Investec Champions Cup: Ulster make four changes for crucial Racing 92 pool match

Lowry (with ball in hand) made a late cameo off the bench in Ulster's opening Pool 2 defeat by Bath last weekend

Ulster have made four changes to the starting line-up for Saturday's crucial Investec Champions Cup match against Racing 92 in Belfast.

Rob Herring, Mike Lowry, John Cooney and Matty Rea are all recalled.

Herring comes in at hooker, Lowry gets the nod at full-back, Rea replaces James McNabney in the back row and Cooney is preferred to Nathan Doak at scrum-half.

Billy Burns is retained at fly-half after recovering from an elbow issue.

Fit-again hooker Herring came off the bench in last week's defeat by Bath, but has not started since the win over Lions on 17 November.

Irish international Herring's inclusion sees Tom Stewart drop to the bench while Rea, who was sin-binned in the second half at the Rec last week, replaces McNabney at number eight.

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Lowry has only started once for Ulster this season, in the opening game of the URC away to Zebre, where he scored one of their six tries in a 40-36 win.

Both teams need a win after losing their respective Pool 2 openers with Top 14 leaders Racing 92 being edged out by Harlequins in a thriller.

Racing 92 head coach Stuart Lancaster includes South Africa's two-time World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi and Henry Arundell, whose new contract with the French club makes him ineligible for duty with England until 2026, in his line-up.

Arundell moves to the wing having started at full-back against Quins last week with Max Spring handed the 15 shirt for Saturday's match.

In addition to lining up against his Springboks captain, Steven Kitshoff, who makes him home European debut for Ulster, will come up against fellow South African front rower Trevor Nyakane.

Line-ups

Ulster: Lowry; Baloucoune, Hume, McCloskey, Stockdale; Burns, Cooney; Kitshoff, Herring, O'Toole, O'Connor, Henderson (capt), Ewers, Timoney, Rea.

Replacements: Stewart, O'Sullivan, M Moore, Treadwell, Sheridan, Doak, Flannery, S Moore.

Racing 92: Spring; Arundell, Fickou, Chavancy, Imhoff; Gibert, Le Garrec; Kolingar, Tarrit, Nyakane, Chouzenoux, Rowlands, Woki, Kolisi, Lauret.

Replacements: Ben Arous, Gogichashvili, Kharaishvili, Sanconnie, Diallo, Baudonne, Tedder, Tabuavou.