McBurney given the armband as Ulster fans get a look at future

WHILE many of the frontliners are out of action this evening, Ulster fans in Kingspan Stadium will get yet more hints as to what the future holds.

Uruguay are the visitors to Belfast (7.30pm kick-off) — the first international opposition since Portugal a decade ago — and Kieran Campbell and Willie Anderson will be taking charge of a youthful panel.

Many of the side is comprised of the men who won their last four Celtic Cup games this season, while there are nine in the panel who have represented the senior team this season.

Among them hooker Adam McBurney

(right) who captains the side from hooker. He is joined in the frontrow by Tom O’Toole and Schalk van der Merwe, the latter rarely seen during his time at Ulster.

Johnny McPhillips, Jonny Stewart, Angus Kernohan, Matt Dalton, Matthew Rea and Greg Jones are all familiar faces too.

James Hume, who made his first senior start in last week’s win over Benetton, makes up an exciting centre partnership with Stewart Moore, while Bruce Houston is another to look out for.

Uruguay have qualified for next year’s World Cup but were heavily beaten by Cardiff this week. Ulster: B Houston; I Hughes, S Moore, J Hume, A Kernohan; J McPhillips, J Stewart; S van der Merwe, A McBurney (captain), T O’Toole; M Dalton, A Thompson; Matthew Rea, Marcus Rea, G Jones. Replacements: Z McCall, C Barrett, P Cooper, J Dunleavy, D McCann, J Mau’u, G Curtis, M Stronge.

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