Stockdale And Henderson To Start For Ulster Against Cardiff

Grand Slam stars Iain Henderson and Jacob Stockdale will return to provincial action on Saturday after being named in the Ulster team to play Cardiff Blues at Cardiff Arms Park (kick-off 3.15pm).

Jacob Stockdale, who was today named the 2018 Six Nations’ Player of the Championship, having scored seven tries in five outings, will start on the left wing, with Iain Henderson selected in the back row.

There are four other new faces in the starting XV from the province’s last GUINNESS PRO14 match against the Scarlets a month ago, with Rob Herring, Clive Ross, Craig Gilroy and Charles Piutau also included.

Herring will start at hooker in place of John Andrew, while props Andrew Warwick and Wiehahn Herbst will continue on either side of the front row. The second row pairing of Kieran Treadwell and Alan O’Connor is unchanged, with the latter captaining Ulster for a fourth consecutive match.

Henderson and Ross will be joined in the back row by number 8 Nick Timoney, and Johnny McPhillips and John Cooney continue at half-back. Centres Stuart McCloskey and Luke Marshall are also retained in midfield for Ulster’s second successive trip to Wales. Gilroy, Stockdale and Piutau make up a potent back-three.

Matthew Dalton, who has featured prominently for the Ireland Under-20s in recent weeks, is named on the bench alongside fellow forwards John Andrew, Callum Black, Ross Kane and Matthew Rea. Dave Shanahan, Peter Nelson and Louis Ludik are the reserve backs.

ULSTER (v Cardiff Blues): Charles Piutau; Craig Gilroy, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Johnny McPhillips, John Cooney; Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring, Wiehahn Herbst, Alan O’Connor (capt), Kieran Treadwell, Iain Henderson, Clive Ross, Nick Timoney.

Replacements: John Andrew, Callum Black, Ross Kane, Matthew Dalton, Matthew Rea, Dave Shanahan, Peter Nelson, Louis Ludik.