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Ulster signing Augustus to make debut off bench against Dragons

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ULSTER BOSS RICHIE Murphy has named new signing Juarno Augustus on the bench for tomorrow’s URC opener against the Dragons at the newly-renamed Affidea Stadium in Belfast [8.05pm, Premier Sports/URC TV].

Explosive South African number eight Augustus, who joined from Northampton Saints, will make his debut as a replacement as Ulster look to make a good start to their campaign against the Dragons, who finished bottom of the URC last season with just one win in 18 games.

Ulster are bidding to bounce back from a disappointing 14th-place finish and Murphy has been able to include captain Iain Henderson and Ireland internationals Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Cormac Izuchukwu, Nick Timoney, Stuart McCloskey, James Hume, Jacob Stockdale and Mike Lowry in his starting XV.

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Hume will win his 100th Ulster cap tomorrow.

Callum Reid starts at looshead alongside Herring and O’Toole in the front row, while Harry Sheridan partners Henderson in the second row. Izuchukwu and Timoney are on either side of David McCann in the back row.

23-year-old Nathan Doak and 21-year-old Jack Murphy will steer the ship from the halfbacks, with McCloskey and Hume teaming up in midfield. Stockdale is fit to start the season after his shoulder injury for Ireland back in July, joining Zac Ward and Lowry in the back three.

Dragons boss Filo Tiatia has handed debuts to experienced loosehead prop Wyn Jones, South African tighthead Rob Hunt, and out-half Tinus de Beer.

Ulster: 

15. Mike Lowry
14. Zac Ward
13. James Hume
12. Stuart McCloskey
11. Jacob Stockdale
10. Jack Murphy
9. Nathan Doak

1. Callum Reid
2. Rob Herring
3. Tom O’Toole
4. Iain Henderson (captain)
5. Harry Sheridan
6. Cormac Izuchukwu
7. Nick Timoney
8. David McCann

Replacements:

16. Tom Stewart
17. Sam Crean
18. Scott Wilson
19. Matthew Dalton
20. Juarno Augustus
21. Conor McKee
22. Jake Flannery
23. Ben Carson 

Dragons:

15. Angus O’Brien (co-captain)
14. Rio Dyer
13. Joe Westwood
12. Aneurin Owen
11. Jared Rosser
10. Tinus de Beer
9. Rhodri Williams

1. Wyn Jones
2. Elliot Dee
3. Rob Hunt
4. Matthew Screech
5. Ben Carter (co-captain)
6. Shane Lewis-Hughes
7. Harrison Keddie
8. Aaron Wainwright

Replacements:

16. Brodie Coghlan
17. Rodrigo Martinez
18. Dillon Lewis
19. Levi Douglas
20. Mackenzie Martin
21. Che Hope
22. Fine Inisi
23. Huw Anderson 

Referee: Griffin Colby [SARU].

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Irish teenage stopper Keane the cup hero for Blades

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Republic of Ireland teenage goalkeeper Katie Keane served notice of her huge promise as she starred in Sheffield United’s penalty shootout win against Durham in the League Cup on Wednesday night.

Keane, 19, joined Women’s Super League outfit Leicester City from Shamrock Rovers in the summer.

On Wednesday afternoon she completed a seven-day emergency loan move to Championship side Sheffield United, who were short in the goalkeeping department after losing both Sian Rogers and Charlotte Parker-Smith to injury.

Keane went straight into the team for the cup clash and made an instant impact.

Joy Ralph – who left Shamrock Rovers for the Blades around the same time Keane joined Leicester – put the visitors ahead at Maiden Castle Sports Park with a good finish in the 18th minute.

Durham equalised just before half-time, but they couldn’t be separated after that, with the game going to a shootout.

Keane made saves to deny Beth Hepple and Becky Salicki to swing it for the Blade. Afterwards she reflected on a whirlwind 24 hours.

“I’m absolutely delighted,” Keane told Sheffield United club media.

“It’s some debut. To think that I haven’t actually been a Sheffield player until about four hours ago, that’s just the fun of it you know?

“The penos, thank God I saved them. The game was really, really good and I’m really proud of all the girls and the youngsters who came on and put in a really good shift.”

Keane, who first broke through at Athlone Town, will be hoping her performance caught the attention of Republic of Ireland boss Carla Ward ahead of next month’s Nations League play-off against Belgium.

She was included in Eileen Gleeson’s senior squad for last year’s Euro 2025 play-off semi-final against Georgia, but has not been called up since.


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Sports

Irish teenage stopper Keane the cup hero for Blades

Published

on

Read the full article on post.

Republic of Ireland teenage goalkeeper Katie Keane served notice of her huge promise as she starred in Sheffield United’s penalty shootout win against Durham in the League Cup on Wednesday night.

Keane, 19, joined Women’s Super League outfit Leicester City from Shamrock Rovers in the summer.

On Wednesday afternoon she completed a seven-day emergency loan move to Championship side Sheffield United, who were short in the goalkeeping department after losing both Sian Rogers and Charlotte Parker-Smith to injury.

Keane went straight into the team for the cup clash and made an instant impact.

Joy Ralph – who left Shamrock Rovers for the Blades around the same time Keane joined Leicester – put the visitors ahead at Maiden Castle Sports Park with a good finish in the 18th minute.

Durham equalised just before half-time, but they couldn’t be separated after that, with the game going to a shootout.

Keane made saves to deny Beth Hepple and Becky Salicki to swing it for the Blade. Afterwards she reflected on a whirlwind 24 hours.

“I’m absolutely delighted,” Keane told Sheffield United club media.

“It’s some debut. To think that I haven’t actually been a Sheffield player until about four hours ago, that’s just the fun of it you know?

“The penos, thank God I saved them. The game was really, really good and I’m really proud of all the girls and the youngsters who came on and put in a really good shift.”

Keane, who first broke through at Athlone Town, will be hoping her performance caught the attention of Republic of Ireland boss Carla Ward ahead of next month’s Nations League play-off against Belgium.

She was included in Eileen Gleeson’s senior squad for last year’s Euro 2025 play-off semi-final against Georgia, but has not been called up since.


[embedded content]

Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Continue Reading

Sports

Irish teenage stopper Keane the cup hero for Blades

Published

on

Read the full article on post.

Republic of Ireland teenage goalkeeper Katie Keane served notice of her huge promise as she starred in Sheffield United’s penalty shootout win against Durham in the League Cup on Wednesday night.

Keane, 19, joined Women’s Super League outfit Leicester City from Shamrock Rovers in the summer.

On Wednesday afternoon she completed a seven-day emergency loan move to Championship side Sheffield United, who were short in the goalkeeping department after losing both Sian Rogers and Charlotte Parker-Smith to injury.

Keane went straight into the team for the cup clash and made an instant impact.

Joy Ralph – who left Shamrock Rovers for the Blades around the same time Keane joined Leicester – put the visitors ahead at Maiden Castle Sports Park with a good finish in the 18th minute.

Durham equalised just before half-time, but they couldn’t be separated after that, with the game going to a shootout.

Keane made saves to deny Beth Hepple and Becky Salicki to swing it for the Blade. Afterwards she reflected on a whirlwind 24 hours.

“I’m absolutely delighted,” Keane told Sheffield United club media.

“It’s some debut. To think that I haven’t actually been a Sheffield player until about four hours ago, that’s just the fun of it you know?

“The penos, thank God I saved them. The game was really, really good and I’m really proud of all the girls and the youngsters who came on and put in a really good shift.”

Keane, who first broke through at Athlone Town, will be hoping her performance caught the attention of Republic of Ireland boss Carla Ward ahead of next month’s Nations League play-off against Belgium.

She was included in Eileen Gleeson’s senior squad for last year’s Euro 2025 play-off semi-final against Georgia, but has not been called up since.


[embedded content]

Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Continue Reading

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