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United Rugby Championship: Ulster make seven changes for Edinburgh encounter

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United Rugby Championship: Ulster make seven changes for Edinburgh encounter
Robert Baloucoune returns to the Ulster starting line-up
Venue: Kingspan Stadium, Belfast Date: Friday, 21 April Kick-off: 19:35 BST
Coverage: Listen to live commentary on the BBC Sport website

Ulster have made seven changes to their starting team for Friday’s United Rugby Championship meeting with Edinburgh.

Ireland internationals Rob Baloucoune, Rob Herring, Kieran Treadwell and Nick Timoney are among those who come in.

Tom O’Toole is out with a calf injury, while Eric O’Sullivan is following return-to-play protocols after undergoing a Head Injury Assessment in last week’s 40-19 win over Dragons.

Edinburgh have made five changes to their starting side.

Tight-head prop Luan de Bruin gets the nod up front while lock Glen Young comes into the pack in place of Marshall Sykes who misses out through injury.

In the back-line, Cammy Hutchison starts at inside centre in his final appearance for the club.

Henry Pyrgos, also featuring in his last fixture for Edinburgh, replaces Ben Vellacott at scrum-half, while Scotland and British and Irish Lions winger Duhan van der Merwe comes in for the injured Damien Hoyland.

The match will also be Stuart McInally’s swansong as it was announced on Wednesday that the club centurion will retire from rugby when his contract finishes this November.

For Ulster, Baloucoune is drafted in on the wing, with Stewart Moore’s inclusion alongside James Hume in midfield the only other change among the backs.

Andy Warwick returns to the line-up at loosehead prop, together with Jeff Toomaga-Allen at tighthead, and Herring completing the front row,

Treadwell joins skipper Alan O’Connor in the second row and Timoney, a try-scorer as a replacement last week, starts this time in the back row.

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Tom Stewart, Sam Carter and Craig Gilroy drop to the replacements’ bench

Ulster will be hoping to make it five wins in a row in the competition as they look to secure the second place in the table which would secure home advantage in any prospective home semi-final.

That runner-up spot is in their own control following their bonus-point win over Dragons last weekend, followed by Munster’s victory over Stormers.

Edinburgh come to Kingspan Stadium sitting 12th in the table, having endured a difficult league campaign this season.

Ulster: Lowry; Baloucoune, Hume, Moore, Stockdale; Burns, Cooney; Warwick, Herring, Toomaga-Allen; O’Connor (capt), Treadwell, McCann, Timoney, Vermeulen.

Replacements: Stewart, Reid, Milasinovich, Carter, Sheridan, Doak, Marshall, Gilroy.

Edinburgh: Boffelli; Graham, Lang, Hutchison, van der Merwe; Kinghorn, Pyrgos; Schoeman, Cherry, de Bruin; Young, Skinner; Ritchie (capt), Watson, Mata.

Replacements: McInally, Venter, Nel, Phillips, Boyle, Vellacott, Bennett, Sweeney.

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