The way the fixtures have fallen, this will be be Ulster’s second successive GUINNESS PRO12 outing against Benetton Treviso. They were four-point winners in Italy last month and another triumph in Belfast would be a fitting way to mark Craig Gilroy’s 100th provincial cap.
GUINNESS PRO12: Friday, February 13
ULSTER (5th) v Benetton Treviso (11th), Kingspan Stadium, 7.35pm (live BBC 2 Northern Ireland/Nuvolari TV)
Team News: Craig Gilroy will become the youngest player to win 100 caps for Ulster, at the age of just 23, when he lines out against Benetton Treviso at Kingspan Stadium.
Gilroy made his debut for the province against Cardiff in November 2010. He has scored 25 tries in 99 appearances so far.
Nick Williams, Louis Ludik and Stuart McCloskey are also included in the matchday squad having recovered from injury, with Williams selected at number 8, Ludik at full-back and McCloskey named among the replacements.
With the returning players and international commitments, there are five changes and two positional switches to the side that defeated Leicester Tigers at Kingspan Stadium three weeks ago.
Props Callum Black and Wiehahn Herbst are retained in the front row, with Rob Herring, who represented Ireland Wolfhounds in Cork recently, selected at hooker.
Lewis Stevenson is picked in the second row where he is partnered by Franco van der Merwe, while Williams is joined in the back row by captain Roger Wilson, who moves to blindside flanker, and Mike McComish, who starts again at openside.
Gilroy and Ludik line up with Michael Allen in the back-three and Darren Cave, who scored a hat-trick of tries against Leicester, combines with Luke Marshall in the centre.
Ruan Pienaar starts at scrum half with Ian Humphreys, who needs just nine points to break the 500-mark in PRO12 rugby, selected at out-half.
Robbie Diack has been released from the Ireland international squad and is named on the replacements bench alongside fellow forwards John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Bronson Ross and Clive Ross. Backs Paul Marshall, McCloskey and Peter Nelson complete the 23-man panel.
More than 15,000 tickets have been sold for the BBC 2 Northern Ireland-televised match. Tickets for the game are still available and can be purchased online here.
Supporters will also be able to buy on the gate tonight. However, for the best available tickets, fans are encouraged to purchase in advance.
Meanwhile, Benetton Treviso pitch in Belfast gunning for revenge after their second half comeback almost saw them pull off a comeback victory over Ulster last time out in the league.
The ball just slipped through Michele Campagnaro’s hands as they pressed for the match-winning score in a 24-20 defeat at the Stadio di Monigo. Italian international Campagnaro is one of the notable absentees this week given Italy’s Six Nations commitments.
The enforced changes see Enrico Bacchin, Ludovico Nitoglia, Joe Carlisle and Alberto Lucchese brought into the back-line, with Carlisle slotting in at out-half and Sam Christie reverting to inside centre alongside Bacchin.
The return of captain Antonio Pavanello is the only change to the front five, while Meyer Swanepoel and Mat Luamanu cover the absence of the Azzurri’s Marco Barbini and Alessandro Zanni in the back row. Former Aironi and Zebre flanker Nicola Cattina is standing by to make his Treviso debut off the bench.
ULSTER: Louis Ludik; Craig Gilroy, Darren Cave, Luke Marshall, Michael Allen; Ian Humphreys, Ruan Pienaar; Callum Black, Rob Herring, Wiehahn Herbst, Lewis Stevenson, Franco van der Merwe, Roger Wilson (capt), Mike McComish, Nick Williams.
Replacements: John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Bronson Ross, Robbie Diack, Clive Ross, Paul Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Peter Nelson.
BENETTON TREVISO: Jayden Hayward; Angelo Esposito, Enrico Bacchin, Sam Christie, Ludovico Nitoglia; Joe Carlisle, Alberto Lucchese; Matteo Zanusso, Davide Giazzon, Rupert Harden, Antonio Pavanello (capt), Corniel van Zyl, Meyer Swanepoel, Dean Budd, Mat Luamanu.
Replacements: Albert Anae, Josè Novak, Salesi Manu, Tomas Vallejos, Nicola Cattina, Andrea Pratichetti, James Ambrosini, Henry Seniloli.
Referee: Ian Davies (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Nigel Correll, Brian MacNeice (both Ireland)
Television Match Official: Alan Rogan (Ireland)
Pre-Match Quotes: Nick Williams (Ulster) – “It’s been a while (since I’ve played) but it is good to be available for selection and back on the wagon. I tore my hamstring and it was a grade 2 so it was a good whack, going into the Leicester week it just wouldn’t come right but over the break I got everything back on the go and I’m raring to go on Friday night.
“I have been trying to get into the gym as much as I can but us bigger lads need to get on the cardio machines a bit more than the smaller fellas. All in all, it has been good.
“This is all we have to play for, we just don’t want to be a top four team. We want to play here (Kingspan Stadium) in the final and that is another incentive that the final has been given to Kingspan – it gives us an extra want to be there.
“Treviso are a tough team, I have played in Italy and played against them many times. Physically they will try to dominate us, so we have to get over that hurdle and play a bit of our own rugby which I don’t think we have done as much as we have wanted to over the last couple of games.”
Top Scorers – 2014/15 GUINNESS PRO12: Ulster – Points: Ian Humphreys 81; Tries: Andrew Trimble 4; Benetton Treviso – Points: Jayden Hayward 54; Tries: Francesco Minto 4
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Saturday, March 24, 2012 – Benetton Treviso 23 Ulster 27, Stadio di Monigo
Friday, November 23, 2012 – Benetton Treviso 15 Ulster 16, Stadio di Monigo
Friday, March 1, 2013 – Ulster 29 Benetton Treviso 29, Ravenhill
Friday, September 27, 2013 – Ulster 32 Benetton Treviso 13, Ravenhill
Sunday, February 23, 2014 – Benetton Treviso 12 Ulster 14, Stadio di Monigo
Sunday, January 11, 2015 – Benetton Treviso 20 Ulster 20, Stadio di Monigo
MATCH FACTS:
– Ulster’s record in their last five PRO12 fixtures is won 2 lost 3, however only one of those games was played at Kingspan Stadium
– The Ulstermen have lost just once in Belfast this season: 23-13 to Toulon in the European Champions Cup on October 25, while their only PRO12 defeat at the venue since September 2013 came at the hands of Leinster last May
– Benetton Treviso have won three of their last five matches in all competitions, but away from home their only victory in their last 24 trips in all competitions came away to Zebre in December
– Treviso’s most recent victory outside Italy was in Llanelli in May 2013, while the last time they beat an Irish province on their home turf was when they visited Connacht in December 2011
– The two sides have met on 15 previous occasions in all competitions with Treviso’s only previous win being 23-12 in Belfast on October 7, 2011
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