SCOT TO BELIEVE

Reidy hangs on to hope Ulster can pip Edinburgh

IT’S a long shot but Sean Reidy insists Ulster haven’t given up hope of gatecrashing the knockout stages of the PRO14.

Jono Gibbes’ men need a bonus point win over Munster and hope Edinburgh take nothing against Glasgow to make next week’s quarter-finals.

The odds are stacked against an Ulster side who looked dead and buried last month but have stayed in the hunt with three wins on the bounce in recent weeks.

And Reidy is determined to make it a nervy evening for Edinburgh as the province bids to back up last week’s bonus point home win over Conference A table-toppers Glasgow. The flanker said: “It’s not going to be easy but we can take real confidence from our last three performances that if we put in an 80 minute performance, we can get a result.

“We have momentum and it’s been good to get back to winning ways.

“Little bounces of the ball are going our way, we are working hard for each other and I think it’s showing out on the field.

“I’m sure three weeks ago you guys were thinking that’s our season done, so it’s nice to be in a position where we MUNSTER can go and take something for ourselves.”

While Munster, who lie second in Conference A, have one eye on next week’s quarter-finals, Reidy expects a backlash from the Limerick men following last week’s Champions Cup defeat to Racing 92. He said: “They’re going to be hurting after last weekend.”

Rory Best and Iain Henderson return to Ulster’s starting team but in-form scrum-half John Cooney is ruled out after suffering concussion against Glasgow. ULSTER TV TIMES: Live on BBC2 NI and TG4 from 5.30pm