United Rugby Championship: Taulupe Faletau return boosts Cardiff for Ulster trip

Taulupe Faletau has not played since breaking an arm in Wales' Rugby World Cup game against Georgia

Cardiff have Wales and British and Irish Lions number eight Taulupe Faletau fit for Friday's trip to Ulster in the United Rugby Championship (URC).

The 33-year-old has been named in the Blue and Blacks' starting line-up for the first time this season.

Faletau returns from a broken arm he sustained for Wales against Georgia in the Rugby World Cup in October 2023.

He forms a back-row partnership with Alex Mann and Thomas Young, who returns to the starting XV.

Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt has made four changes to his starting team, with Teddy Williams, Young and Faletau replacing Seb Davies, Ellis Jenkins and Mackenzie Martin in the forwards, and Theo Cabango coming in for wing Owen Lane who is ruled out.

"Obviously we're delighted to have [Faletau] back and starting for us. He's a world-class talent, who everyone in the squad looks up to and will raise the standards in the team," Sherratt said.

"It's exciting for us to be able to name him in the team to play alongside our younger players like Alex Mann and Mackenzie Martin, who will only learn from the experience of playing with a great of the game."

Ulster sit in the eighth and final play-off place but with only five rounds remaining, just five points separate fifth to 11th place.

The Belfast side have lost three of their last four URC games but Cardiff are in even worse form with five straight league defeats and sit 12th in the table.

A sixth consecutive loss would be the Welsh side's worst league run since 2015 and they will have to try to avoid that at a venue where they have not won since April 2010.

"We come to Belfast on the back of two very good away performances against Glasgow and Munster, but now is the time to turn one point into four," Sherratt added.

"Ulster is a difficult place to come and they have a strong pack, but we've had some time off to recover and recuperate and then trained and prepared really well for the game.

"There is no reason why with this group, and the performances we have already put in on the road this season, we can't put in another good account of ourselves and turn a good performance into a win."

Scrum-half Gonzalo Bertranou, who signed on loan from Dragons RFC for the remainder of the season is named on the bench, along with Rhys Carre, Evan Lloyd, Ciaran Parker, Rory Thornton, Ellis Jenkins, Mackenzie Martin and Jacob Beetham.

Ulster: Will Addison; Mike Lowry, James Hume, Jude Postlethwaite, Jacob Stockdale; Jake Flannery, Nathan Doak; Eric O'Sullivan, Tom Stewart, Scott Wilson, Harry Sheridan, Alan O'Connor, Dave Ewers, Marcus Rea, Dave McCann.

Replacements: John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Tom O'Toole, Cormac Izuchukwu, Greg Jones, John Cooney, Billy Burns, Ethan McIlroy.

Cardiff: Cam Winnett; Josh Adams, Mason Grady, Ben Thomas, Theo Cabango; Tinus de Beer, Ellis Bevan; Corey Domachowski, Liam Belcher (capt), Keiron Assiratti, Ben Donnell, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Thomas Young, Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: Rhys Carre, Evan Lloyd, Ciaran Parker, Rory Thornton, Ellis Jenkins, Gonzalo Bertranou, Jacob Beetham, Mackenzie Martin.

Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU)

Assistant referees: Andrew Cole (IRFU) and Sam Holt (IRFU)

TMO: Andrew McMenemy (SRU)