SPRINGBOKS BACK FOR SHARKS AHEAD OF CHALLENGE CUP SEMI-FINAL AS IRELAND STAR RETURNS FROM INJURY

Round 15 of the United Rugby Championship gets underway with two games on Friday as Scarlets host the Sharks while Ulster take on an in-form Benetton side.

The race to the coveted top eight spots is heating up in the regular season run-in as every game matters and we bring you the team news for the opening matches.

Scarlets v Sharks

Scarlets have made one change from the side that was beaten by Edinburgh last time out as Morgan Jones comes into the second-row alongside Sam Lousi with Taine Plumtree, Dan Davis and Vaea Fifitia making up the back-row.

Ryan Elias captains the side from hooker, with Sam Wainwright and Kemsley Mathias as the props.

In the backline, Sam Costelow and Gareth Davies are the half-backs with Johnny Williams and Eddie James in the midfield. Tomi Lewis and Tom Rogers start on the wings with Ioan Nicholas at full-back.

Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel opted for a 5-3 split on the bench and expects a big challenge against the Sharks on Friday.

The Durban side has loaded up with Springboks this week after selecting a weakened team last time out, seemingly picking a side similar to the one that will likely start the Challenge Cup semi-final next week.

Lukhanyo Am skippers the team, reuniting in the centres with exciting talent Ethan Hooker, while Aphelele Fassi, Werner Kok and Makazole Mapimpi combine in a potent back three.

The half-back pairing of Siya Masuku and Grant Williams is reinstated this weekend.

In the pack, enforcer Eben Etzebeth returns to the starting XV alongside Emile van Heerden in the second-row while in the coalface Ox Nche starts with Vincent Koch and Fez Mbatha.

John Plumtree selected a physical back-row composed of Vincent Tshituka, Phepsi Buthelezi and Lappies Labuschagne.

Like Scarlets, the Sharks have gone for a standard 5-3 split headlined by Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok Jaden Hendrikse.

The teams

Scarlets: 15 Ioan Nicholas, 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Johnny Williams, 12 Eddie James, 11 Tomi Lewis, 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Gareth Davies, 8 Vaea Fifita, 7 Dan Davis, 6 Taine Plumtree, 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Morgan Jones, 3 Sam Wainwright, 2  Ryan Elias, 1 Kemsley Mathias

Replacements: 16 Shaun Evans, 17 Steff Thomas, 18 Harri O’Connor, 19 Jac Price, 20 Carwyn Tuipulotu, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Dan Jones, 23 Ryan Conbeer

Sharks: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Lukhanyo Am (c), 12 Ethan Hooker, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Siya Masuku, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Vincent Tshituka, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi, 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Fez Mbatha, 1 Ox Nche

Replacements: 16 Kerron van Vuuren, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Hanro Jacobs, 19 Corne Rahl, 20 Gerbrandt Grobler, 21 Jaden Hendrikse, 22 Boeta Chamberlain, 23 Francois Venter

Venue: Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

Kick-off: 19:35 GMT

Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU)

Assistant Referees: Ben Breakspear (WRU), Dewi Phillips (WRU)

TMO: David Sutherland (SRU)

Ulster v Benetton

For Ulster, Alan O’Connor leads the side alongside Harry Sheridan in the second-row with Eric O’Sullivan, Tom Stewart and Scott Wilson in the front-row to complete the tight five.

The hard-working loose trio of Dave Ewers, Reuben Crothers and David McCann round out the forward pack.

Veteran John Cooney starts again alongside Billy Burns as the half-backs with colossal Ireland international Stuart McCloskey in the centres with Will Addison.

The lightning-fast Rob Baloucoune partners with Mike Lowry and Jacob Stockdale in the back three.

For the visitors, Azzurri captain Michele Lamaro leads Benetton in the crunch game where he is joined by Lorenzo Cannone and Alessandro Izekor in the loose trio with Scott Scrafton and Edoardo Iachizzi as the locking pair.

Argentine Thomas Gallo joins Italian pair Giacomo Nicotera and Simone Ferrari in the front-row.

The versatile Jacob Umaga starts at full-back this week, with Leonardo Marin and Rhyno Smith on the wings.

2024 Men’s Six Nations Player of the Championship Tommaso Menoncello starts with Marco Zanon in the centres, with Tomas Albornoz and Andy Uren as the half-backs.

The teams

Ulster: 15 Mike Lowry, 14 Rob Baloucoune, 13 Will Addison, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 10 Billy Burns, 9 John Cooney, 8 David McCann, 7 Reuben Crothers, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 Alan O’Connor (c), 4 Harry Sheridan, 3 Scott Wilson, 2 Tom Stewart, 1 Eric O’Sullivan

Replacements: 16 John Andrew, 17 Andrew Warwick, 18 James French, 19 Cormac Izuchukwu, 20 Greg Jones, 21 Dave Shanahan, 22 Luke Marshall, 23 Ethan McIlroy

Benetton: 15 Jacob Umaga, 14 Leonardo Marin, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Marco Zanon, 11 Rhyno Smith, 10 Tomas Albornoz, 9 Andy Uren, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Michele Lamaro (c), 6 Alessandro Izekor, 5 Edoardo Iachizzi, 4 Scott Scrafton, 3 Simione Ferrari, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Thomas Gallo

Replacements: 16 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17 Ivan Nemer, 18 Tiziano Pasquali, 19 Niccolò Cannone, 20 Riccardo Favretto, 21 Toa Halafihi, 22 Alessandro Garbisi, 23 Filippo Drago

Venue: Kingspan Stadium, Belfast

Kick-off: 19:35 GMT

Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU)

Assistant Referees: Robbie Jenkinson (IRFU), Padraig Reidy (IRFU)

TMO: Sean Brickell (WRU)

READ MORE: URC: Round 15 could dramatically shift the race to the play-offs with 11 teams still within striking distance

2024-04-25T12:09:49Z dg43tfdfdgfd