Ulster make five changes for vital Benetton game

Ireland player Stuart McCloskey's return at centre is among five Ulster changes from the last-gasp win over Cardiff for Friday's United Rugby Championship home contest against Benetton.

McCloskey replaces Jude Postlethwaite in one of four personnel changes to the backs.

James Hume's unavailability because of a knee injury sustained against Cardiff means that Rob Baloucoune returns at wing, with Michael Lowry and Will Addison switching to full-back and centre.

Billy Burns and John Cooney are drafted into the half-back roles after Jake Flannery and Nathan Doak picked up knocks against Cardiff.

The sole change to last weekend's starting pack has Reuben Crothers taking over from Marcus Rea in the back row.

Ulster go into the crucial contest outside the play-off positions in 10th spot but are only three points behind the fifth-placed Italian outfit.

Scrum-half Cooney kicked Ulster's winning penalty in the 19-17 win over Cardiff.

It will be one of his last half-back outings with Burns, who moves to Munster at the end of this season.

Addison is named at centre after switching to midfield in last week's game after Hume was injured.

Ulster's other absentees include Iain Henderson, Rob Herring and Steven Kitshoff, who has played his final game for the Irish province after sustained a season-ending knee injury in the Challenge Cup quarter-final defeat by Clermont Auvergne two weeks ago.

A bunched battle for the play-off spots has Ulster level on points with Edinburgh and Connacht, who occupy eighth and ninth places, and only a point behind the sixth and seventh-placed Stormers and Ospreys.

After suffering successive defeats against Leinster, Glasgow and Scarlets, Benetton regrouped with home wins over Connacht and the Dragons and they are likely to present Ulster with a tough test at Kingspan Stadium.

Ulster: Lowry; Baloucoune, Addision, McCloskey, Stockdale; Burns, Cooney; O'Sullivan, Stewart, Wilson; Sheridan, O'Connor (capt); Ewers, Crothers, McCann.

Replacements: Andrew, Warwick, French, Izuchukwu, Jones, Shanahan, Marshall, McIlroy.

Benetton: Umaga; Marin, Menoncello, Zanon, Smith; Albornoz, Uren; Gallo, Nicotera, Ferrari; Scrafton, Iachizzi; Izekor, Lamaro (capt), L Cannone.

Replacements: Lucchesi, Nemer, Pasquali, N Cannone, Favretto, Halafihi, Garbisi, Drago.