Ulster Rugby v Leinster

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CONTENTS

KINGSPAN WELCOME PRESIDENT’S WELCOME GUINNESS PRO14 WELCOME ROBBIE DIACK JOINS 200 CLUB

2 3 5 8

BANK OF IRELAND 20TH ANNIVERSARY PAUL MARSHALL Q&A SPONSORSHIP UPDATE

10 13 14 17 18

WHAT'S ON

RORY BEST JOINS 200 CLUB

ABBEY INSURANCE ULSTER ACADEMY

22 26 30 32 35 36 39 40 42 46 49 50 53 56 58 59 61 62 63 64

ULSTER SQUAD PROFILES

ULSTER TEAM

POSTER

LEINSTER TEAM

LEINSTER SQUAD PROFILES

10 THINGS TO KNOW

URSC NEWS

ULSTER A TEAM NEWS TONIGHT'S MASCOTS SUBWAY HALF TIME TEAMS GUEST ARTICLE: ROD NAWN

#16TH MAN

SCHALK VAN DER MERWE

OUR CLUB NEWS

ULSTER RUGBY VALUES

STADIUM MAP

STADIUM INFORMATION

PRO14 PREVIEW

FIXTURES

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Welcome back to Kingspan Stadium, the home of Ulster Rugby, where tonight the Ulster squad will be facing off against Inter-provincial rivals, Leinster Rugby. Returning to Guinness PRO14 action, both sides are tied in the league and this will only add fuel to the already electrifying Kingspan Stadium atmosphere. It was May when the two sides last met with Ulster coming out on top of a close fought 17-13 result at Kingspan Stadium. We are known for our warm welcome and I am sure that the Leinster Rugby squad, and their travelling supporters, will experience this again as we look forward to another tough and enthralling encounter between these two great sides. Finally, on behalf of Kingspan, I would like to wish the Ulster Rugby squad and management team the very best of luck this evening. To Ulster’s committed fans, enjoy the game, lead the way and help ensure that this is an evening to remember at Kingspan Stadium.

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

IRFU ULSTER BRANCH 2017/18 OFFICERS Graffin Parke President Stephen Elliott Senior Vice President Gary Leslie Junior Vice President Denis Gardiner Honorary Secretary Michael Boyd Honorary Treasurer Greg Irwin Competitions Secretary EXECUTIVE TEAM Shane Logan Chief Executive Chris Webster Domestic Rugby Manager Audrey Robinson Financial Controller Fiona Hampton Head of Sales & Marketing Les Kiss

We extend a special welcome to the Leinster Branch President Niall Rynne, together with all the Leinster officers, management, supporters and players. We also bid a special welcome to the IRFU President Phil Orr and his Vice President, our own Ian McIlrath. We hope you all have a very enjoyable experience here in Ulster. Tonight also marks a significant milestone for one of our main sponsors, Bank of Ireland, who is celebrating 20 years of supporting Ulster Rugby. As with all of our sponsors, we are extremely grateful for their continued support and we look forward to working together going forward. As part of their celebrations, there will be a host of different activities and competitions around tonight’s game for supporters to get involved in, so please keep an eye out for them. Ulster Rugby’s charity partner for this season is Include Youth. As part of our fundraising activities we have an autograph book available to buy throughout the stadium this evening. Your support would be greatly appreciated. Following two weeks of European Champions Cup action that saw Ulster defeat Wasps at home before a tough away loss in La Rochelle, the focus now returns to the PRO14. Ulster has had an excellent start to the PRO14 campaign with five wins from the opening six games, leaving us in second place in Conference B, two points behind Scarlets and just ahead of Leinster on points difference. Leinster are Ulster’s oldest rivals with games at the Ravenhill venue dating back to the 1923/24 season, and the fixture remains among the biggest in the rugby calendar. Tonight’s game should be a very exciting spectacle between two sides who play an expansive and entertaining style of rugby, in front of a packed house here at Kingspan Stadium. I’m sure the 16th Man will be in full voice and will hopefully cheer Ulster on to a memorable win! SUFTUM! Graffin Parke President IRFU (Ulster Branch) As President of the IRFU Ulster Branch, it gives me great pleasure to welcome everyone to Kingspan Stadium for tonight’s Round 7 game in the Guinness PRO14 Championship against Leinster. PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

Director of Rugby Bryn Cunningham Operations Director

Kingspan Stadium, 134 Mount Merrion Avenue Belfast, BT6 0FT T +44 (0)28 9049 3222 ulsterrugby.com

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After three weekends of fiercely contested action in the Guinness PRO14 and Europe, the intensity shows no sign of stopping with more Irish and Welsh derbies headlining Round 7. The derby games are a real highlight for our fans and it will be great to see Welsh and Irish teams take their storylines from Europe back into the Guinness PRO14 alongside the Scots and Italians. Congratulations to Cardiff Blues for scoring a famous win away at Toulouse in the Challenge Cup and now they’ll have to bring that momentum to Llanelli to face Scarlets. Ospreys showed serious quality in the narrowest of losses to Saracens and after Dragons successful trip to Russia in the Challenge Cup it should be a red-hot affair in Swansea. In Ireland, Munster will be buoyed by their win over Racing 92 but facing Connacht in Galway after their win over Worcester will be no easy task while in Belfast we’ll see Ulster and Leinster aiming to pull away from each other in Conference B. At Scotstoun, Glasgow Warriors host Southern Kings while in Italy, Zebre welcome the Toyota Cheetahs and an in-form Benetton team take on Edinburgh just a month after their win in the Scottish capital. The improvement from Benetton and Zebre this year has made everyone across the Championship sit up and take notice and I’d encourage you to check out www. pro14rugby.org for an exclusive column by Italian head coach Conor O’Shea, who provides the inside track on the Italians’ form. We’ve also had some welcome news from the IRFU recently with their announcement that they have appointed a number of full-time referees. It means that nine of our Elite Referee Squad are now fully professional and that allows us to keep raising the standards of officiating. In the background there’s a lot of hard work going on to ensure that we’re continually pushing the Championship forward and it’s rewarding to see our clubs take the lead on that front. It’s been an exciting and unpredictable season so far and in every round there is so much to play for thanks to the Conference system and our newly introduced Champions Cup Play-Off game. This ensures that every team has a greater opportunity of reaching the Guinness PRO14 Final Series with the Top 3 from each conference qualifying for the knock-out rounds. We’ve also worked closely with our unions to schedule those derbies away from international windows, so that you can see the best players going toe-to-toe for national selection. We are hugely proud of the 295 Internationals who played in the Championship last season, not to mention the 26 called up for the British & Irish Lions tour. Those players are certainly keeping true to that quality with our Positive Play stats – among the best in Europe – looking good again this season. Already our teams, their coaches and players are producing almost six tries a game as they continue to play ambitious and attractive rugby each week. You only have to look at our recent champions in Scarlets, Connacht, Glasgow Warriors and Leinster to see the attacking rugby it takes to win our title. Last season we saw a record for tries scored (711) while crowds were up and nowhere was that more evident than at the Final at Aviva Stadium. A new record attendance saw Scarlets’ scintillating play prove too much for Munster in a game that showcased the attacking calibre of our Championship. That’s one of the reasons that makes it so exciting to bring the first ever Guinness PRO14 Final to Dublin on May 26, 2018. Right now, we have an Early Bird offer for fans who decide to back their teams and buy tickets well in advance of the Final on www.ticketmaster.ie where prices start at €5 for children and €30 for adults. Enjoy the game. Martin Anayi Chief Executive Officer

Not driving straight?

Official sponsors of Guinness PRO14 match officials

ROBBIE DIACK: “I’LL NEVER CLAIM TO BE NORTHERN IRISH BUT I’LL ALWAYS CLAIM TO BE AN ULSTER MAN” Bursting onto the professional scene in 2006, Robbie Diack left South African side the Stormers, and his home country, to join Ulster Rugby in 2008, where last weekend he celebrated his 200th appearance, making him the third most capped Ulster man of all time.

Speaking about the achievement Diack commented:

Diack is the first person born and raised outside of Ireland to have reached 200 caps for a provincial team, making his achievement even more special. And in a game where player movement from team to team is increasingly common, it is all the more unusual. “I don’t think I ever got close to leaving Ulster. Obviously when contract negotiations come up it’s always in the back of your mind ‘what’s going to happen next?’, ‘does Ulster want to keep me?’. It’s a bit of a tricky situation and you need to look elsewhere to look after yourself. “It was a big move to come from a Southern Hemisphere side like the Stormers to Ulster where the style of rugby is very different. It has been an incredible challenge, but a good one. I’ve always been very happy in Belfast, we’ve settled in Belfast and we’ve had our family here. My wife enjoys it and my family enjoy coming over to visit from South Africa. This is home. It’s a great place for us to be and it’s a great club to be part of. “I look at players who’ve played for Ulster and then left and I think that everybody would love to come back here. People always think the grass is greener on the other side but I think we’re very fortunate to have the support we do over here, to have the facilities and the structure is just fantastic. The player management at Ulster is fantastic and it is hugely important to the players for at the end of the day it prolongs our careers. It’s one of the key things that players miss when they leave and go to other clubs is that player management.” With a wealth of inside knowledge and memories of front-line action to boot, Diack finds it difficult to pick just one stand out moment from his time wearing the Ulster shirt. ‘Throughout your career you remember seasons and occasions that you really enjoy and times that you’d rather forget and I think that’s just part

“It’s a huge honour for me to have achieved 200 caps for Ulster. When I came to Ulster in 2008 I had a three year contract and I never thought that 10 years down the line I’d have been playing my 200th game in La Rochelle. “The likes of Roger Wilson and Andrew Trimble have been such a huge part of Ulster Rugby and for me to be able to join them in the 200 club is a huge honour, something that I, and my family, are all very proud of. “Just to be part of and play for Ulster is a huge honour. Being here for this long I’ve realised what it means to play for Ulster, I’ve realised what it means for the people to be from Ulster and I’ve witnessed the pride and passion of our fans. I’ll never claim to be Northern Irish but I’ll always claim to be an Ulster man and that is very special to me. It’s a huge honour.” Having been with the club for the best part of a decade, Diack has experienced both the highs and lows of the professional game, as well as a variety of structural managerial changes. “When I first started off, Ulster weren’t finishing top 5, or top 6. We weren’t aiming for quarter final play offs and we weren’t getting out of the pool “As a club we’ve been through a couple of ups and downs since I arrived in 2008. We’ve had some good seasons and we’ve had some bad seasons, but for me, to have been here as long as I have and to have gone through all that and still be here, it’s a really special achievement. “To reach that 200th cap and win some silverware in the same year, that would make it even more special and that’s high up in my agenda. I’d love to do that as well.”

ROBBIE DIACK JOINS 200 CLUB stage of the Heineken Cup back then. It was a tough time for us and for myself personally - I probably wasn’t playing the best rugby.

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ULSTER A

and parcel of the professional sport we play. “The highs have been brilliant. I have great memories of the Edinburgh game away at Aviva a couple of years back and the double against Toulouse a few years ago, the away game against Munster at Thomand Park too - it was an excellent match to be involved in. I could see how much our performance and win meant to the Ulster squad and fans and it was great to just be a part of that and experience it with them. “There is a whole list of highs that I can rap off and I just hope those continue. Those are the special moments that make this a really great place.” On the journey to achieving his 200th cap, Diack lent his substantial physical presence to Ulster's back row, but more recently he has also packed down in the second row. As he suggests, his diversity and ability to adapt to the needs of the team may in part explain his ability to hold onto that white jersey. “I think that I’m a consistent player and a player who is always willing to give everything to the team. I put the team first and I think that the fact that I can switch between the back row and second row and cover a couple of positions there has really helped me of late. And even playing No. 6 against Wasps - that was the first time I’ve played 6 this year and I thoroughly enjoy it. I just really enjoy being involved in the team. “I’ve got this season and one more on my contract and then we’ll have to see what happens after that. Hopefully I can keep going, and keep offering what I can for as long as possible.”

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Proud to have UR back for another season

Proud sponsors of Ulster Rugby for over 20 years.

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Supporting Ulster Rugby

for over 20 years

Use #show UR support & share your favourite Ulster Rugby photo or video from the last 20 years. Win a VIP Trip to South Africa in 2018/19! It is an exciting time for Ulster Rugby with huge strides being made both on HUK Vќ [OL WP[JO PUJS\KPUN Z[YVUN WP[JO WLYMVYTHUJLZ YL[HPUPUN HUK YLJY\P[PUN OVTLNYV^U HUK PU[LYUH[PVUHS [VW [HSLU[ JVU[PU\PUN [V NHPU O\NLS` WHZZPVUH[L Z\WWVY[LYZ HZ ^LSS HZ [OL \UWYLJLKLU[LK work at the grassroots level to nurture future talent. Bank of Ireland have been proudly sponsoring Ulster Rugby for over 20 years. We’ve built strong relationships with Ulster Rugby players, management and supporters, and the partnership has gone from strength to strength.

Bank of Ireland are fully committed to OLSWPUN [V KYP]L [OL KL]LSVWTLU[ VM rugby in Ulster and look forward to JVU[PU\PUN [V Z\WWVY[ P[Z SVUN [LYT M\[\YL within the Province. ;V JLSLIYH[L V]LY `LHYZ VM Z\WWVY[ MVY

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The GUINNESS word and associated logos are trade marks © Guinness & Co.2015.

WHICH TEAMMATE IS THE WORST DRESSER? Darren Cave WHO IS THE BIGGEST COFFEE SNOB? Callum Black WHO IS THE WORST ROOMMATE TO HAVE ON AWAY TRIPS AND WHY? Robbie Diack – he’s always on the phone to his wife and is very “lovey dovey” WHO IS THE SMARTEST ON THE TEAM? Iain Henderson IF YOU HAD A BOAT, WHAT WOULD YOU NAME IT? Marshy’s Marine Mania WHICH PLAYER HAS THE MOST USELESS TALENT AND WHAT IS IT? Andrew Trimble - can make dolphin noises with his mouth WHAT IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS FACT OR PHRASE YOU KNOW? “It’s a game of two halves” WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST AND WHY? Heights – fear of falling obviously DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN 3 WORDS? Pretty cool guy PAUL MARSHALL ANSWERS FAN QUESTIONS

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IT’S SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE IT’S A PARTNERSHIP

As Bank of Ireland celebrates a special night as proud sponsor of Ulster Rugby for over 20 years, it is an apt time to reflect on the sponsors that Ulster Rugby has attained over the years. We talk about the strength and depth of our squad, but as one of our major stakeholder groups, it is equally important to have this in our sponsorship portfolio.

It is obviously critical to the commercial success and viability of any club to have a number of key sponsors committed to long-term contracts that deliver financial stability, but where a sponsorship will live or die is in the ability to work in partnership. It is really a privilege to work with a partner such as Bank of Ireland, who shares the same vision, demonstrates the same passion and commitment, and fundamentality strives for the same goals, with the knowledge that this will deliver for both partners. Bank of Ireland, a stalwart as jersey sponsor to Ulster Rugby, has been committed to delivering unique experiences for our supporters, visible through its delivery of fan trips, masterclasses for schools, community group giveaways, and customer training days to name but a few.

through Ulster Rugby winning the Tourism Northern Ireland award for Best Event Experience (Ulster v Clermont match last season). We have the award-winning Mount Charles as bar partner, the gastronomic leaders in event catering in Yellow Door, and long established supply partners in RiverRock and Heineken ensuring product in stadium is top quality. Our transport partner FonaCAB provides the only in-stadium taxi service I have seen, again highlighting our strength in working together to deliver that unique experience for fans. It is equally important to have the ability to continue to attract new sponsors as it brings some fresh perspective and new ideas into the fold. In many cases these sponsors will grow and develop in partnership with Ulster Rugby and continue to be with us for many years to come. Abbey Insurance, sponsor of the Academy and the Family Stand, has delighted fans, young and old, with the creation of a new friend for Sparky, aptly named ‘Abbey’, who of course is a large bumblebee! Subway is entertaining us at half-time and also sponsors the Subway Ulster Rugby Summer Camps, which take place across the Province. Tobermore has taken pride of place as a new sponsor on the kit, and on the back of a very successful Women’s Rugby World Cup, it is great to see Deloitte take up sponsorship of the Ulster Women’s team. Our strength lies in having so many long term, major brands as sponsors, working with us in partnership. We also have the right number of partners across the breadth of the sponsorship portfolio, all of whom are active and committed to the cause. I would like to thank all of our sponsors for their continued support. Fiona Hampton Head of Sales and Marketing Ulster Rugby

SPONSORSHIP UPDATE The sponsorship model at Ulster Rugby allows us to work with a number of partners who have the exclusive rights within their sector, therefore ensuring that we can deliver back for them in terms of brand awareness, unique experiences, player appearances, tickets and hospitality, all in an undiluted space. A tribute to this success is again our long-term status with some of these key sponsors such as Kukri Sports, who, as official technical kit supplier and retailer, has been an exclusive sponsor for ten years. Kingspan, as stadium naming sponsor and main jersey sponsor, has again been involved with Ulster Rugby for over nine years, growing from an advertising partner, to a short sponsor and eventually to attaining the main sponsor rights. Again, this has only been feasible through a long-term working partnership.

Other exclusive categories are tied up by BT Sport and Go Power, both as official jersey sponsors, Bavarian BMW as official car partner and Dale Farm as official dairy partner and short sponsor. A number of key partners that we work with really enable us to deliver the match night experience that we are well known for, and this was demonstrated

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SPONSORSHIP UPDATE

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QUESTION TIME WITH RORY BEST

Ulster’s captain, Rory Best, returned to action last weekend against formidable opponents La Rochelle. Here he shares his thoughts on that French battle, his return to form and his feelings on joining the 200 club.

If ever there was a game where you needed to find out where you were, La Rochelle certainly presented that on Saturday – how did you find it? There were large parts of the La Rochelle game that I think we can be really happy with. We’re going to have to take those bits and obviously cement them in and be better this week. But we’re also going to have to be better in other areas too. It seems a very long time since I last played so I was just delighted to get back on the pitch. And it was good - the leg came through well and I’ve done a bit more running today so hopefully it’s all good. It was obviously a big impact and a really good test for us. By and large, we stood up pretty well to a big front row and a big front five. La Rochelle were a tough ask in terms of the sheer size of them but Leinster is an equally tough ask as they are a very good rugby team. A six day turnover is tough but facing Leinster on home soil where you have the full backing of the infamous Kingspan crowd may not the worst deal in the world? You have to be up for it. We always talk about these Inter-pros and how big they are, how special they are. Probably at the minute there is none bigger than Leinster because they have been the top province over the last 6 or 7 years now. It’s going to be a big challenge for us but it gets you going. We’ve been well looked after the early part of this week but a lot of it comes down to mindset – we need to make sure that we get our heads in the game to make sure that we hit the ground running tonight. What is so special about Leinster? Leinster are a really tough opposition, you look at their squad and whatever 15 they put out they’re star studded full of internationals. More important for Irish rugby, they’re full of Irish internationals which is probably why it makes these Inter-

provincial derbies so important because you’re playing against people potentially in your position or people who want your position and it always adds a little bit of edge. I would say the provincial set-up is the special thing about Irish rugby, because it means so much more to play for your province. Leinster have a conveyor belt of players coming through there and I think that they have some fairly good half backs and they have a very good back-row no matter which three they pick. And I think if you can get that sort of core it makes you a very good team, as you see with them. Having played and trained with some of Leinster’s front rows, what do you think they will bring to the scrum? Leinster have a good scrum but the difference, from La Rochelle, is that their props play a lot more around the field. If you look at the work that Jack (McGrath) and Tadhg (Furlong) especially get through. I think Tadhg has really re-invented what Irish rugby supporters can expect from a Tighthead Prop. It’s no longer push as hard as you can in the scrum and then hide around the place and when the ball comes your way do whatever you can with it. He has shown that regardless of your size if you work hard and you’re good on your feet you can be one of the best defenders on the team, you can be one of the best carriers on the team. Having seen him come in and be a bit of a surprise at the World Cup in 2015, and seen the way he’s worked and developed and come on as a rugby player is I think from an Irish point of view is really great to see; that that sort of hard work has been rewarded with his performances on the pitch We’ve seen you cheering the boys on from the side lines in the first few PRO14 matches, what do you think of the Ulster performance so far? I think when you look at the first part of this season and you take that first PRO14 run, 5 out of 6 wins is very good. Obviously, we didn’t

RORY BEST JOINS 200 CLUB

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expect to lose any and the one that we lost away to Zebre was particularly disappointing but if we can finish strong up to the Autumn Internationals then I think that we’ll look back and we’ll see that we’ve taken a lot of forward steps. We’ll have progressed and made strong improvements and that’s the main thing. It would certainly be nice to be back in an Ulster shirt and back winning but for the moment the focus is on continual improvement. Tonight, you’ll be earning your 200th cap for Ulster – how do you feel about that achievement? It is a special milestone. For me personally, for it to be my 200th cap on an Inter-pro match night, this is what you want, you want to have a big game for what will hopefully be a big occasion personally for me. It’s an exciting but nerve- wrecking day. It really doesn’t seem that long ago since the first cap out here. To have that opportunity to play 200 times for your province is fantastic. You grew up dreaming of playing for Ulster – did you ever imagine that you’d hit that 200 mark? I think when you’re young you don’t. To play for Ulster is a dream in itself and then you get that one cap and all you want to do is make sure that it’s not just the one cap but that you get a few. And as you start to rack them up you look at other milestones, 50, 100, 150, but to look way on to 200 - when I started it seemed an impossibility because no one was anywhere near it. It’s a wee bit different now when you look at the speed that Craig Gilroy got to 149 caps on its frightening but that is the modern game. Looking back at your 199 previous games – are there any particular moments that stand out for you? The first cap playing against Munster in 2004. There seems to have been any number of games against Leinster. I remember the win we had in the RDS which was against all odds. The Munster Heineken cup quarter final. It doesn’t seem that long ago that I made the debut and this is now my 14th season which is hard to believe. There’s been a lot of really good memories and fun times

in this Ulster shirt and hopefully still a few more to come. I know you’re a big family man - it must be extra special to have shared some of those moments with your brother Simon as well? Yeah, there’s no doubt that to have had Simon already on the pitch was really important for me. It’s a very nervous time whenever you make your debut for provincial or internationals and to have a familiar face there, someone to support you and calm you down was great. And I still appreciate his support and influence. Simon’s two boys and my eldest are on they’re the same team at Banbridge - it’s great to see the fun that they’re having together and it’s also nice for me to have a familiar face standing on the sideline, especially when we don’t win the night before it’s nice to talk to him because he’s been there and done it and he knows what it’s like.

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NAME Joseph Dunleavy DOB 22.12.98 PREFERRED POSITION Blindside Flanker PREVIOUS TEAMS: Letterkenny RFC, City Of Derry RFC HONOURS: Ulster U18 Clubs, Ulster U19, Ulster A RUGBY INFLUENCES: My Dad SPORTING IDOLS: Stephen Ferris, Sean O'Brien RUGBY AMBITION: ABBEY INSURANCE ULSTER ACADEMY JOSEPH DUNLEAVY

Fully professional rugby player for Ulster BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE RECEIVED: Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN 3 WORDS: Hard working, happy, fun STRONGEST AREA OF YOUR GAME: Chop Tackle AREA TO WORK ON: Breakdown THING YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUGBY: Winning close games OTHER HOBBIES: Watching movies, reading autobiographies FAVOURITE MOVIE: The Green Mile PRE-GAME SONG: Wonderwall CHEAT MEAL: Pizza PRE-MATCH SUPERSTITIONS: Gumshield in my right sock

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RODNEY AH YOU

JOHN ANDREW

RORY BEST

Prop 27.10.88 186cm 128.1kg 26 3 Prop 25.02.86 180cm 116.8kg 132 —

Hooker 26.05.93

Hooker 15.08.82 180cm 105kg

180cm 99.1kg 33 —

199 104

TOMMY BOWE

PETER BROWNE 2nd Row 25.10.87 200cm 115.8kg 33 —

CALLUM BLACK

Wing 22.02.84

191cm 98.6kg 157 69

DAVID BUSBY Back line 03.02.94

AARON CARINS

DARREN CAVE

Scrum half 07.10.92

Centre 05.04.87 182cm 93kg 197 11

179cm 89.8kg 2 —

176cm 84.9kg 1 —

JEAN DEYSEL Back row 05.03.85 191cm 118kg 5 SA 4

MARCELL COETZEE Back row 08.05.91

JOHN COONEY

Scrum half 01.05.90 177cm 88kg

191cm 122kg 5 SA 28

7 1

ULSTER SQUAD 2017/18 26 CRAIG GILROY Wing/Full back 11.03.91 182cm 94kg 149 10 Prop 05.07.88 177cm 120.9kg 62 — CHRIS HENRY Back row 17.10.84 187.cm 105.5kg 171 24 ROBBIE DIACK No. 8 12.11.85 193cm 110.8kg 200 2

IAIN HENDERSON

2nd Row/Back row 21.02.92 200cm 117kg

79 32

WIEHAHN HERBST

ROB HERRING

Hooker 27.04.90

182cm 106kg 127 1

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

BRETT HERRON Out half 13.11.95

ROSS KANE

CHRISTIAN LEALIIFANO

Prop 14.10.94 179cm 113.5kg

Centre 03.03.91 180cm 98kg 110 11 Centre 06.08.92 190cm 108.8kg 65 1 Out half 24.09.87 180cm 91kg 4 AUS 19

183cm 89.9kg 8 —

11 —

ROB LYTTLE

LUKE MARSHALL

LOUIS LUDIK Full back 08.10.86

Wing 28.01.97

ULSTER SQUAD 2017/18

182cm 92.4kg 60 —

174cm 86.2kg

10 —

PAUL MARSHALL

KYLE McCALL

STUART McCLOSKEY

Scrum half 26.07.85

Prop 02.01.92 177cm 106.7kg

170cm 76.0kg 199 3

41 —

JOHNNY McPHILLIPS

PETER NELSON

ALAN O’CONNOR 2nd Row 10.09.92 195cm 113.2kg 44 —

Out half 13.04.97

Utility back 05.10.92 180cm 87kg

180cm 88.9kg

— —

41 —

TOMMY O'HAGAN

JACK OWENS

CALLUM PATTERSON

Prop 05.10.93 182cm 120kg

Utility back 04.10.95

Centre 10.08.92

189cm 98.6kg 1 —

181cm 93.3kg

— —

— —

MATTHEW REA Back row 21.09.93 193cm 110.8kg 6 —

JARED PAYNE

CHARLES PIUTAU

Centre/Full back 13.10.85 187cm 94kg

Utility back 31.10.91 186cm 103.5kg 29 NZ 17

78 20

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SEAN REIDY Back row 10.05.89 182cm 103kg 65 2

CLIVE ROSS Back row 14.06.89 190cm 107.2kg 55 —

DAVE SHANAHAN

Scrum half 20.06.93

174cm 77.4kg

17 —

JONNY SIMPSON

JACOB STOCKDALE

KIERAN TREADWELL 2nd Row 06.11.95 198cm 115kg 27 2

Wing 20.10.84 185cm 98kg 222 70 Prop 19.08.90 182cm 108.3kg 4 —

Utility back 03.04.96 190cm 102kg 30 2

ULSTER SQUAD 2017/18

ANDREW TRIMBLE

SCHALK VAN DER MERWE

ANDREWWARWICK

Prop 04.12.90 184cm 110kg

Prop 12.03.91 177cm 113kg 77 —

— —

Keep up to date with the latest player profiles, career stats and squad news at www.ulsterrugby.com . PLAYER STATS

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15

1

CHARLES PIUTAU

CALLUM BLACK

14

2

TOMMY BOWE

RORY BEST

13

3

RODNEY AH YOU

LUKE MARSHALL

12

4

STUART McCLOSKEY

ALAN O'CONNOR

ULSTER RUBGY

11

5

IAIN HENDERSON C

JACOB STOCKDALE

6

10

CHRISTIAN LEALIIFANO

SEAN REIDY

7

9

CHRIS HENRY

AARON CAIRNS

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 R HERRING A WARWICK R KANE K TREADWELL

20 21 22 23

R DIACK J STEWART P NELSON L LUDIK

8

JEAN DEYSEL

TODAY’S OFFICIALS

REFEREE JON LACEY IRFU, 66TH COMPETITION GAME ASSISTANT REFEREES CRAIG EVANS WRU | LEO COLGAN IRFU TMO OLLY HODGES IRFU

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A FUTURE BUILT WITH OUR PEOPLE

With over 10,000 employees worldwide Kingspan is committed to providing a safe, enterprising and exciting workplace for all employees.

www.kingspan.com

Working Together

ONE BALL. FOURTEEN TEAMS

TRUST. INNOVATION. PERFORMANCE.

1

15

CIAN HEALY

JOEY CARBERY

14

2

FERGUS MCFADDEN

SEAN CRONIN

LEINSTER RUGBY

3

13

ROBBIE HENSHAW

TADHG FURLONG

4

12

NOEL REID

DEVIN TONER

5

11

BARRY DALY

SCOTT FARDY

6

10

RHYS RUDDOCK

JOHNNY SEXTON

7

9

JOSH VAN DER FLIER

LUKE MCGRATH

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 J TRACY J MCGRATH M BENT J RYAN

20 21 22 23

D LEAVY J GIBSON-PARK R BYRNE R KEARNEY

8

JACK CONAN

*Teams not confirmed at time of going to print

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MICHAEL BENT

ADAM BYRNE Full Back 10.04.94 193cm 100.91kg 29

BRYAN BYRNE

Prop 25.04.86 185cm 118.18kg 94

Hooker 09.09.93 178cm 103.18kg 19

ROSS BYRNE

JOEY CARBERY

ED BYRNE

Prop 09.09.93 180cm 111.82kg 11

Fly Half 08.04.95 191cm 91.82kg 31

Fly Half 01.11.95 183cm 88.18kg 29

JACK CONAN

SEAN CRONIN

BARRY DALY

No. 8 29.07.92 193cm 110.91kg 58

Hooker 06.05.86 180cm 100.91kg 136

Wing 19.09.92 191cm 96.82kg 16

PETER DOOLEY

TOM DALY

MAX DEEGAN

Prop 04.08.94 185cm 116.82kg 39

Centre 31.07.93 193cm 105.91kg 9

No. 8 01.10.96 193cm 109.09kg 6

LEINSTER RUGBY 2017/18

SCOTT FARDY

TADHG FURLONG

JAMISON GIVSON-PARK

Flanker 05.07.84 198cm 111.82kg 5

Prop 14.11.92 185cm 1235.92kg 71

Scrum Half 23.02.92 175cm 80.91kg 35

CIAN HEALY

JAMIE HEASLIP

ROBBIE HENSHW Full Back 12.06.93 191cm 103.18kg 16

Prop 07.10.87 185cm 115.00kg 179

No. 8 15.12.83 193cm 110.00kg 229

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DAVE KEARNEY

ROB KEARNEY

MICK KEARNEY

Full Back 26.03.86 188cm 95.00kg 187

Full Back 19.06.89 180cm 90.91kg 115

Back Row 29.03.91 196cm 115.91kg 24

Flanker 23.05.94 191cm 105.91kg 42 DAN LEAVY

CATHAL MARSH

NICK MCCARTHY

LEINSTER RUGBY 2017/18

Fly Half 10.01.92 178cm 85.00kg 22

Scrum Half 25.03.95 180cm 84.09kg 11

FERGUS MCFADDEN

JACK MCGRATH

LUKE MCGRATH

Scrum Half 03.02.93 175cm 81.82kg 81

Centre 17.06.86 180cm 93.18kg 156

Prop 11.10.89 185cm 118.18kg 117

ISA NACEWA

ROSS MOLONY

JORDI MURPHY

Lock 11.05.94 198cm 111.82kg 50

Flanker 22.04.91 188cm 105.91kg 91

Universal Back 22/07/1982 180cm 90.91kg 174

IAN NAGLE

SEAN O'BRIEN

RORY O'LOUGHLIN

Centre 21/01/1994 188cm 94.09kg 27

Lock 17/10/1988 201cm 114.09kg 11

Back Row 14/02/1987 188cm 108.18kg 111

Centre 26/01/1995 185cm 94.09kg 39 GARRY RINGROSE

ANDREW PORTER

NOEL REID

Fly Half/Centre 22/05/1990 185cm 91.82kg 87

Prop 16/01/1996 183cm 120.00kg 13

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RHYS RUDDOCK

JAMES RYAN

JOHNNY SEXTON

Back row 13.11.90 191cm 110.91kg 138

Lock 24.07.96 203cm 108.18kg 4

Fly Half 11.07.85 188cm 91.82kg 139

PEADAR TIMMINS

DEVIN TONER

RICHARDT STRAUSS

Hooker 29.01.86 173cm 100.91kg 147

Back Row 08.01.94 188cm 105.00kg 8

Lock 29.06.86 208cm 124.09kg 204

JAMES TRACY

JOSH VAN DER FLIER

Keep up to date with the latest player profiles, career stats and squad news at www.leinsterrugby.ie PLAYER STATS

Hooker 02.04.91 185cm 109.09kg 49

Flanker 25.04.93 185cm 104.09kg 53

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LEINSTER RUGBY 2017/18

UlsterRugby

UlsterRugbyOfficial

OfficialUlsterRugby

#SUFTUM

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10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT LEINSTER! Leinster played its first Inter- provincial tie in 1875, losing to Ulster, when both sides consisted of 20 players. 1 Leinster won the Heineken Cup in 2009, 2011 and again in 2012, when Ulster was defeated in the first final between Irish sides. 6

2 3 4 5

7 8 9

From those who played in that first match, Ireland selected its first-ever international team for an historic game with England.

82,000 fans, a world record for a club game, filled Croke Park for Leinster’s 25-6 Heineken Cup semi-final win v Munster in 2009. Joe Schmidt, the current Ireland Coach, was in charge for Leinster’s back-to-back European Cup wins in 2011 and 2012. Gordon D’Arcy, the former Ireland and Lions centre, is Leinster’s most-capped player with 257 appearances in the famous blue shirt. The Inter-provincial Championship was formally established in 1946/47, and Leinster has won 29 titles – one less than Ulster.

LEINSTER RUGBY

The club’s home ground is now established at the RDS Arena and its planned £18m redevelopment will increase capacity from 18,500 to 25,000. Newly-branded as Leinster Lions, the Celtic League title was secured in the competition’s inaugural season of 2001/02.

10

Jonathan Sexton has scored 1,538 points for his club to date.

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877 HAVE JOINED ALREADY!

NEW members , please go to membership.ursc.co. Current members who have not yet received a renewal notification should email: membership@ursc.co.uk Adult Membership £12 Junior Membership £6 Family Membership £30 NEXT MEET THE PLAYERS NIGHT 20 November at 7.30pm in the Premium Stand

Congratulations to George Dowling from Portadown who recently won the Lynn Steele painting of Charles Piutau!

MIXED START TO BRITISH & IRISH CUP CAMPAIGN FOR ULSTER A

ROUND 1: ULSTER A 24 - SCARLETS PREMIERSHIP SELECT 18 Banbridge RFC was the venue for the opening round fixture against Scarlets Premiership Select, as Ulster A scored 24 unanswered points to secure a comeback victory on Saturday 14th October. The Ulster men started the game with some good early possession but it was the visitors who struck first with a well taken try by winger Tom Prydie on the break after 10 minutes. Two minutes later the Scarlets added another try, this time it was impressive number 8 Jack Condy who benefitted from a lineout maul inside the Ulster 22. Having skewed his two previous conversion attempts, Scarlets out-half Rhys Jones fired his side into a 0-13 lead on 20 minutes with a 30 metre penalty in front of the posts. That score seemed to spark Ulster into life and just two minutes later, following smart offloads by forwards Joe Dunleavy and Ross Kane, Man of the Match Aaron Cairns rounded the last defender to touch down. Within four minutes Ulster crossed the whitewash again when Dunleavy bustled over from close range. Johnny McPhillips converted both tries to put Ulster into a lead that they would not relinquish. Six minutes before the break McPhillips fired over a penalty from the 10m line to give his side a 17-13 lead at half-time. There was very little in the way of scoring chances in the third quarter of the game, as Scarlets replacement Jack Maynard missed a penalty opportunity on 57 minutes. On 62 minutes Ulster A full-back Jack Owens got the crucial score of the game, bursting through the Scarlets rearguard to touch down near the posts - the extra 2 from McPhillips making it 24-13. As the clock ticked towards 80 minutes, Scarlets piled on the pressure in search of a losing bonus point and their endeavor was rewarded when lock Josh Helps got over in the right corner. ULSTER A SCORERS: SCARLETS PREMIERSHIP SELECT SCORERS: Tries: Aaron Cairns, Joe Dunleavy, Jack Owens. Tries: Tom Prydie, Jack Condy, Josh Helps. Cons: Johnny McPhillips (3) Pens: Rhys Jones (1). Pens: Johnny McPhillips (1) Ulster A, sponsored by CD Group, have got their 2017/18 British & Irish Cup campaign off to a mixed start, recording one win and one loss in the opening two rounds. ROUND 2: CORNISH PIRATES 23 - ULSTER A 14 Ulster A were unable to follow up with a second round win on Sunday afternoon, as they fell to defeat at the hands of early pace-setters Cornish Pirates in Mennaye Field. The opening 40 minutes was a scrappy affair, with the only points of the half coming just before the break via a Will Cargill penalty for the home side. Seven minutes into the second half, flanker Tom Cowan-Dickie put the Pirates further ahead when he charged over for a try, which Cargill converted. Ulster A responded four minutes later with a well taken try by Craig Gilroy, with Peter Nelson adding the extra 2 to make it 10-7. Cowan-Dickie got over for his second try mid way through the second half, with Cargill’s conversion and another penalty opening a 20-7 lead for the Pirates. Ulster A continued to battle hard and replacement Greg Jones crossed the whitewash in the 77th minute, converted once again by Nelson. With just one minute left on the clock Cargill slotted another penalty to seal the win and deny the Ulster men a losing bonus point. CORNISH PIRATES SCORERS: ULSTER A SCORERS: Tries: Thomas Cowan Dickie (2). Tries: Craig Gilroy, Greg Jones. Cons: Will Cargill (2) Cons: Peter Nelson (2). Pens: Will Cargill (3).

ULSTER A TEAM NEWS

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ULSTER A'S BRITISH & IRISH CUP POOL STAGE FIXTURES

Ulster A 24-18 Scarlets Premiership Select Saturday 14th October at Banbridge RFC (2.30pm) Cornish Pirates 23-14 Ulster A Sunday 22nd October at Mennaye Field, Penzance (2.30pm) Hartpury RFC v Ulster A Saturday 9th December at Hartpury College (2.30pm) Ulster A v Hartpury RFC Saturday 16th December at Ballymena RFC (2.30pm)

ROUND 1

ROUND 2

ROUND 3

ROUND 4

Ulster A v Cornish Pirates 12-14th January at Shaws Bridge (TBC)

ROUND 5

Scarlets Premiership Select v Ulster A Saturday 20th January at Llandovery RFC (3.00pm)

ROUND 6

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TONIGHT’S MASCOTS

CIAN MARTIN (10) Cian is from Carricmacross in Monaghan, where he attends Scoil Naoimh Eanna. He enjoys playing or watching rugby and running. Cian is looking forward to meeting all the players tonight and running out onto the pitch as a mascot. His favourite Ulster player is Tommy Bowe as he shows great resilience in the face of injury. When he grows up Cian would like to join Ulster’s ranks as a professional rugby player.

GEORGE WILSON (9) George is from Ballyclare, where he attends Thompson Primary and plays Mini Rugby for Ballyclare RFC. Aside from rugby, George also enjoys skateboarding and playing the Xbox. George loves coming to Kingspan Stadium every week to support the Ulster men and cannot wait to be a mascot tonight. One day, George would like to be a professional rugby player.

MASCOTS

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For new residential customers with 15% deposit on our Cashback mortgage.

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(SS TVY[NHNLZ HYL Z\IQLJ[ [V Z[H[\Z HUK ]HS\H[PVU ;OL TVY[NHNL T\Z[ IL ZLJ\YLK I` H ÄYZ[ JOHYNL VU [OL WYVWLY[` :\P[HISL I\PSKPUNZ PUZ\YHUJL PZ YLX\PYLK All applicants must be 18 years or over. Bank of Ireland UK is a trading name of Bank of Ireland (UK) plc. Registered in England and Wales (No. 7022885), Bow Bells House, )YLHK :[YLL[ 3VUKVU ,* 4 ), 10507161212b YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE

Subway proudly welcomes mini rugby’s finest from across the Province at half time. We’d like to say a big thank you to the coaches, parents, and volunteers who dedicate their time to mini rugby - you’re creating the future stars of Ulster Rugby. Fresh talent

Family End

Memorial End

Virginia RFC Club colours

Limavady RFC Club colours

Armagh RFC Club colours Red and Black Team Sam Mason Archie Johnston Andrew Larkin Aaron Scott Aston Clarke Billy Wilson James Evans Darragh McCooe Jack Walbran Finbar Malone Josh Lowey Noah McKeown Coaches Paul Johnston Mark Larkin Graham Mason

Rainey RFC Club colours Black and Red Team Charlie Mawhinney Christian Hyvart Conor Coleman Conor Conway Euan Brown Joel Thornton Josiah Clements Leo Gribbin Luke Cunningham Michael McErlane Thomas McGoldrick Coaches Thomas McGoldrick Raymond Gribbin Adam Thornton

Black Team

Black Team Scott Hawthorne Josh Connolly James Laird Elise McDermott Harry Ritchie Nicholas Millar Patrick Donaghy Ruari Holmes Daniel McGregor Kaleb Gordon Jasmine Sherrard Caomhan Deehan Coaches Edward McKeever Shane McDermott Peter Laird

Scott Lewis Cian Powell Pauric Brady Darragh Brady Darragh McDaniel Ben Mulvey James Gibney Michael Pienaar Michael Carroll Ronan Smith Luke Vaughan Daniel Keoghan Coaches Mick Smith Padraig Mulvey Ruairi Gibney

With European matters set aside for a few weeks the Guinness PRO14 battle resumes! A MATCH TO PRODUCE FIREWORKS!

The clocks may go back tonight, and that extra hour may be required tomorrow to recover from the bumps, bruises and headaches which players and supporters will willingly have suffered or induced on this last Saturday evening of October. And Hallowe’en beckons, so there is the opportunity surely for some sporting fireworks as Ulster and its most enduring rival, Leinster, set the fuse alight at kick-off. This game between two great rivals is critical to the clubs’ PRO14 ambitions, but of equal moment to fans is the renewal of the oldest Inter-provincial of them all, first played way back in 1875. In the years since, clashes between the sides have thrown up some superb moments and featured some of the greatest talents the Irish game has ever seen. When Ulster finally found some momentum in the second half against Connacht three weeks ago at Kingspan Stadium an old-fashioned Inter- pro broke out, gritty, exhausting and ultimately decided by a quality of enterprise which, in truth, is not the staple of such fixtures. Charles Piutau and Jacob Stockdale produced a moment of attacking genius to savour and which deservedly decided the outcome: but the attrition of all but a few minutes of the 80 that night had the smell of Inter-pros of old, and it was no less satisfying for that! Leinster and Ulster in combat conjures up the same competitive juices in the players and amongst the supporters, and though the professional game and its other European demands mean coaches Leo Cullen and Les Kiss will want a win to maintain the challenge for supremacy in Conference B of this new-fangled PRO14! Down the ages the fixture was traditionally each side’s final Inter-pro, just before Christmas, and an important showcase for those vying for Ireland places in the Five Nations Championship just a month away. Every player wanted to be available for this game, whether at Leinster’s former home at Donnybrook, or here in Belfast, so Mulcahy, Brophy, O’Reilly, Campbell, Ward, Slattery, Horgan, O’Driscoll, Sexton and a phalanx of legendary names made their case in the blue

of Leinster. For Ulster the cast was just as startling, and Kyle, Henderson, Hewitt, Gibson, Lamont, McBride, Carr, Irwin, Ringland, Humphreys, the brothers Best and Ferris a random sample of those who relished the Leinster Inter-pro in itself and for its potential for further rewards. Undoubtedly the primary concern tonight is securing league points, but it is an Inter-provincial contest be assured, and with Ireland’s autumn internationals just a fortnight away there are parallels with a past when hundreds, rather than thousands, huddled together and were just as passionate about the outcome, just as fevered in their partisan support. Times have changed. Instincts have not, and for the Ulster faithful a win over Leinster would dismiss – for a moment at least! – the record of the professional era which shows Ulster with just seven wins from 36 games in League and European competition! That, over the formal introduction Inter-provincials in 1946/7, and the integration of PRO14 clashes into the championship, Ulster holds a slight edge with 30 titles to Leinster’s 29 is comforting, but a diminishing solace! This evening’s games come after a fortnight devoted to European Champions Cup matters, but those concerns will be ‘parked’ until December while the pursuit of success in the new-look Guinness PRO14 takes priority. That Leinster started in Europe so well will undoubtedly have cemented the belief that Cullen and his assistant Stuart Lancaster have a senior squad capable of making real impacts this season. Ulster’s reverse in La Rochelle, a week after the home win against Wasps, was perhaps anticipated but the scale and manner of the second half collapse confirmed a certain instinct for self-destruction, emphasised the need for greater consistency and underlined the necessity for more heft up front. The character of the team could not be questioned, its first-half tenacity was more than merely admirable, but against a team which will surely be a real power domestically and in Europe

ROD NAWN

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