Ulster’s Sevens star Zac Ward will get a chance to impress Ireland head coach Simon Easterby first-hand having been named in Emerging Ireland’s starting line-up for the opening game of their tour to South Africa.
The Ballynahinch winger will line-up as one of three Ulster players in the starting XV to take on the Pumas on Wednesday afternoon (3pm Belfast time).
Ward starred for Ireland at Sevens level, particularly at the recent Olympics in Paris which earned him a trial contract with Ulster’s senior team and two appearances in pre-season against Benetton and the Exeter Chiefs, although he is yet to make his competitive debut for the province.
But Easterby has been suitably impressed since linking up with Emerging Ireland and will get his chance to show what he’s got against the Pumas at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein in the first game in their three-game tour in South Africa.
Ward will be joined in the starting line-up by second row Harry Sheridan and blindside flanker Cormac Izuchukwu, who will also be hoping to catch the eye of the interim Ireland head coach ahead of the November international window.
There are also two Ulstermen on the bench as fly-half Jack Murphy, son of Ulster head coach Richie, and centre Jude Postlethwaite make it into the matchday squad.
Munster openside flanker Alex Kendellen will captain a squad that contains three former Ireland Under-20s skippers, with replacement hooker Gus McCarthy and replacement second row Evan O’Connell also included.
“The Pumas will present a real test, coming as it does in the first of three games in seven days. They’re a physical team who have come off a competitive Currie Cup campaign,” commented Easterby.
“The three games will ask different questions of the group and that is exactly the kind of environment we want to foster and to see how the players react to a pressurised and competitive environment. We had a good pitch session on Monday afternoon and the players are itching to get out there.
“We will be managing our resources given the close proximity of the games and it’s a younger and less experienced group than the one that competed two years ago. But the talent, energy and enthusiasm of this group has been obvious over the course of the last six days.
“We’re delighted to be here in Bloemfontein and the squad is ready to get going.”
The match will be shown live on IrishRugby+.
Emerging Ireland: (15-9) Ben O’Connor (Munster); Rob Russell (Leinster), Sean O’Brien (Munster), Hugh Gavin (Connacht), Zac Ward (Ulster); Sam Prendergast (Leinster), Matthew Devine (Connacht); (1-8) Mark Donnelly (Munster), Stephen Smyth (Leinster), Jack Aungier (Connacht); Harry Sheridan (Ulster), Darragh Murray (Connacht); Cormac Izuchukwu (Ulster), Alex Kendellen (Munster) (captain), James Culhane (Leinster).
Replacements: Gus McCarthy (Leinster), Alex Usanov (Leinster), Ronan Foxe (Munster), Evan O’Connell (Munster), Sean Jansen (Connacht), Ethan Coughlan (Munster), Jack Murphy (Ulster), Jude Postlethwaite (Ulster).