These are clearly testing times for Ulster, having been riddled with sickness in Durban, prompting the postponement of last Saturday’s game with the Sharks, and then having to drag themselves home with a trip to Munster facing them this weekend.
Throw into the mix comments made by URC chief executive Martin Anayi that the initial stages of an independent medical review suggest that Ulster and Glasgow – whose game against the Lions was also postponed due to illness – may have both potentially brought what is believed to have been E. coli and Norovirus with them to South Africa, and there is understandable bewilderment around the Kingspan Stadium.
“I’ve heard they’re doing a medical review, but I would think of all the possibilities of how we came to get it into the squad, us bringing it into South Africa is the least likely option,” said Ulster head coach Dan McFarland.
“I think we had 34 players and maybe 15 staff and we had 42 people come down with them [both viruses] to lesser or greater degrees, so it was not very pleasant.
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Describing a situation that escalated over a 24-hour period, McFarland said: “It was a cascade, literally a cascade [of people taking ill] so it wasn’t going to be practical [to play the game] from everything from safety to guys being able to run out on the pitch.”
To add another layer of concern, Anayi also hinted that Ulster’s game may not be possible to reschedule, in which case it could be that the northern province end up forfeiting match points.
McFarland said: “I really want to play this game and I know that the league, their stated objective is to get these games played and I’m sure the Sharks want to get it played, it’s a big fixture.
“It’s been put on the backburner but we’re looking forward to seeing when that is reorganised,” he added.
Leaving aside the challenging backdrop, Ulster somehow must regather themselves to sign off on the URC until the end of November by claiming a first win at Thomond Park since 2014.
In terms of player selection, McFarland was not specific on whether all the squad who would have been available for this interpro are good to go following their experiences in Durban.
“There are guys at different levels of recovery, and you have to take all that on board and I’m not going to say now other than the fact that it hasn’t left us with a clean bill of health in terms of going,” he said.
“A lot of them might have been able to play at this stage but you’ve got to weigh up performance and how they’re feeling relative to the task of trying to beat Munster at Thomond Park.
“The vast majority of the guys are up and running and we won’t have any trouble fielding a very competitive team.”
Duane Vermeulen and Rory Sutherland are both thought to be available with the latter looking likely to make his debut for the province – which had been expected at the Sharks – after being signed for the remainder of the season from Worcester.
Those who did not travel – including Craig Gilroy, Greg Jones, Frank Bradshaw Ryan, Aaron Sexton and Ben Moxham – could well be involved though Iain Henderson’s presence sounded as if it is highly unlikely due to an unspecified reason.
Depending on their recovery from illness, both James Hume and Marty Moore could play for the northern province – the 12 named in the initial Ireland A squad release are all able to feature in the URC this weekend – which in Hume’s case would bring him his first game time since groin surgery after coming home early from Ireland’s summer tour to New Zealand.
