Benetton v Ulster: Ireland players back for Ulster as Jacob Boyd handed debut

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy has recalled a host of Ireland internationals for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship trip to Benetton (17:15 GMT).

With no Six Nations action this week, hooker Rob Herring and second row Cormac Izuchukwu have been released from Ireland camp while prop Tom O’Toole is available again after serving a six-match ban for his red card against Munster.

Herring and O’Toole will be joined in the front row by debutant Jacob Boyd.

The 20-year-old loose-head prop, who captained RBAI to victory in the 2023 Schools’ Cup, starts after featuring off the bench in last week’s friendly defeat by Queensland Reds.

Murphy is also able to call upon fit-again backline trio Jacob Stockdale, James Hume and Stuart McCloskey.

Ireland internationals Stockdale and McCloskey have been sidelined since the end of 2024 while Hume makes his competitive return after 10 months out with a knee injury.

Aidan Morgan is restored at fly-half with Jack Murphy not named in the 23. Zac Ward is another player to miss out having started the Zebre game.

Murphy’s side shows 11 changes from Ulster’s last competitive outing – a home defeat by Zebre on 26 January – with Nick Timoney, David McCann, Mike Lowry and Stewart Moore the only players retained.

Another prop, Bryan O’Connor, is also poised to win his first Ulster cap after being named on the bench.

Ulster are ninth in the URC table, one point outside the top eight, while Benetton are 11th. Ulster won a thriller 38-34 when the sides last met in Belfast in April.

Ulster: Moore; Lowry, Hume, McCloskey, Stockdale; Morgan, Doak; Boyd, Herring, O’Toole; O’Connor (capt), Izuchukwu; Matty Rea, Timoney, McCann.

Replacements: Andrew, O’Connor, Wilson, Treadwell, Crothers, Shanahan, Flannery, Postlethwaite.