Team Announcements Round 17

The teams for Round 17 fixtures of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship have been named with all details of match officials and broadcast information below.

TEAM NEWS HEADLINES

#SHAvBEN

• Ben Tapuai comes into Cell C Sharks starting XV with Marnus Potgieter onto the bench as the only change to the side
• Dewaldt Duvenage captains Benetton

#GLAvSCA

• For the first time this season, Huw Jones moves to full-back for Glasgow Warriors
• Scarlets make eleven changes to the starting XV with Iwan Shenton making his URC debut

#ULSvDRA

• Alan O’Connor captains Ulster
• Ashton Hewitt returns from injury as he is named in Dragons RFC starting XV

FRIDAY, APRIL 13

Cell C Sharks v Benetton

Hollywoodbets King Park, Durban – KO 17.30  IRE & UK / 18.30 ITA & SA

Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU, 90th league game)

AR 1: Morne Ferreira (SARU)  AR 2: Stephan Geldenhuys (SARU)

TMO: Jon Mason (WRU)

Live on: SuperSport, Eurosport, Discovery +, Viaplay, Premier Sports, SuperSport,  FloRugby.com & URC.tv

Cell C Sharks: Boeta Chamberlain, Werner Kok, Lukhanyo Am, Ben Tapuai, Makazole Mapimpi, Curwin Bosch, Grant Williams, Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Thomas du Toit, Hyron Andrews, Gerbrandt Grobler, Siya Kolisi (CAPT), Vincent Tshituka, Sikhumbuzo Notshe

Replacements: Kerron van Vuuren, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Carlu Sadie, Jeandre Labuschagne, Phepsi Buthelezi, Cameron Wright, Marnus Potgieter, Thaakir Abrahams

Benetton: Rhyno Smith, Edoardo Padovani, Ignacio Brex, Joaquin Riera, Marcus Watson, Tomas Albornoz, Dewaldt Duvenage (CAPT), Nahuel Tetaz, Giacomo Nicotera, Tiziano Pasquali, Niccolò Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Sebastian Negri, Michele Lamaro, Lorenzo Cannone

Replacements: Siua Maile, Thomas Gallo, Filippo Alongi, Riccardo Favretto, Manuel Zuliani, Alessandro Garbisi, Jacob Umaga, Marco Zanon

Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets

Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow – KO 19.35  IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA

Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU, 30th league game)

AR 1: Ross Mabon (SRU) AR 2: Calum Worsley (SRU)

TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)

Live on: Viaplay, BBC Wales, Premier Sports, SuperSport, TG4, Discovery +, FloRugby.com & URC.tv

Glasgow Warriors: Huw Jones, Kyle Steyn (CAPT), Stafford McDowall, Sam Johnson, Cole Forbes, Tom Jordan, Ali Price; Jamie Bhatti, Johnny Matthews, Zander Fagerson, Lewis Bean, JP du Preez, Ryan Wilson, Matt Fagerson, Sione Vailanu.

Replacements: Fraser Brown, Nathan McBeth, Simon Berghan, Richie Gray, Scott Cummings, Rory Darge, Jamie Dobie, Domingo Miotti

Scarlets: Tom Rogers, Steff Evans, Ioan Nicholas, Eddie James, Ryan Conbeer; Dan Jones, Kieran Hardy, Wyn Jones, Shaun Evans, Sam Wainwright, Morgan Jones, Vaea Fifita, Iwan Shenton, Josh Macleod (CAPT), Carwyn Tuipulotu

Replacements: Daf Hughes, Steff Thomas, Javan Sebastian, Aaron Shingler, Iestyn Rees, Dane Blacker, Rhys Patchell, Joe Roberts

Ulster v Dragons RFC

Kingspan Stadium, Belfast – KO 19.35  IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA

Referee: Ben Blain (SRU, 31st league game)

AR 1: Eoghan Cross (IRFU) AR 2: Padraic Reidy (IRFU)

TMO: Andrew McMenemy (SRU)

Live on: Viaplay, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Discovery +, FloRugby.com & URC.tv

Ulster: Mike Lowry, Craig Gilroy, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, John Cooney, Eric O’Sullivan, Tom Stewart, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor (CAPT), Sam Carter, David McCann, Marcus Rea, Duane Vermeulen

Replacements: John Andrew, Andy Warwick, Jeffery Toomaga Allen, Kieran Treadwell, Nick Timoney, Nathan Doak, Stewart Moore, Ethan McIlroy

Ulster Skills Coach Craig Newby said: “The Dragons come here with nothing to lose, we have reviewed them and have looked at areas we need to tidy up on. We play better when we are at home and we have to focus on winning these two games and our Quarter-Final.”

Dragons RFC: Jordan Williams, Rio Dyer, Jared Rosser, Max Clark, Ashton Hewitt, Angus O’Brien, Rhodri Williams (CAPT), Rhodri Jones, Elliot Dee, Leon Brown, Ben Carter, Matthew Screech, George Nott, Taine Basham, Aaron Wainwright

Replacements: Brodie Coghlan, Josh Reynolds, Lloyd Fairbrother, Sean Lonsdale, George Young, Lewis Jones, Will Reed, Aneurin Owen

Dragons RFC Head Coach Dai Flanagan said: “We knew we had a tough end to the season with Glasgow away, Ulster away and Scarlets at Principality Stadium, but it is a challenge we’ll continue to embrace.”