La Rochelle sent there 3rds and beat Newcastle by 8 points.  If we have the form we had on the first half the season, I would be confident that we will win.  Still think we will,  depending on injures,  Loose head being the main worry.  Bell was off on a HIA,  which i guess he failed, he got a nice shiner

Crean  went off, not sure what it was,  and ToT did not look great at the end of the game.

The injury update (tomorrow, tuesday?) will shed a better light were we are. 

Hard to know exactly what team we'll be putting out, with half an eye on the games to come, but I'd take a stab at a team that looks something like.

1. Bell

2. Stewart

3. TOT

4. Hendo 

5. Irvine (if fit) or hopes

6. McCann

7. Ward

8. Augustus

9. Doak

10. Murphy/humph/doak 

11. Stockdale

12. The fridge

13. Hume.

14. Kok

15. Ethan

Our Irish contingent almost certainly will have to sit some games out before the end of the season, so it makes sense for me that timoney sits out this one, given we've other good options available. Stu might unfortunately have to miss out some of our key matches later on, but think it's worth him playing until judes hand is fixed. Tot and Jacob rested last week, so I imagine they'll almost certainly be playing this week.  It'd be nice to have izzy back, but after two concussions so close together, he'll probably have to sit out a while.

Watched the ospreys against connect at the weekend there and they seemed alarmingly competent, we should have far too much for them, but they've a chance if we don't turn up.  A couple of their big players leaving at the end of the season too, so they might be well motivated to try and take whats probably their last chance to win something.

Ulster Rugby is delighted to announce that Academy forward, Bryn Ward, has agreed terms on a new deal that will see him become a contracted senior player next season.
Bryn Ward signs first Senior deal with Ulster Rugby | Ulster Rugby

Pos Team       P  W  D  L  PF  PA   PD    BP  Pts
------------------------------------------------
1   Glasgow    12 9  0  3  320 170  +150  9   45
2   Stormers   12 9  0  3  316 204  +112  5   41
3   Ulster     12 8  0  4  352 248  +104  9   41
4   Leinster   12 8  0  4  308 242  +66   9   41
5   Cardiff    12 8  0  4  240 210  +30   8   40
6   Munster    12 8  0  4  248 225  +23   7   39
7   Lions      12 6  1  5  325 342  -17   7   33
8   Bulls      12 6  0  6  304 270  +34   6   30
9   Ospreys    12 5  2  5  260 273  -13   5   29
10  Connacht   12 5  0  7  280 300  -20   9   29
11  Sharks     12 4  1  7  256 333  -77   6   24
12  Edinburgh  12 4  0  8  230 260  -30   7   23
13  Benetton   12 4  2  6  216 281  -65   3   23
14  Dragons    12 2  3  7  227 286  -59   6   20
15  Scarlets   12 3  1  8  210 290  -80   2   16
16  Zebre      12 2  0 10  197 365  -168  4   12

While the run ins of the top six teams look like this:

Team      | R13          | R14          | R15           | R16           | R17           | R18
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glasgow   | Leinster     | Treviso      | Lions (A)     | Stormers (A)  | Cardiff       | Ulster (A)
Stormers  | Dragons      | Edinburgh    | Connacht      | Glasgow       | Ulster (A)    | Cardiff (A)
Ulster    | Connacht     | Zebre (A)    | Leinster      | Munster (A)   | Stormers      | Glasgow
Leinster  | Glasgow (A)  | Scarlets     | Ulster (A)    | Treviso (A)   | Lions         | Ospreys
Cardiff   | Bulls (A)    | Sharks (A)   | Scarlets (A)  | Ospreys       | Glasgow (A)   | Stormers
Munster   | Sharks (A)   | Bulls (A)    | Treviso (A)   | Ulster        | Connacht (A)  | Lion

As I see it, Ulster have a very realistic chance of topping the league, and in my opinion that should be the target, potentially at the expense of resting players in Europe.  Of our remaining fixtures, I think we'd be favourites for all of them except Munster away (and maybe the Ladys coming North), if we can get 5 from 6, beating Leinster and the Stomers, both of who we have at home, I think that should see us home, assumiing we can keep up with the bonus points. 

Unless Glasgow have an incredible tour of South Africa, i think the three teams with a realistic chance of topping the league are us, Leinster and the Stomers, it could well end up coming down to points difference, with us currently 8 points behind the Stormers and 38 ahead of Leinster on that front.  

Ulster Rugby can confirm that Robert Baloucoune suffered an elbow injury in Ireland's victory against Scotland last weekend, which will require surgery and will sideline him for approximately the next three months.

I was just thinking he was due another injury :(  Not great for ulster, but at least he got a good run in the 6 nations.

Ulster Rugby can confirm that Forwards Coach, Jimmy Duffy, will leave his role at the conclusion of the 2025/26 season by mutual consent.... With Jimmy set to depart at the end of the season, the agreement was reached in the best interests of him and his family, with the Galway native keen to move closer to home and spend more time with family based there.

Must be going back to Connacht.  

"The IRFU will allow a NIQ tight head if O'Toole switches to loosehead"  I have read this comment in a few places, but I think this is just chatter that makes sense but there is no "source" to it

Matthew Dalton is completing Graduated Return Protocols after a concussion he sustained in the game against Ospreys and is expected to be available for selection.

John Andrew suffered a concussion last week in training and will now follow the World Rugby Return to Play protocol - he will be unavailable this week.

As shared in the IRFU's squad update this afternoon, Cormac Izuchukwu, Jude Postlethwaite and Bryn Ward have all returned to the squad from Ireland camp.