Ulster up against it as they clash with in-form Bulls

BULLS v ULSTER 
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: 2pm local time/1pm Irish
On TV: Live on Premier Sports

The Bulls have cut ticket prices to a mere 25 rand (€1.55) in a drive to attract a crowd of 25,000 to Loftus Versfeld for this fixture and it will be interesting to see if it will eclipse the attendance at Thomond Park in the contest to register the biggest URC attendance of the season so far.

A four-game winning run has propelled Jake White’s side to seventh in the table and out them firmly in the play-off mix. Munster lost in the heat and altitude here three weeks ago in conditions which all admitted were very testing, since then the Bulls have racked up half-centuries against both the Scarlets and Dragons.

“It’s going to be really difficult,” admitted head coach Dan McFarland. “We’re expecting really stiff competition. The game will be really physical and fast in the sense that if the game breaks up, the Bulls have the speed on the edge to be able to punish you. We’ll have to adapt to the heat and the style of play that they use. I genuinely believe we’ll have to give our best to have a chance of winning out here.

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McFarland has made 11 changes from the starting XV in last week’s controversial defeat by the Stormers. Iain Henderson returns from Six Nations duty to captain the side, with James Hume and Nick Timoney also restored. Luke Marshall makes his first start since November 2020, while Ian Madigan makes his first start since last June alongside the recalled Nathan Doak.

150th appearance

Ben Moxham and Ethan McIlroy are named on the wings, loose-head Andrew Warwick will make his 150th appearance for the province, Brad Roberts is recalled at hooker and Jordi Murphy to the backrow. Only Michael Lowry, Marty Moore, Kieran Treadwell and Duane Vermeulen, who faces another of his former clubs, are retained in the starting XV as McFarland also keeps one eye on next week’s Champions Cup first leg away to five-time winners and reigning European and French champions Toulouse.

Tom O’Toole makes his return from injury on the bench, where there is a 6-2 split, while former Ulster flanker Marcell Coetzee will captain the Pretoria-based Bulls.

“They’re stacked – not just Marcell – they’ve got tremendous power athletes up-front and play a very physical game,” said McFarland.

White has made just three enforced changes, recalling tight-head Mornay Smith, scrumhalf Zak Burger and centre Elrigh Louw.

Ulster: Mike Lowry; Ben Moxham, James Hume, Luke Marshall, Ethan McIlroy; Ian Madigan, Nathan Doak; Andrew Warwick, Brad Roberts, Marty Moore; Kieran Treadwell, Iain Henderson (capt); Jordi Murphy, Nick Timoney, Duane Vermeulen. Replacements: Tom Stewart, Eric O'Sullivan, Tom O'Toole, Mick Kearney, Matty Rea, John Cooney, Marcus Rea, Stewart Moore.

Bulls: Kurt-Lee Arendse; Canan Moodie, Cornal Hendricks, Harold Vorster, Madosh Tambwe; Chris Smith, Zak Burger; Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Mornay Smith; Walt Steenkamp, Ruan Nortje, Marcell Coetzee (capt), Cyle Brink, Elrigh Louw. Replacements: Joe van Zyl, Simphiwe Matanzima, Robert Hunt, Reinhardt Ludwig, Arno Botha, Keagan Johannes, Morne Steyn, Lionel Mapoe.

Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)

Forecast: Bulls to win.