Nordi Murphy.

Jordi Murphy will make his first appearance in an Ulster jersey on Friday night after being named to start in the back row against Edinburgh at Kingspan tomorrow night.

The former Leinster player is among four new faces in the team, all of which are in the forward pack. Fellow Ireland international Rob Herring will line out for the first time this season and will captain the side from hooker. Ross Kane (tighthead prop) and Kieran Treadwell (second row) are the other newcomers, while Andrew Warwick and Iain Henderson are retained alongside them in the front five.

Murphy is joined in the back row by Springbok powerhouse Marcell Coetzee and dynamic young number 8, Nick Timoney.

The backline remains unchanged; John Cooney and Billy Burns continue in the half back positions, last week’s Man of the Match Stuart McCloskey is paired in midfield with Darren Cave, and Craig Gilroy, Henry Speight and Will Addison make up the potent back three.

Ulster team to play Edinburgh

W Addison; C Gilroy, D Cave, S McCloskey, H Speight; B Burns, J Cooney, A Warwick, R Herring (captain), R Kane , K Treadwell, I Henderson, M Coetzee, J Murphy, N Timoney.

Replacements: A McBurney, E O’Sullivan, W Herbst, A O’Connor, S Reidy, D Shanahan, A Curtis, A Kernohan.