Zebre v Ulster: Doak to fill Cooney void in trip to Italy

United Rugby Championship: Zebre v Ulster, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Saturday October 2nd (kick-off 5.15pm, Premier Sports).

As expected, Ulster's hugely promising 19-year-old scrum-half, Nathan Doak, will make his first competitive start for in a much-changed line-up when they take on Zebre at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi tomorrow afternoon.

Doak, who scored his first senior try against Glasgow Warriors last Friday in his third appearance off the bench, has been named alongside Billy Burns at out-half in place of John Cooney, who sustained a hamstring injury half an hour into that 35-29 win.

All told Dan McFarland makes ten changes to the starting line-up as well as a couple of positional switches. With Robert Baloucoune, Jacob Stockdale and Stuart McCloskey other casualties from the victory over Glasgow, Ethan McIlroy moves to the left wing, with Craig Gilroy coming in on the right wing and Will Addison named at full-back.

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Stewart Moore forms a young but talented midfield alongside James Hume in place of McCloskey.

Up front Eric O’Sullivan and Tom O’Toole come in to prop either side of Rob Herring on his 199th appearance in an all-changed front-row.

Alan O’Connor, one of only two forwards retained, will skipper the side, and is partnered by Mick Kearney in the second row. Matty Rea is at blindside flanker, and Nick Timoney switches to openside, with David McCann named at ‘8’.

Callum Reid, David Shanahan and Ben Moxham are all promoted to the bench.

The players ruled out are Jack McGrath, Iain Henderson, Luke Marshall, Cormac Izuchukwu, David O’Connor, Jordi Murphy, Cooney, McCloskey, Baloucoune, Kieran Treadwell, Ian Madigan and Stockdale.

Zebre: Junior Laloifi; Gabriele Di Giulio, Giulio Bisegni (capt), Tommaso Boni, Asaeli Tuivuaka; Carlo Canna, Alessandro Fusco; Danilo Fischetti, Luca Bigi, Matteo Nocera; David Sisi, Leonard Krumov; Maxime Mbanda, Potu Junior Leavasa, Giovanni Licata.

Replacements: Olivero Fabiani, Andrea Lovotti, Ion Neculai, Andrea Zambonin, Renato Giammarioli, Guglielmo Palazzani, Antonio Rizzi, Jacopo Trulla.

Ulster: Will Addison; Craig Gilroy, James Hume, Stewart Moore, Ethan McIlroy; Billy Burns, Nathan Doak; Eric O'Sullivan, Rob Herring, Tom O'Toole; Alan O'Connor (capt), Mick Kearney; Matty Rea, Nick Timoney, David McCann.

Replacements: Brad Roberts, Callum Reid, Marty Moore, Sam Carter, Sean Reidy, David Shanahan, Mike Lowry, Ben Moxham.