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Simon Best captains Ulster on Friday

Best skippers Ulster

8 September 2005, 3:50 pm

By Jonathan McConnell

Simon Best will captain Ulster in their Celtic League opener against Cardiff Blues on Friday night.

However the side will be missing Bryn Cunningham who is suffering from a shoulder injury sustained against Rotherham which is still under investigation.

With Cunningham out, Paddy Wallace comes in to cover the full-back berth while youngster Andrew Trimble will earn his first Ulster cap (not awarded for friendlies) from the wing. Justin Fitzpatrick and Justin Harrison are both named in the pack along with Neil McMillan at openside.
Hooker Rory Best and Under 21 scrum-half Paul Marshall get in as cover ahead of Nigel Brady and Reece Spee who will play for Ulster A this weekend in Barcelona.

In the first five weeks of Celtic League competition Ulster will play just one home match, with a rest weekend and three away fixtures. The team know how important it is to get some good results on the road and coach Mark McCall believes it's all about preparing well.

Ulster are in good shape with just three players on the injured list, Bryn Cunningham, Rod Moore and Lewis Stevenson, "The summer has gone very well, thinking back to this time last year we only had 22 fit players to put on the pitch". "Confidence and self-belief come from preparing well and looking at your opposition carefully and Cardiff are a side we know very well". "Cardiff should have won last weekend against Connacht and are still a very good side."

Ulster: 15 - Paddy Wallace; 14 - Tommy Bowe; 13 - Kevin Maggs; 12 - Paul Steinmetz; 11 - Andrew Trimble; 10 - David Humphreys; 9 - Kieran Campbell; 1 - Justin Fitzpatrick; 2 - Paul Shields; 3 - Simon Best (Captain); 4 - Justin Harrison; 5 - Matt McCullough; 6 - Neil Best; 7 - Neil McMillan; 8 - Roger Wilson
Replacements: 16 - Rory Best; 17 - Bryan Young; 18 - Rowan Frost; 19 - Campbell Feather; 20 - Paul Marshall; 21 - Jonny Bell; 22 - James Topping