Richie Murphy Makes 10 Changes for Ulster Vs Glasgow Warriors
Ulster vs Glasgow Warriors carried real weight in Belfast: Richie Murphy made 10 changes for Friday’s final regular season United Rugby Championship match. Ulster needed a positive result to secure a play-off spot and Champions Cup qualification, and Glasgow arrived with a one-point lead at the top of the table.
Murphy’s Ulster Selection
Wilhelm De Klerk and Bryn Ward were among the new starters. De Klerk began at inside centre for the first time, while Ward was handed a start in the back row. Nick Timoney retained the openside flanker role and captained the side.
Murphy also turned to Sam Cream at loosehead prop and Tom O’Toole at tighthead prop after O’Toole missed the draw against Stormers through illness. Harry Sheridan and Charlie Irvine started in the second row, with Joe Hopes alongside Ward in the back row. Conor McKee started at scrum-half and Jake Flannery at fly-half.
Herring and Hume Return
Rob Herring and James Hume came back from injury, giving Ulster more experience in a selection that mixed recovery cases with academy promotion. Hume lined up at outside centre, Zac Ward started on the left wing, Werner Kok on the right wing and Michael Lowry at full-back.
The bench featured Tom Stewart, Angus Bell, Scott Wilson, Cormac Izuchukwu, Lorcan McLoughlin, Nathan Doak, Jack Murphy and Ethan McIlroy. That depth mattered because Ulster were also without captain Iain Henderson while they waited for the outcome of a disciplinary hearing after his red card against Stormers.
Glasgow, Bilbao and the table
Glasgow ended their three-game run without a win against Cardiff Rugby in their last match, so the meeting in Belfast had a direct edge at the top of the URC. For Ulster, the selection came with another piece of pressure in the background: they play Montpellier in the Challenge Cup final in Bilbao on 22 May.
The immediate task on Friday was to get the result Ulster needed without losing sight of the season still in front of them. Murphy’s changes showed that he was trying to protect options across two competitions at once, and the outcome in Belfast would shape both the league run-in and the path into Bilbao.
