O'Connor leads Ulster for Edinburgh clash

Alan O'Connor will lead Ulster for their final BKT United Rugby Championship regular season game against Edinburgh (Friday, 7.35pm).

The lock will line up alongside Ireland international Kieran Treadwell in the second row.

The front row sees Andy Warwick make a return to the starting line-up at loosehead prop, together with Jeff Toomaga-Allen at tighthead.

Grand Slam-winner Rob Herring is back in the Ulster shirt, as he draws closer to a record-breaking number of caps for the province.

After his try-scoring performance last weekend in a bonus-point win over Dragons at Kingspan Stadium, David McCann is once again given the nod at flanker, and is joined in the back row by Nick Timoney, who also crossed the whitewash last Friday night.

World Cup-winning Springbok Duane Vermeulen continues at 8.

The familiar pairing at scrum-half and fly-half sees leading points scorer in the URC John Cooney partner Billy Burns.

A young, homegrown centre partnership sees Stewart Moore come into the starting line-up and join up with James Hume in the midfield.

The backline will see Jacob Stockdale earn his 99th cap for his home province, as he lines out together with winger Rob Baloucoune and full-back, Mike Lowry.

Forward replacements are Tom Stewart, now a league record-breaker for his try-scoring, Callum Reid, Gareth Milasinovich, Sam Carter, and Harry Sheridan.

On the bench for the backs are Nathan Doak, Luke Marshall, and Craig Gilroy.

Ulster: Mike Lowry; Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Stewart Moore, Jacob Stockdale; Billy Burns, John Cooney; Andy Warwick, Rob Herring, Jeff Toomaga-Allen; Alan O'Connor (capt), Kieran Treadwell; David McCann, Nick Timoney, Duane Vermeulen

Replacements: Tom Stewart, Callum Reid, Gareth Milasinovich, Sam Carter, Harry