Ulster shock as departing Coetzee banished to bench
■ Springbok left out of starting line-up for first time as Mcfarland makes 11 changes
IT’S a sight all Ulster fans are ultimately going to have to get used to — no Marcell Coetzee in the team.
But few were expecting it to happen now as fit-again Coetzee’s name is not listed in Ulster’s starting back-row for today’s Guinness PRO14 interprovincial clash with Munster at Kingspan Stadium (kick-off 5.15pm).
A week after the fallout began over Coetzee’s capture by the Bulls — which was confirmed on Monday and will see him play here until the end of this summer’s Rainbow Cup — Dan Mcfarland has made the shock move of putting the mighty Springbok on the bench.
Coetzee missed Ulster’s previous two games — against Gloucester and Connacht — after sustaining a concussion against Toulouse a fortnight before Christmas.
But this will be the first time that Coetzee, who will play his 54th game for Ulster today, has not started, when selected, for the province since his arrival in 2016, but whether it is an early indicator of Mcfarland looking beyond this season is unknown.
The Ulster coach has made 11 changes from the side which dug out a crunch win at Connacht six days ago with Ireland squad members Rob Herring, Eric O’sullivan, Billy Burns, Stuart Mccloskey and Jacob Stockdale all back for this New Year opener.
Sam Carter who, along with Coetzee, has been out with concussion since Toulouse, comes straight back in and leads the side as the Conference A leaders prepare to do battle with the Conference B pace-setters, who have opted for a less experienced looking squad.
If Ulster triumph they will have racked up a 10th win from their 10 PRO14 outings.
Ulster prop Tom O’toole, benched today with Coetzee, is expecting a full-on encounter.
“I think it will be heated, which is what we want, we want a confrontational battle,” he said.
It will certainly be a significant challenge for 20-year-old David Mccann, who gets his first starting spot for Ulster tonight at openside flanker, with Nick Timoney, who played so well in Galway, confining Coetzee to waiting for work.
Matty Rea is in at six for Greg Jones who misses out while, in the backline, John Cooney returns after not being taken to his previous employers at Connacht and links up with Burns. Ian Madigan, who, kicked 22 points in Galway, is on the bench.
Mccloskey’s return puts him in alongside James Hume in midfield, Ulster’s preferred centre partnership, but Stockdale’s involvement has him moved off the wing, where he played well in Europe, to full-back again. He will be flanked either side by Matt Faddes and Ethan Mcilroy.
Mcfarland has also shown some investment in the future on his bench, which will likely see prop Callum Reid and scrum-half Nathan Doak — son of Neil — make their senior debuts, while centre Ben Moxham, who made his first appearance at Connacht, has been retained there.
Though Munster are keeping most of their Ireland players and front-liners at home, they will be starting exciting prospect Ben Healy on his return from injury, while Test players Niall Scannell and Dave Kilcoyne are in the squad.