Ulster v Dragons: Guinness PRO12 preview
Last Updated: 05/02/16 9:51am
Ulster have been boosted by the return of a key players for the clash against Dragons at Kingspan Stadium on Friday night.
Paddy Jackson, Robbie Diack, Ruan Pienaar and Nick Williams all return for Ulster's rearranged PRO12 clash with Newport Gwent Dragons on Friday.
There are four changes from the starting XV that beat Treviso at the weekend, as Diack, Pienaar, Jacob Stockdale and Pete Browne are selected in Kiss' side. Jackson and Williams will start the match from the bench.
Stockdale, who made his debut in the bonus point win in Italy, will make his first senior start for the Province after being named on the left wing. With limited training time this week due to a slight thigh injury, Rory Scholes is on the bench and will provide cover for the back three.
Jackson, Scholes and Paul Marshall are the backline replacements, front row cover will be provided by John Andrew, Kyle McCall and Bronson Ross, while Clive Ross and Williams complete the panel of 23. Ulster will go top of the PRO12 league if they win on Friday night.
Newport Gwent Dragons made six changes to the team that beat Leinster 23-13 last weekend at Rodney Parade.
Fly-half Angus O'Brien is called up to replace Jason Tovey as the 26-year-old sustained a back spasm during training this week. There is also a change at scrum-half as Charlie Davies starts and Sarel Pretorius is moved to the bench, while in the backrow Ben White, who is on loan with the region for three weeks, starts alongside Nic Cudd and Ed Jackson pulls on the No 8 shirt after recovering from injury.
The replacements bench has four changes made to it as Rhys Buckley, Boris Stankovich, Cory Hill and Sarel Pretorius join Shaun Knight, James Benjamin, Geraint Rhys Jones and Nick Scott.
Ulster: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Craig Gilroy, 13 Darren Cave, 12 Stuart Olding, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 10 Ian Humphreys, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 1 Callum Black, 2 Rob Herring (c), 3 Ricky Lutton, 4 Alan O'Connor, 5 Peter Browne, 6 Robbie Diack, 7 Sean Reidy,8 Roger Wilson.
Replacements: 16 John Andrew, 17 Kyle McCall, 18 Bronson Ross, 19 Clive Ross, 20 Nick Williams, 21 Paul Marshall, 22 Paddy Jackson, 23 Rory Scholes.
Dragons: 15 Carl Meyer, 14 Ashton Hewitt, 13 Adam Hughes, 12 Adam Warren, 11 Hallam Amos, 10 Angus O'Brien, 9 Charlie Davies, 1 Phil Price, 2 Elliot Dee, 3 Brok Harris, 4 Matthew Screech, 5 Rynard Landman (c), 6 Ben White, 7 Nic Cudd, 8 Ed Jackson.
Replacements: 16 Rhys Buckley, 17 Boris Stankovich, 18 Shaun Knight, 19 Cory Hill, 20 James Benjamin, 21 Sarel Pretorius, 22 Geraint Rhys Jones, 23 Nick Scott.
