Ravens Squad Chosen For Moseley Trip
Ulster Ravens head coach Neil Doak has selected a 24-man squad for the province’s first away match in the British & Irish Cup against Moseley at Billesley Common on Friday (kick-off 7.30pm).
The Ulster Ravens head into their first away game on the back of a 29-3 home victory over Bedford which sees them top the Pool C table.
Prop Declan Fitzpatrick, a try scorer in that opening tie, said: “I think we really needed to set a marker down after losing to Munster recently, and we talked a lot before the Bedford game about fronting up and stuff.
“We knew they would be pretty good coming over from England, so we were really pleased to score four tries against them in first half.
“Obviously, it died away in the second half as they got a bit of momentum on us and we were disappointed not to have put more points on them but it was a good first half and something to build on.”
The Ravens management are without the services of a number of players this week, with Chris Henry, Ian Humphreys, Andy Kyriacou and Bryan Young, who were all in the matchday 22 for the Bedford game, away with the Ireland ‘A’ squad in Dublin.
Ricky Andrew and Luke Marshall, both from Ballymena, and impressive Queen’s University scrum half Ian Porter will be hoping to make the cut in the backs.
In contention in the forwards are squad additions Adam Macklin, Ryan Fisher, Ali Birch and Thomas Anderson, along with Under-20 back rower Stephen Mulholland.
ULSTER RAVENS Squad (v Moseley) – Backs (11): Jamie Smith, Chris Cochrane, Tommy Seymour, Niall O’Connor, Ian Whitten, Paul Marshall, Ian Porter, Luke Marshall, Jonny Shiels, Ricky Andrew, Clinton Schifcofske.
Forwards (13): Nigel Brady, Paddy McAllister, Stephen Mulholland, Ed O’Donoghue, Adam Macklin, Ryan Fisher, Neil McComb, Willie Faloon, Tamaiti Horua, Declan Fitzpatrick, David Pollock, Alistair Birch, Thomas Anderson.