Guinness PRO14 Semi-Final Preview: Edinburgh v Ulster

While Ulster’s form since the restart has been less than convincing, Dan McFarland’s men will feel buoyed by their recent record against Edinburgh – winning their last three meetings, including two at BT Murrayfield.

GUINNESS PRO14 SEMI-FINAL: Saturday, September 5

EDINBURGH (1st, Con B) v ULSTER (2nd, Con A), BT Murrayfield, 7.35pm (live eir Sport 1/Premier Sports 1/SuperSport 1/DAZN/www.pro14.tv/deferred TG4)

Team News: Ulster have received a timely boost with Jacob Stockdale, Stuart McCloskey and Jordi Murphy all declared fit to face Conference B winners Edinburgh in tonight’s second Guinness PRO14 semi-final.

Stockdale and McCloskey have recovered from the contusions they suffered against Leinster last week, with Louis Ludik bumped up from the bench to start on the right wing and Billy Burns returning to captain the province from out-half.

Rob Lyttle completes the back-three, McCloskey and James Hume team up in midfield for the third game in succession, and John Cooney, Ulster’s top PRO14 points scorer this season with 105 points, will be looking to spark the back-line from scrum half.

Rob Herring helms an unchanged front row alongside Eric O’Sullivan and Tom O’Toole, while the third and final switch made by head coach Dan McFarland sees Alan O’Connor rejoining Sam Carter, last Saturday’s skipper, in the engine room.

Murphy has come through the return-to-play protocols to line out again with Matthew Rea and Marcell Coetzee in the loose forwards. Ulster’s bench include six international players in Jack McGrath, Martin Moore, Kieran Treadwell, Sean Reidy, Ian Madigan and former All Black Alby Mathewson.

Meanwhile, Scotland lock Grant Gilchrist will make his 150th club appearance as Edinburgh welcome back a number of internationals for their historic last-four date with Ulster.

The inclusion of Gilchrist is one of eight changes to the side that lost 15-3 to Glasgow Warriors in last week’s final round. Scotland stars Mark Bennett, Rory Sutherland, Stuart McInally, WP Nel and Ben Toolis also return to the starting XV.

Experienced South African half-backs Jaco van der Walt and Nic Groom lead the back-line for Edinburgh’s first ever PRO14 semi-final appearance. Chris Dean is retained alongside Bennett in midfield, while Blair Kinghorn is the last line of an exciting back-three.

Captain McInally packs down alongside Sutherland and Nel in an all-international front row, and the hosts will field the familiar lock combination of the fit-again Toolis and Gilchrist, who becomes only the eighth player to reach the 150-cap mark for Edinburgh.

Fijian number 8 Bill Mata anchors a back row that sees Magnus Bradbury and Hamish Watson in the flanker positions, and young Scotland ace Jamie Ritchie has made a timely return from injury to secure a spot on the bench.

EDINBURGH: Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Mark Bennett, Chris Dean, Duhan van der Merwe; Jaco van der Walt, Nic Groom; Rory Sutherland, Stuart McInally (capt), WP Nel, Ben Toolis, Grant Gilchrist, Magnus Bradbury, Hamish Watson, Bill Mata.

Replacements: Mike Willemse, Pierre Schoeman, Simon Berghan, Andrew Davidson, Jamie Ritchie, Charlie Shiel, Nathan Chamberlain, George Taylor.

ULSTER: Jacob Stockdale; Louis Ludik, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Robert Lyttle; Billy Burns (capt), John Cooney; Eric O’Sullivan, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor, Sam Carter, Matthew Rea, Jordi Murphy, Marcell Coetzee.

Replacements: John Andrew, Jack McGrath, Martin Moore, Kieran Treadwell, Sean Reidy, Alby Mathewson, Ian Madigan, Michael Lowry.

Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Mike Adamson, Sam Grove-White (both Scotland)
TMO: Neil Paterson (Scotland)

Pre-Match Quotes: Dan McFarland (Ulster) –

We’re up for it, I don’t care how difficult it is (to win an away semi-final). I know there’s a hunger in the squad this year and I know the difficulty of what’s in front of us, but we want to give a better shot than we did last year and put out a better performance.

“Last year was disappointing (in losing away to Glasgow Warriors at this stage). We were knocked over by the first wave and never got back to our feet, or not until it was too late. The disappointment (back then) was that we didn’t play as well as we could have done.

“That really soured that experience for me. It’s not a question of don’t do, it’s a question of focusing on what we have to do. We’ve won in Edinburgh and we’re a team capable of putting out a performance away from home.”

Richard Cockerill (Edinburgh) –

We want to go as far as we can and test ourselves to see how good we are. If we’re good enough we’ll win, and if we’re not, we’ll get exactly what we deserve.

“As a club, we’ve been building to this point and I’m hoping those experiences of the last three seasons will come to fruition on Saturday night. It’s about knowing how to play knockout rugby and not playing an exhibition.

“Ulster are a great side. We look forward to the challenge and we know at the pressure moments we need to deliver. This is new territory for us. We’re capable – if we get things right – to get to a final and see how good we can be.”

Top Scorers – 2019/20 Guinness PRO14: Edinburgh – Points: Jaco van der Walt 82; Tries: Duhan van der Merwe 7; Ulster – Points: John Cooney 105; Tries: Matt Faddes 6

2019/20 TEAM FORM: Edinburgh – Played 15, Won 11, Lost 4; W 50-15 v Zebre (home), W 19-11 v Cardiff Blues (away), L 40-14 v Leinster (away), W 46-7 v Scarlets (home), L 18-16 v Benetton Rugby (away), W 20-7 v Dragons (home), W 18-16 v Munster (away), L 20-16 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 29-19 v Glasgow Warriors (home), W 61-13 v Isuzu Southern Kings (home), W 14-9 v Scarlets (away), W 41-14 v Connacht (home), W 14-6 v Cardiff Blues (home), W 30-15 v Glasgow Warriors (away), L 15-3 v Glasgow Warriors (home)

Ulster – Played 15, Won 8, Drawn 1, Lost 6; W 38-14 v Ospreys (home), L 63-26 v Toyota Cheetahs (away), W 42-17 v Isuzu Southern Kings (away), W 23-14 v Cardiff Blues (home), W 22-7 v Zebre (home), L 22-16 v Munster (away), W 29-5 v Scarlets (home), L 54-42 v Leinster (away), W 35-3 v Connacht (home), W 38-17 v Munster (home), L 26-24 v Ospreys (away), W 20-10 v Toyota Cheetahs (home), D 0-0 v Benetton Rugby (away), L 26-20 v Connacht (away), L 28-10 v Leinster (home)

RECENT CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS:

Friday, November 4, 2016 – Edinburgh 28 Ulster 17, BT Murrayfield
Friday, February 10, 2017 – Ulster 24 Edinburgh 18, Kingspan Stadium
Friday, February 16, 2018 – Ulster 16 Edinburgh 17, Kingspan Stadium
Friday, April 6, 2018 – Edinburgh 20 Ulster 32, BT Murrayfield
Friday, September 7, 2018 – Ulster 30 Edinburgh 29, Kingspan Stadium
Friday, April 12, 2019 – Edinburgh 7 Ulster 29, BT Murrayfield

MATCH FACTS:

– Edinburgh’s 15-3 defeat to Glasgow Warriors last week ended a run of six successive Guinness PRO14 victories. That reversal was Edinburgh’s first defeat at BT Murrayfield since Ulster beat them there in April 2019

– This is Edinburgh’s first appearance in a Guinness PRO14 semi-final, although they have appeared in three previous semi-finals in other competitions – beating Connacht in Galway in the 2003 Celtic Cup, losing to Ulster at the Aviva Stadium in the 2012 European Cup and winning against the Dragons at BT Murrayfield in the 2015 European Challenge Cup

– Ulster have not won since beating the Toyota Cheetahs in Belfast on February 22, while their only away win in the PRO14 this season was against the Isuzu Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth in October

– This is Ulster’s ninth PRO14 semi-final encounter, but they have won only one previous match, at home to the Scarlets in 2013

– Ulster have won their last three matches against Edinburgh, including two at BT Murrayfield

– The two sides have met just once before in a post-season game at BT Murrayfield with Ulster winning the 2003 Celtic Cup final 27-21