Ulster

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Cormac Izuchukwu said his Six Nations debut in the 20-13 win over Italy was "unbelievable" amidst an injury-hit season for the Ulster lock.

The 25-year-old has had a stop-start campaign due to injury and illness, starting just four games for Ulster and missing Ireland's November games.

He played 59 minutes in the victory against Italy in his first game since 2 January, a relief for Izuchukwu after fearing he would need surgery earlier in the season which would rule him out of the rest of the campaign.

"Obviously I've been injured for the whole season, played like four or five games, haven't played since early January I think," he said.

"I met a surgeon recently and I was supposed to get surgery and stuff, and said I'd give it one more shot and then all of a sudden you're playing again, so it's class.

"It's unbelievable. I was delighted."

Izuchukwu, who has now won five Ireland caps, admitted he was caught by surprise at the magnitude of the Six Nations in the build-up to the Italy game.

"It's mental because for me at the France game, such a big stage and I had a taste of it from sitting on the bench as the 24th man, but then I treat every Ireland game just like an Ireland game," he added.

"They're all so special to me, whether it's Portugal or Fiji or Georgia or whatever, they mean the world to me, but I was blown away by the response from social media, online and my family, it's such a big deal to them.

"Six Nations, maybe I didn't grasp it as much as I should have, so that was a shock, but I kind of came to terms with the last couple of days, got my head around it and then just got stuck in."

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Ulster Rugby say they are "deeply saddened" by the death of former player Russell Nelson.

The South African-born flanker joined the Irish province in 2000 and made 30 senior appearances.

Alongside his career with Ulster, Nelson played for Ballymena RFC in the All-Ireland League and helped the club to the title for the first time in 2003.

Ballymena said the achievement "holds a special place" in the club's history in a tribute to Nelson.

Before joining Ulster, he played for Boland and the Bulls in his native South Africa.

In a post on social media, Ulster said that Nelson's "leadership and character" stood out.

"He will be remembered with great respect by teammates, supporters and all who had the privilege of knowing him," the province said.

"Our heartfelt condolences are with Russell's family and friends during this difficult time."

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Cardiff forward Ben Donnell will join Ulster at the end of the current season on a three-year deal.

The versatile 25-year-old, who is Irish-qualified, can also operate in the second row or back row positions.

Donnell represented England at U18 and U20 level and had spells at London Irish and Gloucester Rugby, before joining Cardiff in 2023.

He has made 26 appearances for the Welsh side and has scored four tries to date.

"I'm really pleased to be signing for Ulster Rugby. With my family roots in Belfast, it makes the move even more special for me," Donnell told the Ulster website.

"I am very excited by the opportunity to join a team that's playing some fantastic rugby and are competing at the top end of the league.

"I know how tough Ulster are to play against, so I'm hugely motivated to come in, work hard, and add real value to a squad full of young talent and quality experience. I'm looking forward to getting started and pulling on the Ulster jersey."

Ulster general manager Rory Best said that Donnell will add "depth" to Ulster's forward pack.

"He is at a good age, with valuable experience from London Irish, Gloucester and Cardiff and that will bolster our squad and help drive competition," Best added.

"Ben is a strong ball-carrier with the versatility to play in multiple positions, which is an important skillset to have in the modern game."

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Connacht scrum-half Matthew Devine will make the switch to Ulster at the end of the current season.

The 23-year-old will arrive on a one-year contract and reunites with Ulster head coach Richie Murphy who he played under when Ireland U20s won the 2022 Six Nations Grand Slam

Devine, who also worked with Ulster assistant coach Mark Sexton during his spell with the western province, has scored three tries this season for Connacht after graduating from the province's academy system.

"I'm delighted to sign with Ulster Rugby and can't wait to make the move up north," Devine said.

"It's a brilliant opportunity for me to join a team who are making great strides forward and playing some of the most exciting, attacking rugby in the URC.

"Having worked with the coaching staff before with the U20s, I have a great relationship with them, and I feel their style suits my game. I'm looking forward to meeting my new teammates and the Ulster supporters."

Devine will bolster Murphy's options at scrum-half with Ulster Rugby general manager Rory Best delighted to secure the services of the Ballinasloe native.

"We feel we have secured one of the most talented young scrum-halves in Ireland, who has a strong desire to kick on in his career and develop with his high potential,"Best said.

"He will add strong competition to our scrum half positions moving forward."

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Ulster captain Iain Henderson says the side are "by no means the finished article" after their 21-14 victory over Cardiff in the United Rugby Championship.

The Irish province led 14-0 at the break thanks to Scott Wilson's try and Angus Bell's superb score, but Cardiff attempted to stage a second-half comeback and scored two tries.

The result means that Ulster leapfrog Matt Sherratt's side up to fourth in the URC table and they have now lost just one of their last six games.

"I have been saying it all year, we knew things were bubbling in the last 18 months or so," Henderson said.

"Last week's game and this week's game shows that we are by no means the finished article, we have loads to work on.

"Fair play to the coaching staff and what they have brought our squad from last season to pre-season and to the start of this season."

Eight players from Richie Murphy's side are missing due to Ireland call-ups. However, the side scored three well-worked tries with Angus Bell registering a superb solo effort.

Ulster will return to URC action after the Six Nations with a trip to Wales to face seventh place Ospreys.

"That was awesome. What a night at the Affidea Stadium," Player of the Match Matthew Dalton added.

"It can't get better than that.

"We are sitting in a great position going into the next block."

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Fly-half Jack Murphy has signed a two-year contract extension to remain at Ulster until 2028.

The 21-year-old arrived at the province in the summer of 2024 from Leinster and initially linked up with Ulster's academy side.

He was then promoted to the first team by his father and Ulster head coach Richie and made his debut against Munster in December 2024.

Murphy was the top points scorer in the 2024 Under-20 Six Nations Championship and his impressive form for Ulster this season has earned him a call-up to the Ireland XV side for February's fixture against England 'A' in Limerick.

"I'm very happy to be staying at Ulster for another two years. From the minute I joined I have felt very welcomed by the staff, players and the Ulster supporters," said Murphy, who has made 25 appearances for the province.

"I'm enjoying my time here and the opportunities to play in both the URC and Europe.

"We have showed the clear progress we are making together and I'm very driven to continue that development with my teammates in the future."

Ulster's general manager Rory Best added that tying Murphy down to a new deal was "another key contract priority" for the province following the recent extensions handed out to the likes of Nathan Doak and Cormac Izuchukwu.

"Jack has shown an impressive maturity for his age and has already shown that he can lead our attack from number ten," he said.

"His kicking game is a real point of difference for our style of play and the way we want to put pressure on the opposition.

"The exciting thing about Jack is the potential that he has, and we must continue trying to make the most from his talent over the seasons ahead."

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Ulster hooker Rob Herring and wing Zac Ward have both been recalled for the province's United Rugby Championship game against Cardiff at the Affidea Stadium.

Herring, who was amongst the replacements for the late 27-22 defeat by Scarlets last weekend, joins Scott Wilson and Angus Bell in the front row.

The second row remains unchanged, with captain Iain Henderson joined by Charlie Irvine.

In the back row, Marcus Rea makes his first start of the season while scrum-half Conor McKee comes into the team.

Ward returns to the backline alongside Ethan McIlroy, who makes his first start of the season at full-back after recovering from a knee injury.

Ben Carson will make his first URC start of the campaign at inside centre, while Richie Murphy opts for a 5:3 split among the replacements.

Bryan O'Connor, Lorcan McLoughlin and Ben Moxham are all in line for their first appearances of the season off the bench.

Jacob Stockdale, Nathan Doak, Stuart McCloskey, Rob Baloucoune, Tom O'Toole, Jude Postlethwaite, Tom Stewart, Cormac Izuchukwu and Nick Timoney are all away on Ireland duty.

Ulster: McIlroy; Kok, Hume, Carson, Ward; Murphy, McKee; Bell, Herring, Wilson; Henderson (capt), Irvine; Dalton, Rea, McCann.

Replacements: McCormack, Crean, O'Connor, Sheridan, McLoughlin, Shanahan, Flannery, Moxham.

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Ulster have confirmed utility back Stewart Moore is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Moore, who posted about his injury on social media last week, will undergo surgery in early February, likely ruling him out until next season.

Full-back Mike Lowry is following return to play protocols after sustaining a concussion in the opening minute of last weekend's defeat by the Scarlets and will not be available to face Cardiff in Saturday's United Rugby Championship game in Belfast (19:45 GMT).

With Jacob Stockdale away on Ireland duty, Ulster head coach Richie Murphy, there may be an opportunity at full-back for Ethan McIlroy, who has made one substitute appearance for the province this season or Jake Flannery, who replaced Lowry last weekend.

"Jacob's not here, Ethan McIlroy's back, he played AIL (All-Ireland League) last weekend. Jake Flannery has played there as well and there's a couple of young lads knocking around as well," said Murphy.

"We still have some options and it'd be nice to see some other guys put their hand up because our team has been quite settled over this period."

There is a similar dilemma in the front row with Rory McGuire ruled out for the next number of weeks because of a shoulder injury.

With Tom O'Toole's Ireland call-up, Murphy is without two of his tight-head props before Saturday's United Rugby Championship game at home to Cardiff (19:45 GMT).

Murphy also said that in-form wing Rob Baloucoune has carried a "light strain" into Ireland camp before next week's Six Nations opener against France in Paris.

"He's travelled with Ireland and they're looking after him," he said.

"I don't think there will be any problem with availability for him for next Thursday's game."

He added: "He's not in our hands so it's hard to know but looking at what showed up and how he presented after the game, people are quite positive that he'll be available."

Murphy is also without Cormac Izuchukwu, Tom Stewart, Nick Timoney, Nathan Doak, Bryn Ward and Stuart McCloskey, who are with the Ireland squad in Portugal.

After the Portugal camp, training panellist Ward will link up with the Ireland XV squad before the 6 February game against England A at Thomond Park.

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Ulster head coach Richie Murphy said his side "need to be better" at taking their opportunities after they were beaten by a last-play try against Scarlets on Saturday.

The Irish province had led 22-20 as the clock went red at Parc y Scarlets but fell to their third United Rugby Championship (URC) loss of the season when Ellis Mee went over in the 83rd minute.

Prior to the dramatic finish, Ulster had dominated the second half but failed to put the game away.

"Coming away to Wales is never easy. It's always tough," said Murphy after the loss to a side who had gone into the game bottom of the league.

"If you leave the game in the balance, you know that these Welsh clubs will come back at you later on. So when we look at from 40 minutes to probably 60 minutes, we had opportunities to take the game away from them there and we couldn't quite do that.

"So we need to be better in that area. We had plenty of opportunity across the game."

Murphy said it was "hard to believe" that Scarlets centre Eddie James was not shown a first-minute yellow card for a tackle on Mike Lowry and described the officiating around the maul as "interesting".

The former Ireland under-20s coach was also unsure of whether there was sufficient evidence to disallow a Jake Flannery score for a forward pass in the second half.

Despite his view on some of the big decisions, he felt his team were "just slightly under the level" they had previously shown this season.

"We've just got to keep trying to get better. This is a step backwards at the moment, but we can use that and learn from it and move on," he said.

"Our goal at the start of the season was always to get into the top eight and make sure that we get back into the Champions Cup. That goal hasn't changed."

Ulster have fallen to sixth in the table and are next in action at home to Cardiff on 24 January (19:45 GMT).

Joel Bell
BBC Sport NI

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Ulster prop Tom O'Toole says it is an "extreme honour" to play for Ireland after being named in Andy Farrell's squad for the forthcoming Six Nations.

The focus this weekend is on the United Rugby Championships, but on 5 February, Ireland kick off their Six Nations campaign against the current holders France in Dublin.

With 18 caps under his belt, O'Toole will be hoping to play a role in helping Ireland secure the title they won back-to-back in 2023 and 2024 after being named this week in Andy Farrell's wider panel for the championship.

''I think every player would love to get the opportunity to play in green, and I've been fortunate enough to play in it. It is an extreme honour to be back within that group.'' he told BBC Sport NI.

''I went in from early in my career and I got that experience and exposure from a young age with some incredible players like Jonny Sexton.

''The amount of experience you get from those guys, you can take into your day-to- day and how you carry yourself and how you get around your business. That's something I took from that experience.''

The tight-head prop, who joined the Ulster Academy in 2017, made his senior debut a year later and has been a key player in Richie Murphy's side ever since.

This weekend he will embrace the challenge of continuing their fine form against Scarlets at the Parc y Scarlets in Wales (15:00 GMT on Saturday).

''It's been incredible, it's been a great buzz. It was difficult last year for supporters and players, but it's really good this year with a great buzz about the place,'' added the 27-year-old.

''The new coaches have come in, they've been really good for the squad and we're playing an exciting brand of attacking rugby.

''It's really enjoyable to be a part of and it's the rugby I enjoy playing. It just took one or two performances to get that belief within ourselves and to prove we can do it and play.''

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Jacob Stockdale has not been included in Ulster's matchday squad to face Scarlets in the United Rugby Championship at Parc Y Scarlets on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Ireland wing has been following World Rugby's return-to-play protocols after he developed delayed concussion symptoms following last week's Challenge Cup win over Stade Francais at Affidea Stadium.

The Irish province's starting team for the meeting with Scarlets shows four changes from the side which defeated their French opponents in European competition.

Michael Lowry returns from an ankle injury to replace Stockdale at full-back, while Werner Kok is drafted in on the right wing.

Australia loose-head prop Angus Bell is named in the front row after being forced to withdraw from the starting team to face Stade Francais last week because of illness.

Charlie Irvine has overcome a calf injury and comes into the second row to partner captain Iain Henderson, with Harry Sheridan dropping to the replacements' bench.

The match will see scrum-half Nathan Doak, who was selected in the Ireland squad this week for the forthcoming Six Nations, make his 100th appearance for Ulster.

Ulster sit on 31 points in the upper echelons of the URC table going into the weekend.

Ulster: Lowry; Baloucoune, Hume, McCloskey, Kok; Murphy, Doak; Bell, Stewart, O'Toole; Henderson (c), Irvine; McCann, Timoney, Ward.

Replacements: Herring, O'Sullivan, Wilson, Sheridan, Dalton, McKee, Flannery, Postlethwaite.