Ulster are aiming for their fourth win of this four-week block of GUINNESS PRO12 games as they visit a Dragons side who have been struggling for results at Rodney Parade.
GUINNESS PRO12: Sunday, March 8
NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS (10th) v ULSTER (3rd), Rodney Parade, 4pm (live BBC 2 Northern Ireland/S4C)
Team News: Darren Cave will captain Ulster for the first time when the province take on Newport Gwent Dragons in the GUINNESS PRO12 at Rodney Parade on Sunday.
Cave has played 154 times for Ulster and the 27-year-old leads a team aiming to make it five league wins in a row. Samoan international Mike Stanley is named at inside centre and will start his first game for the province.
He is selected in place of the suspended Luke Marshall and is one of two changes to the side that beat Scarlets at Kingspan Stadium last weekend.
The other switch sees Ireland international Iain Henderson picked at blindside flanker in place of Roger Wilson, who also misses the game because of suspension.
Hughes Insurance Ulster Academy and Ireland Under-20s back Sam Arnold (pictured below) is named among the replacements and will make his first senior appearance for the province if called upon.
In the forwards Callum Black starts at loosehead prop, Rob Herring continues at hooker and Wiehahn Herbst is named at tighthead. Ireland international Dan Tuohy partners Franco van der Merwe in the second row.
In the back row Henderson is joined by Nick Williams at number 8 and Clive Ross, who continues at openside.
Ruan Pienaar, who is on 499 points in the PRO12, starts at scrum half and is partnered at half-back by Ian Humphreys. Stanley and Cave start in midfield, with Craig Gilroy, Louis Ludik and Michael Allen linking up in the back-three.
Robbie Diack has recovered from injury and is named among the replacements. He is joined by fellow forwards John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Bronson Ross and Lewis Stevenson and backs Paul Marshall, Arnold and Rory Scholes.
Meanwhile, lock Andrew Coombs returns to the Newport Gwent Dragons starting line-up for Sunday’s encounter with Ulster. The Wales international has been out of action with a back problem but returns to bolster the region’s pack this weekend.
In addition to the inclusion of Coombs there is one other change to the side that lost away to Zebre (23-17) as flanker James Benjamin is also included.
The back-three remain unchanged with full-back Geraint Rhys Jones joined by wingers Tom Prydie and Hallam Amos. The centre pairing of Jack Dixon and Ashley Smith stays the same and half-backs Dorian Jones and Jonathan Evans get the nod once again.
Props Boris Stankovich and Brok Harris combine with hooker and captain Rhys Thomas in an unchaged front row, with Coombs joining Cory Hill in behind them and Benjamin linking up with James Thomas and number 8 Nick Crosswell in the back row.
NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS: Geraint Rhys Jones; Tom Prydie, Jack Dixon, Ashley Smith, Hallam Amos; Dorian Jones, Jonathan Evans; Boris Stankovich, Rhys Thomas (capt), Brok Harris, Andrew Coombs, Cory Hill, James Thomas, James Benjamin, Nick Crosswell.
Replacements: Rhys Buckley, Phil Price, Lloyd Fairbrother, Matthew Screech, Scott Matthews, Luc Jones, Carl Meyer, Ashton Hewitt.
ULSTER: Louis Ludik; Craig Gilroy, Darren Cave (capt), Mike Stanley, Michael Allen; Ian Humphreys, Ruan Pienaar; Callum Black, Rob Herring, Wiehahn Herbst, Dan Tuohy, Franco van der Merwe, Iain Henderson, Clive Ross, Nick Williams.
Replacements: John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Bronson Ross, Lewis Stevenson, Robbie Diack, Paul Marshall, Sam Arnold, Rory Scholes.
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Ben Whitehouse, Martyn Lewis (both Wales)
Television Match Official: Derek Bevan (Wales)
Pre-Match Quotes: Mike Stanley (Ulster) – “Everything is going really well at the moment. It’s all about learning the calls. I’ve had great help from Darren and Ian Humphreys, I’ve just picked their brains in training. I have played at 12 before, but not for quite a while. But I’m quite comfortable there.
“I didn’t know anything about Ulster. I knew the Irish fans were so passionate, and I got a taste for that last week. That is what pushed me in this direction. It was easy to make up my mind once the offer was made.
“It was a case of finding out about it on the Monday and be on the plane by Thursday. There are no regrets so far. I’ve enjoyed every minute of my time here and I’ve been hugely impressed with the set-up. This is easily the most scientific club I’ve ever been a part of. All I want now is a little bit more game-time.”
Lyn Jones (Newport Gwent Dragons) – “There’s a statement flying around that Rodney Parade is a really tough place to come and play, well it is for us.
“The away teams are more comfortable and I don’t know why we seem to do better away from home. Our statistics, such as metres run, are much better away and I just cannot put my finger on why and it’s concerning.
“We beat Ulster (15-8) at home last season without a scrum. We have one this year so we just need to believe and as long as we hunt and harass we can achieve what we want.
“Ulster are a power team with a good maul and scrum. They have all the fundamentals right to be successful. Nick Williams and Ruan Pienaar give them the go-forward and our challenge is to stop them playing.”
Top Scorers – 2014/15 GUINNESS PRO12: Newport Gwent Dragons – Points: Tom Prydie 61; Tries: Hallam Amos 5; Ulster – Points: Ian Humphreys 81; Tries: Craig Gilroy 6
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, February 10, 2012 – Ulster 30 Newport Gwent Dragons 12, Ravenhill
Friday, October 26, 2012 – Newport Gwent Dragons 19 Ulster 46, Rodney Parade
Friday, April 12, 2013 – Ulster 31 Newport Gwent Dragons 5, Ravenhill
Friday, September 6, 2013 – Newport Gwent Dragons 15 Ulster 8, Rodney Parade
Friday, February 28, 2014 – Ulster 38 Newport Gwent Dragons 8, Ravenhill
Saturday, November 1, 2014 – Ulster 23 Newport Gwent Dragons 6, Kingspan Stadium
MATCH FACTS:
– The Newport Gwent Dragons’ only victory in their last five GUINNESS PRO12 matches was 16-14 in Leinster in round 14
– The Dragons have won just two of their last seven home games at Rodney Parade in the PRO12
– Ulster have won their last four games in the PRO12 since losing out in Leinster on January 3
– The Ulstermen have won their last two away games in the league but have not won three in-a-row on
the road in the PRO12 since December 2012
– Ulster’s only win in Wales in their last six visits came at Cardiff Blues in the PRO12 in September
– The Dragons’ only success in their last six encounters with Ulster was 15-8 at Rodney Parade in this equivalent fixture in round 1 last season
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