOHN COONEY

ANGUS CURTIS

Lock 10.09.1989 200cm 116kg 3 AUS 16

Back Row 08.05.1991 192cm 114kg 29 SA 30

Scrum Half 01.05.1990 178cm 87kg 48 IRE 8

Centre 26.03.1998 178cm 92kg 8 —

MATT FADDES

CRAIG GILROY

IAIN HENDERSON

ROB HERRING

Centre/Wing 06.11.1991 185cm 93kg 3 —

Wing 11.03.1991 183cm 92kg 171 IRE 10

Lock 21.02.1992 199cm 117kg 105 IRE 53

Hooker 27.04.1990 184cm 107kg 169 IRE 8

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JAMES HUME

BILL JOHNSTON

GREG JONES

ROSS KANE

Centre 07.09.1998

Fly Half 07.02.1997 180cm 87kg 1 —

Back Row 13.01.1996

Prop 14.10.1994 180cm 118kg 42 —

187cm 98.1kg 14 —

196cm 105kg 14 —

ANGUS KERNOHAN

MICHAEL LOWRY

LOUIS LUDIK

ROB LYTTLE

Wing 02.03.1999 181cm 93kg 18 —

Fly Half 20.08.1998

Full Back 08.10.1986 182cm 90kg 95 —

Wing 28.01.1997 175cm 85kg 25 —

171cm 75.1kg 19 —

LUKE MARSHALL

ADAM McBURNEY

KYLE McCALL

ZACK McCALL

Centre 03.03.1991 181cm 97kg 127 IRE 11

Hooker 05.09.1996

Prop 02.01.1992 176cm 111kg 54 —

Hooker 10.02.1995

182cm 102kg 14 —

180cm 100kg

— —

STUART McCLOSKEY

JACK McGRATH

GARETH MILASINOVICH

MARTY MOORE

Centre 06.08.1992 193cm 111kg 109 IRE 3

Prop 11.10.1989 185cm 118kg 1 IRE 56

Prop 15.12.1992

Prop 01.03.1991 178cm 121kg 20 IRE 10

191cm 132kg

— —

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JORDI MURPHY

ALAN O’CONNOR

DAVID O’CONNOR

TOMMY TO O’HAGAN

Back Row 22.04.1991

Lock 10.09.1992 196cm 114kg 91 —

Lock 19.05.1995 194cm 110kg

Prop 05.10.1993

188cm 105kg 18 IRE 30

182cm 120kg 2 —

— —

ERIC O’SULLIVAN

TOM O’TOOLE

MARCUS REA

MATTHEW REA

Prop 30.11.1995 185cm 115kg 29 —

Prop 23.09.1998

Back Row 08.09.1997

Back Row 21.09.1993 194cm 112kg 30 —

185cm 120kg 26 —

188cm 105kg 1 —

SEAN REIDY

CLIVE ROSS

DAVID SHANAHAN

JONNY STEWART

Back Row 10.05.1989

Back Row 14.06.1989

Scrum Half 20.06.1993 174cm 78kg 47 —

Scrum Half 20.02.1998 174cm 77kg

182cm 103kg 108 IRE 2

193cm 109kg 73 —

12 —

JACOB STOCKDALE

NICK TIMONEY

KIERAN TREADWELL

ANDREW WARWICK

Wing 03.04.1996

Back Row 01.08.1995 189cm 111kg 50 —

Lock 06.11.1995 198cm 118kg 75 IRE 3

Prop 12.03.1991 179cm 113kg 120 —

191cm 103kg 55 IRE 25

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TEAM

1

ULSTER

JACK McGRATH

2

JOHN ANDREW

15 14 13 12 11 10

WILL ADDISON

3 4 ALAN

TOM O’TOOLE

CRAIG GILROY

O’CONNOR

LUKE MARSHALL

5 6 7 8

KIERAN TREADWELL

JAMES HUME

MATTHEW REA

LOUIS LUDIK

SEAN REIDY

BILLY BURNS (C)

MARCELL COETZEE

9

JOHN COONEY

TODAY’S OFFICIALS REFEREE MIKE ADAMSON SRU ASSISTANT REFEREES SEAN GALLAGHER IRFU DAVE SUTHERLAND SRU TMO NEIL PATERSON SRU

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 A McBURNEY E O’SULLIVAN R KANE S CARTER

N TIMONEY D SHANAHAN B JOHNSTON M FADDES

20 21 22 23

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TEAM

1

CARDIFFBLUES

BRADLEY THYER

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

LIAM BELCHER

15 14 13 12 11 10

MATTHEW MORGAN

SCOTT ANDREWS

JASON HARRIES

JOSH TURNBULL

GARYN SMITH

RORY THORNTON

WILLIS HALAHOLO

WILL BOYDE

ALED SUMMERHILL

OLLY ROBINSON

JARROD EVANS

NICK WILLIAMS (C)

9

LLOYD WILLIAMS

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 K DACEY C DOMACHOWSKI K ASSIRATTI S DAVIES

S LEWIS-HUGHES L JONES J TOVEY H MILLARD

20 21 22 23

2019/20 CARDIFFBLUES

Head Coach John Mulvihill Backs Coach Richie Rees Defence Coach Richard Hodges Forwards Coach Tom Smith

JOSH ADAMS

HALLAM AMOS

SCOTT ANDREWS

DIMITRI ARHIP

Wing 21.04.1995 186cm 96kg

Prop 01.08.1989 188cm 120kg

Fullback 24.09.1994 187cm 96kg

Prop 12.11.1988 180cm 116kg

KEIRON ASSIRATTI

LIAM BELCHER

JAMES BOTHAM

WILL BOYDE

Prop 30.06.1997 155cm 117kg

Hooker 28.04.1996

Back Row 22.02.1998

Back Row 15.12.1994

176cm 106kg

187cm 102kg

182cm 105kg

MACAULEY COOK

KRISTIAN DACEY

SEB DAVIES

IOAN DAVIES

Utility 31.12.1991 195cm 114kg

Hooker 25.07.1989

Lock 17.05.1996 204cm 118kg

Fullback 28.11.1999 178cm 84kg

187cm 109kg

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COREY DOMACHOWSKI

JAMES DOWN

JARROD EVANS

DAN FISH

Prop 19.09.1996 182cm 119kg

Lock 29.08.1987 204cm 120kg

Outside Half 25.07.1996 178cm 87kg

Fullback 19.12.1990 183cm 95kg

RHYS GILL

WILLIS HALAHOLO

JASON HARRIES

ELLIS JENKINS

Prop 30.10.1986 180cm 118kg

Centre 06.07.1990

Wing 14.02.1989

Back Row 29.04.1993

180cm 100kg

194cm 104kg

188cm 104kg

LEWIS JONES

OWEN LANE

REY LEE-LO

DILLON LEWIS

Scrumhalf 24.11.1992 177cm 79kg

Wing 20.12.1997 185cm 95kg

Centre 20.02.1986 181cm 99kg

Prop 04.01.1996 186cm 135kg

ETHAN LEWIS

SHANE LEWIS-HUGHES

MAX LLEWELLYN

HARRI MILLARD

Hooker 28.03.1994 183cm 111kg

Back Row 20.09.1997 195cm 114kg

Centre 13.01.1999

Centre 17.08.1996 181cm 93kg

196cm 104kg

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10 YEAR WOODSTAIN

2

22 10 50

50 10 10 22

DECKING RESCUE PAINT 1

HIGH PERFORMANCE WOOD FILLER 3

DECKING PROTECTOR

SHED & FENCE PRESERVER

4

5

10

GARDEN PAINT

DECKING STAIN

6

7

FENCE LIFE PLUS+

8

22

22

DOES EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS ON THE TIN

MATTHEW MORGAN

BEN MURPHY

KIRBY MYHILL

JOSH NAVIDI

Flyhalf 23.04.1992 176cm 78kg

Lock 20.01.1996 199cm 125kg

Hooker 05.02.1992 184cm 107kg

Back Row 30.12.1990

185cm 105kg

OLLY ROBINSON

GARYN SMITH

ALED SUMMERHILL

BEN THOMAS

Back Row 21.07.1991 183cm 107kg

Centre 12.07.1995 180cm 93kg

Wing 22.11.1994 188cm 91kg

Centre 25.11.1998 183cm 91kg

RORY THORNTON

BRAD THYER

JASON TOVEY

JOSH TURNBULL

Lock 16.03.1995 201cm 118kg

Prop 07.02.1993 182cm 113kg

Outside Half 28.04.1989 180cm 88kg

Utility 12.03.1988 198cm 116kg

LLOYD WILLIAMS

NICK WILLIAMS

RHUN WILLIAMS

TOMOS WILLIAMS

Scrumhalf 30.11.1989 182cm 91kg

Back Row 02.12.1983 192cm 128kg

Fullback 05.06.1997 185cm 87kg

Scrumhalf 01.01.1995 178cm 84kg

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THE BEST CLUBS WEAR MACRON WHY DON’T YOU?

CONTACT US FOR A QUOTATION UK COUNTRY MANAGER Andrea Palilla M: +39 347 3202669 andrea.palilla@macron.com SEE WHO ELSE HAS ALREADY CHOSEN MACRON:

www.macron.com

STATISTICS

SO FAR THIS SEASON

1,268

812

Metres Gained

358

302

Carries

542

420

Passes Made

478

418

Tackles Made

7

28

Turnovers Won

Top Tackler Sean Reidy 46 Tackles

Top Metre Maker Matt Faddes 198m

RUGBYWORLDCUP ULSTERMEN INJAPAN

© GETTY IMAGES

35-0. Samoa were Ireland’s final Pool stage opponents and were swept aside by a clinical Irish side who were 45-7 winners and qualified for the quarter-finals by securing second place in the Pool. Rory Best also scored his second try of this World Cup campaign. On Saturday 19th October, Ireland faced their toughest challenge yet against the current World Cup holders, New Zealand as they aimed to win their first knock- out World Cup game. This unfortunately proved to be Rory’s last professional game of rugby as the All Blacks were just too strong for the men in green; in a dominant display of power and speed, New Zealand powered through to the semi-final, winning 46-14. It wasn’t the final game Rory Best would have wanted, but it signed off an incredible Ulster, Ireland and British & Irish Lions career, which will hold long in the memory for Rory and fans alike.

World Cup fever has taken hold as Japan host the competition for the first time. Ulster’s Rory Best, Iain Henderson and Jacob Stockdale were selected for the initial squad, while Jordi Murphy and Rob Herring were called up later in the pool stages. After a mixed set of warm-up games, beating Italy and Wales but losing to England, Ireland were still favourites to top Pool A going into the World Cup. The first Pool game was against Six Nations rivals, Scotland, and Ireland put in an impressive performance with a 27-3 win and Rory Best being one of their four try-scorers. Up next were the hosts, Japan, who had a resurgent period of late, and their quick offloading game proved too much for Ireland, defeating the men in green by 19-12. The penultimate Pool game came against Russia, and Ireland – as were expected - emerged victorious, winning

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6WDGLXP 7 ours from £5.50

Book an all-access tour of Kingspan Stadium • Get a fully guided tour of the home of Ulster Rugby and see the working environment of a professional sports team • Take a look around the world class gym and training facilities • Sit in the Ulster Rugby team changing rooms and immerse yourself in a Virtual Reality team-talk from Rory Best* • Walk in the footsteps of legends down the famous players tunnel • Test your rugby skills with the interactive challenges in The Nevin Spence Centre

UlsterRugby.com/Tours

* Subject to availability

SPOTTHEDIFFERENCE CANYOUFIND7DIFFERENCES?

missing on Craig Gilroy’s left wrist. 3. Logo on Ospreys players shorts missing. 4. Left sock on Sean Reidy pulled down. 5. Sean Reidy is missing right foot. 6. Craig Gilroy’s boots changed colour 7. Craig Gilroy’s missing thumb on his left hand.

Answers: 1.Ulster logo on Craig Gilroy’s shirt missing. 2. Black tape

CHARITYPARTNER DROPTHEMASKWITH EXTERNTHISHALLOWEEN

It’s Friday night in Kingspan Stadium and smiles abound. But take a closer look, because tonight the reality is that there are many people present who will be struggling with their mental health. People who feel they have no choice but to mask their true feelings. That’s why we are delighted to introduce Extern to you as our new charity partner for the next two seasons. Our new charity partnership with Extern has a focus on positive mental health and wellbeing, and aims to encourage more people to be open about their mental health. A leading charity in Northern Ireland since 1978, Extern now delivers life-changing mental health supports to over 10,000 people each year. Speaking about the partnership, CEO, Jonny Petrie said: “Northern Ireland has an alarmingly high rate of mental ill-health and I think that Ulster Rugby, in conjunction with Extern, can make a difference. I hope that this partnership will bring mental health issues to the forefront of the public’s mind, provide support to those who need it, and generate funds for the vital work that Extern undertakes. “I would encourage the Ulster Rugby community to get behind all of our initiatives as part of this partnership and help us to make it a success.” Tonight, both Ulster Rugby and Extern are asking for YOUR help to continue this important work by signing up to join our Drop the Mask campaign. We are urging staff and teams in workplaces across Northern Ireland to come to choose a day around Halloween to come to work in fancy dress, and by doing so, show support for people living with mental health issues, many of whom feel they have to mask their true feelings. Participants can consider making a donation to help support Extern’s vital mental health services.

Anyone wanting to get involved can sign up for a free Drop the Mask fundraising kit at www.extern.org/Mask.

And for those seeking help for themselves or a loved one, here are some important first steps to keeping your mental health in good shape: » Be kind to yourself, Stop judging yourself. Practise positive self-talk. Rest. Pay attention to your self-care battery. Make time for yourself. Reach out for help. Ask for what you need. Create a strong support system. » Eat balanced and healthy meals, drink sensibly, and stay hydrated. » Do things that you enjoy. What activities can you lose yourself in? What did you love doing in the past? Talk about your feelings - this can help you stay in good mental health and deal with times when you feel troubled. Keep Active. Regular exercise can boost your self-esteem, help you concentrate, sleep, and look and feel better. Take a break. A change of scene or a change of pace is good for your mental health. Accept who you are. Further information on Extern’s work is available online at www.extern.org » » » » » »

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ROD NAWN

Late October and normally the portents for clubs’ PRO14 prospects can be clearer, ambitions recalibrated even, targets scaled up or down. TARGETMUSTBE HOME ‘DOUBLE’

For the Blues, a trip to the Kings provided maximum points, but only one losing bonus point came from tough examinations in Cardiff by Edinburgh and an attritional loss in Glasgow. Arguably this evening’s visitors have had the more intense early examination, but both teams are now reasonably battle-hardened, and a win under the Kingspan Stadium lights would most certainly be a platform for a big November calendar in the PRO14 and – suddenly! – Europe. Ulster is well aware that it can copper fasten its top-three place in Conference A with victories here in Belfast in the next seven days against Cardiff and then Zebre next Friday. With the resurgent, strengthened Cheetahs and Leinster setting the early pace, Kingspan Stadium must become the fortress of old. In a fortnight the first phase of PRO14 action will be completed in Munster, visitors to the Arms Park next weekend. But for players, coaches and the ever- expectant Ulster supporters, the focus is clearly on this evening’s traditionally combative clash with Cardiff. McFarland, it is clear, has stamped his personality and ambition on this Ulster panel, and some impressive recruitment has strengthened the belief that this is a group of players which cannot just compete but effectively challenge for silverware. The arrival of Matt Faddes and Bill Johnston, genuinely quality backs, not just offers real competition for places butt has given the Head Coach various combinations with which to operate in what is an increasingly congested and physically draining campaign.

But in this late summer and autumn of a delayed competitive season, and with the compelling distraction and spectacle of a World Rugby Cup in the Orient, telling indicators of what lies ahead for tonight’s combatants are few. Ulster’s Irish contingent has made its way home from Japan, hugely disappointed, naturally, and for some, a well-earned rest from the game awaits. On Monday Cardiff was called upon to supply yet another player to Wales’s continuing World Cup odyssey when winger Owen Lane replaced the hugely impressive breakaway forward Josh Navidi, one of the most influential figures in Warren Gatland’s squad. Both of tonight’s sides have been prepared with their managements well aware of the personnel with whom they launch their PRO14 programmes, and Dan McFarland and John Mulvihill, the respective Head Coaches, select from those players with whom they’ve spent a long, educative pre-season. In the Championship, Ulster can point to three opening games which have each provided try bonus points, two from the wins at Kingspan Stadium over the Ospreys and the comfortable despatch of the Southern Kings in South Africa two weeks ago. The previous weekend, a late scoring surge mined what could yet be a valuable bonus earned in the thumping defeat by the Cheetahs, guided imperiously by Ruan Pienaar, formerly a deity in this parish.

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whom Mulvihill can still rely, and who need to be carefully countered this evening by the home side. Mulvihill brings his side to Belfast with a considerable rugby history in Ireland, playing and coaching Navan before the Australian was called back home to hone his demanding coaching talents at Western Force before eye-catching stints in Japan, notably at Honda Heat where his innovative skills as backs coach persuaded Cardiff to lure him to the Arms Park. determined as his opposite number, so beneath the contest on the pitch is a beguiling one in the coaching boxes. It’s an important game, the ‘shakedown’ continues in part but results and performances are what Ulster fans crave. They suspect they have the management, the coaches and players to make a real impression this year. The Blues will provide the sort of rugged yet positive opposition upon which an informed update can be made by the hordes filling the Kingspan Stadium seats and terraces. There are sound reasons to believe it will be a cheering and convincing one! He’s as wily as McFarland is cool and calculating, as tactically creative and

With Luke Marshall and Stuart McCloskey of proven pedigree in midfield, and with James Hume and other maturing home-grown talent nourishing the optimism enveloping the Ulster camp, there is attacking firepower, imagination and flair in abundance, and the range of defensive skills behind the scrum which Jared Payne’s extraordinary experience will only enhance. Louis Ludik’s injury woes are hopefully behind him and what an asset he is to any backline, and he and a fit Will Addison give more than substance and respect to the notion of versatility! Craig Gilroy’s long, frustrating absence hasn’t impaired his radar, the international wing already running and scoring freely. Robert Baloucoune, Angus Kernoghan, Angus Curtis and Rob Lyttle – sidelined this weekend - are all established options in a side which in every position provides competition. Billy Burns and the almost impossibly consistent John Cooney know that Bill Johnston and Dave Shanahan can be an exciting half-back alternative, and Michael Lowry, recovering from ankle surgery at the moment, is just too gifted not to play an important, creative role for this and many years to come. The key battle this evening will, as ever, be up front, and John Andrew may well get another rumbustious outing at hooker, while prop Tom O’Toole’s immense promise is sure to joust with Jack McGrath, Eric O’Sullivan, Andrew Warwick, Kyle McCall, Ross Kane, the recovering Tommy O’Hagan and Marty Moore for a ‘nod’ from McFarland. Marcel Coetzee is reportedly close to a full return, and what a boost that is for a back- row panel which is the envy of many clubs. Jordi Murphy and Sean Reidy are forged internationals, Nick Timoney’s star continued to rise last term, while Greg Jones, Marcus and Matthew Rea and Clive Ross have been shrewdly used by the coaches. Cardiff Blues may be without some important players on international duty still but hooker Kristian Dacey, flanker Josh Turnbull, centre Willis Halaholo and full-back Matthew Morgan are just a few experienced operators upon

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