Ulster head coach Richie Murphy says he has “a good compliment to pick from” for their United Rugby Championship game against Connacht, despite a host of players missing through injury.
Murphy confirmed that James Hume, Cormac Izuchukwu, Dave Shanahan and Jude Postlethwaite were injured in the 40-19 win over Edinburgh at the weekend while Irish contingent Robert Baloucoune, Stuart McCloskey and Nick Timoney will play no part in Friday night’s game at the Affidea Stadium.
Ulster have been boosted by the return of Irish quartet Tom O’Toole, Tom Stewart, Nathan Doak and Jacob Stockdale, who did not feature in the final game against Scotland, and Murphy believes those additions will strengthen his depleted squad.
“We’ve picked up a few knocks at the weekend and have a few who have picked up head knocks; James Hume, Cormac Izuchukwu and Dave Shanahan. Jude has a hand injury which is being assessed at the minute, but it will probably rule him out of the game,” Murphy told BBC Sport NI.
“[Baloucoune] He’s picked up an elbow injury, we don’t know where he’s at with that but he’s due a week off so that will be assessed across this week.
“I think players will come back with a lot of confidence, any that have played down in Irish camp have done really well, so getting that back into our squad as well as our own squad performing pretty well in Edinburgh at a tough place at the weekend and showing how they stuck to task, some of the young lads did unbelievably well.”
