Ulster

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Friday's planned United Rugby Championship (URC) fixture between Edinburgh and Ulster has been postponed due to adverse conditions.

The sides were due to meet at Hive Stadium with the initial kick-off time of 20:05 BST brought forward to 19:00 BST to avoid the worst of Storm Amy.

However, worsening conditions in Scotland has prompted the URC to postpone the game with forecast storm winds making it unsafe to move the game to another venue.

Edinburgh managing director Douglas Struth said: "We were set to welcome a capacity crowd for tonight's game.

"However, the safety of supporters, players, partners, and everyone associated with this weekend's fixture is of the utmost importance so, while disappointing, it is absolutely the right decision to postpone tonight's game considering the escalating weather reports overnight.

"This decision has not been taken lightly. We have worked closely with the URC, Scottish Rugby, the Met Office and local authorities to ensure it is the best-informed choice."

The URC said it will now consider available dates with broadcasters and both clubs to reschedule the game.

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Werner Kok will make his first appearance of the season with Jacob Stockdale missing through injury for Ulster's trip to face Edinburgh in the United Rugby Championship on Friday.

Stockdale picked up a foot injury during last week's 42-21 win against the Dragons in Belfast and has not recovered in time for the game which now has an earlier kick-off time of 19:00 BST due to the expected arrival of Storm Amy.

Kok will start on the right win with Zac Ward filling in for Stockdale on the opposite flank following his try-scoring performance against the Welsh club last week.

Michael Lowry also misses out this week with a hip injury as Stewart Moore takes his pace at full-back.

In total, head coach Richie Murphy makes four changes from the side that began last week as Tom Stewart gets the nod at hooker, with Callum Reid and Tom O'Toole either side of him in the front row.

Sean Reffell has been handed his first start of the season at open-side flanker, joining try-scorers from last week Cormac Izuchukwu and Nick Timoney in the back row.

The team is captained by Iain Henderson who partners Harry Sheridan in the second row.

Murphy has opted to retain the half-back partnership of Nathan Doak and Jack Murphy, while Stuart McCloskey and James Hume are again preferred as centres.

Jude Postlethwaite is one of three backs named among the replacements, joined by Conor McKee, Jake Flannery, while Rob Herring, Sam Crean, Scott Wilson, David McCann and Juarno Augustus provide the forwards cover.

Ulster: Moore; Kok, Hume, McCloskey, Ward; Murphy, Doak; Reid, Stewart, O'Toole; Henderson (capt), Sheridan; Izuchukwu, Reffell, Timoney.

Replacements: Herring, Crean, Wilson, McCann, Augustus, McKee, Flannery, Postlethwaite

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI Senior Journalist

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Ulster scrum-half Nathan Doak says the side want to give Edinburgh a "right performance" on Friday night after their heavy defeat at the Hive Stadium last season.

The northern province were beaten 47-17 by their United Rugby Championship rivals in May to bring their disappointing 2024-25 campaign to a bruising close.

Richie Murphy's side began the new season in better shape with a six-try win over Dragons at home on Friday but Doak said attention quickly turned to the trip to the Scottish capital.

"Edinburgh are a very different side. What they did to us last year, we haven't forgotten that either," he said.

"That was said in the changing room after the game there, so we'll all be dusting ourselves down.

"We want to go over there and we want to give them a right performance and we'll take it to them."

Doak started the season opener against Dragons and was impressive with the boot as he went five-from-five off the tee in the 42-21 win.

After John Cooney departed for Brive in the summer, the 23-year-old will be expected to be Ulster's first-choice in the number nine jersey this season but says he is expecting competition from the likes of David Shanahan and Conor McKee.

"We all want to push each other, even with John gone," he added.

"John set a really good precedent of trying to get the best out of ourselves at scrum-half. That's definitely stayed on, even though he's left.

"Nothing's changed in that department. We're all pushing each other to try and make each other better."

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Ulster head coach Richie Murphy felt his side's opening performance of the United Rugby Championship season was "as you'd expect but probably not as you would like" after a 42-21 win over Dragons on Friday.

The northern province shipped three tries in the win and, despite scoring six of their own, occasionally undermined promising attacking play with errors or breakdown penalties.

Murphy said his side "looked shaky" after conceding just 12 seconds into the game through a score he felt should have been chalked off but was "delighted" to start the campaign with five points in Belfast.

"I thought at times we played some really good rugby [but] probably didn't finish enough. So plenty to work on there and defensively I thought we looked better at times, but disappointed to concede three tries," he said.

"It was kind of as you'd expect, but probably not as you would like. We go, we prepare, we come up with these plans in relation to how we're going to break down the opposition, and you can see a lot of them going right, but then there's one or two that just go wrong and that's always going to happen.

"It's just how you deal with that and how you move on."

With only one pre-season contest under their belts, Murphy felt his side "looked a little tired" in the second half but said the run-out will be "massive" moving forward as they prepare for next week's visit to Edinburgh where they were beaten 47-17 to end their disappointing 2024-25 season.

"We came here looking for five points. We started with a really positive win," he added.

"We go to Edinburgh next week and we have a point to prove over there."

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Ins: Juarno Agustus (Northampton Saints), Angus Bell (Waratahs)

Outs: John Cooney (Brive), Kieran Treadwell (Harlequins), Alan O'Connor (retired) Andy Warwick

Last season: 14th

First five games: Dragons (H), Edinburgh (A), Bulls (H), Sharks (A), Lions (A)

Prospects: The 2024-25 campaign is not one that will live long in the memory at Ulster.

The northern province were the lowest finisher among the provinces with only Zebre and Dragons below them in the standings at the end of an injury-riddled season.

That means that this time around Ulster will not play for Champions Cup rugby for the first time in the history of Europe's premier competition.

The top-eight finish required to once again dine at the top table in 2026-27 must surely be the goal this time around.

In signing number eight Juarno Augustus from Northampton, there figures to be some added ballast to the carrying game. The side's other high-profile recruit, loose-head Angus Bell, will arrive only after Australia's November campaign but is no slouch in that department either.

The arrival of Mark Sexton as attack coach, with Willie Faloon now in permanent charge of the defence, means Richie Murphy is now surrounded by his own ticket, and improvement will be expected in what is his second full season in charge.

Luckless with injuries last time around, imperative to their hopes, however, will be key players spending more time on the pitch than the treatment table.

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New Ulster signing Juarno Augustus is set to make his debut off the bench in Friday's United Rugby Championship opener against the Dragons in Belfast (20:05 BST).

South African number eight Augustus joined the club after helping Northampton Saints reach last season's Investec Champions Cup final.

With Augustus on the bench, David McCann starts in the back row alongside Cormac Izuchukwu and Nick Timoney.

In a strong starting line-up boasting nine Ireland internationals, James Hume wins his 100th cap in midfield alongside Stuart McCloskey.

Jacob Stockdale, who injured his shoulder during Ireland's Test win over Georgia in July, starts on the left wing with Zac Ward on the right.

Mike Lowry starts at full-back while Jack Murphy and Nathan Doak are paired in the half-backs.

Callum Reid, Rob Herring and Tom O'Toole start in an experienced front row boasting 407 appearances, with captain Iain Henderson joined in the second row by Harry Sheridan.

In addition to Augustus, Tom Stewart, Scott Wilson, Matthew Dalton and Sam Crean - who joined Ulster in the summer after a loan spell last season - provide forwards cover on the bench.

Conor McKee, Jake Flannery and Ben Carson are the backline replacements.

Ulster: Lowry; Ward, Hume, McCloskey, Stockdale; Murphy, Doak; Reid, Herring, O'Toole, Henderson (capt), Sheridan, Izuchukwu, Timoney, McCann.

Replacements: Stewart, Crean, Wilson, Dalton, Augustus, McKee, Flannery, Carson.

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Head coach Richie Murphy has called on Ulster to turn the Affidea Stadium "back into a fortress" as they prepare to host the Dragons in Friday's United Rugby Championship opener (20:05 BST).

Ulster suffered five home defeats in the URC and Champions Cup last season, including April's reverse to the Sharks - their last competitive outing at home - in which they squandered a 19-0 lead to lose 22-19.

And coming off the back of a difficult 2024-25 campaign, Murphy wants his side to lay down a marker when they welcome the Dragons to Belfast.

"We're at home so one of the things we want to do is turn the Affidea Stadium back into a fortress," said Murphy, who is going into his second full season at the helm.

"Some teams came here and took points too easy last season and that is not something we want to make a habit.

"[The] guys are hungry and very focused, there is a good plan in place and we want to give our fans something to cheer about on Friday night."

While Ulster are without seven injured players for the Dragons game, new signing Juarno Augustus is in line to make his debut after recovering from the back injury that prevented him from featuring for Northampton Saints in last season's Investec Champions Cup final.

Murphy says the South African number eight has been in "full training in the last couple of weeks".

"[He's a] big strong ball carrier, fast and aggressive running style," he added.

"[He] should give us a real focal point in our attack. He has fitted in really well and he's an absolute gent."

Ulster finished 14th in last season's URC to miss out on the Champions Cup, while the Dragons finished bottom of the 16-team league after managing just one win in 18 games.

However, Murphy is not underestimating the Welsh outfit after being impressed by their 14-player recruitment drive over the summer.

"They are going to be a better team than what they probably were and what people give them credit for," said Murphy.

"They won their two pre-season games, beating a strong Scarlets team at home in their last game so it's going to be a tough task."

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Ulster will be without seven injured players for Friday's United Rugby Championship season opener against the Dragons in Belfast (20:05 BST).

In a squad update issued on Wednesday, the club confirmed that Eric O'Sullivan, Ethan McIlroy, Ben Moxham and James McNabney are all unavailable because of knee injuries.

Robert Baloucoune (ankle), Lorcan McLoughlin (elbow) and David Shanahan (calf) are also ruled out.

South African number eight Juarno Augustus is in line to make his debut at Affidea Stadium after joining from Northampton Saints over the summer.

Tight-head prop Rory McGuire could also make his bow after arriving from Leinster.

Ulster have won their past eight games against the Dragons stretching back to a 32-32 draw in December 2017, while they have not lost to the Welsh side at home since 2008.

Both sides are coming off disappointing 2024-25 campaigns. Ulster finished 14th while the Dragons finished bottom of the 16-team league with just one win from 18 games.

Ulster won 34-30 when the sides met at Rodney Parade in March.

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Iain Henderson will captain Ulster in Friday's pre-season friendly at home to Edinburgh, but there's no place for new signing Juarno Augustus.

Back row Augustus signed for Ulster from Northampton Saints, who he helped reach the Champions Cup final last year.

The 27-year-old was also called into South Africa's provisional squad for the Rugby Championship.

"He is certainly a big character and he is integrating into the training. He looks like he is going to carry hard for us," Willie Faloon said.

"He was really good last year for Northampton and that helps the other ball carriers that we have to take a little bit of heat off them."

Ireland second row Henderson is joined by Matthew Dalton in the second row, while the back row consists of Cormac Izuchukwu, Sean Reffell and David McCann.

Nathan Doak and Jack Murphy form the half back partnership, and James Hume and Jude Postlehwaite are paired at centre.

The back three consists of Zac Ward, Werner Kok and Jake Flannery.

Richie Murphy's side start their United Rugby Championship campaign at home to Dragons on 26 September.

Ulster: Jake Flannery; Werner Kok; James Hume, Jude Postlehwaite; Zac Ward; Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak; Callum Reid, John Andrew, Tom O'Toole; Iain Henderson (capt), Matthew Dalton; Cormac Izuchukwu, Sean Reffell, David McCann.

Replacements: James McCormick, Sam Crean, Scott Wilson, Harry Sheridan, Nick Timoney, Conor McKee, Jonny Scott, Ben Carson, Marcus Rea, Ethan Graham, Lukas Kenny, Wilhelm De Klerk.

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Bryn Cunningham will leave his position as Ulster Rugby's General Manager after 11 years in the post.

A statement released by the Irish province on Monday explained that the former full-back would be departing his position "to take on a new challenge".

Cunningham's role included recruiting and retaining players and contract negotiations.

He will remain in position for the "foreseeable future" while Ulster begin the process of recruiting his successor.

The 47-year-old joined Ulster Rugby straight from school aged 19 and went on to represent the province for many years, firstly in a playing capacity, before moving into senior management.

The statement lauded Cunningham's contribution over almost three decades as "immense".

"We are deeply grateful to Bryn for his loyalty, leadership, and dedication over so many years," it read.

"Few people have given as much of themselves to Ulster Rugby, and his influence will be felt long after his departure.

"We thank him sincerely for everything he has done for the club and wish him every success in the next chapter of his career."

Cunningham, along with his brother Jan, was a member of the Ulster squad which won the European Cup in 1999.

He explained that it had been "an incredibly hard decision to make" but felt that this season is "the right time for me to look towards a new challenge".

"I've spent the last period putting in place a robust 3–5-year strategy, that has the full support of both Ulster and Irish Rugby.

"As it starts to take shape with many of the structures, people, and processes now in place for the season ahead, I'm confident that we have the right staff in the Senior Professional and Pathway teams to drive those key objectives forward that should bring stability and sustainability to Ulster Rugby in the years ahead.

"The emergence of some serious talent in the current squad and the likes of new overseas signings, Juarno Augustus and Angus Bell, should lead to a highly competitive team for any opposition this season."