Murphy: First 20 minutes crucial if we are to end poor record at Sportsground
ULSTER back row Jordi Murphy says the province are determined to “put right” their disappointing recent record away to Connacht.
Ulster have lost on their last four trips to Galway, including a 44-16 hammering in December 2017.
Murphy believes getting off to a solid start will be key to their chances today.
“We haven’t had a great run of results there in the last few years,” he said. “We’ve been looking back on our meetings and we tend to lose that first 20minute battle with them.
“They get their tails up
pretty quick and it’s always hard to claw your way back when you’re away from home and you give the opposition a great platform to start on. So that’s one of the areas we need to look at this week, to get a really fast, competitive start.
“We’re relishing another challenge in the Sportsground. Results haven’t gone our way in the last few weeks, and we haven’t had a lot of luck down there in the last couple of years so we definitely want to put that right.”
Ulster will be without injured forward trio Sam Carter, Sean Reidy and
Marcell Coetzee. Back row Reidy is still recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in the Champions Cup defeat by Gloucester.
Lock Carter and flanker Coetzee – who will leave Ulster at the end of the season and return to South Africa to sign for the Bulls – have been following return-to-play protocols after suffering concussion in the home defeat by Toulouse a week earlier.
The province’s Ireland internationals must sit out the Sportsground contest as part of the IRFU’s player management programme.
Hooker Kieran Treadwell returns to the starting line-up after serving his three-week suspension.
Michael Lowry is at fullback, with Ethan McIlroy and Craig Gilroy starting on the wings.
Stewart Moore returns to the midfield with Ian Madigan at fly-half and Alby Mathewson at scrum-half.
In the front row, Kyle McCall and Tom O’Toole will make their first starts for Ulster this season.
Connacht make six changes with Eoghan Masterson making his 100th appearance in the back row.
He is named at blindside with Conor Oliver on the opposite flank and captain Jarrad Butler returning to the starting side at No.8.
Shane Delahunt, Quinn Roux, Caolin Blade, Tom Daly and Tiernan O’Halloran also come into the starting XV.