Werner Kok returns to the Ulster starting XV for the first time since January to face his former team, the Sharks, in Belfast on Saturday.
The winger suffered a concussion in Ulster’s final Champions Cup pool match against Exeter, before having a wrist operation that ruled him out for six weeks.
The 32-year-old then returned to training only to injure a hamstring that sidelined him for another six weeks.
“It’s been three months since I played, so it’s been very frustrating,” Kok told BBC Sport NI. “The first six weeks, with a bit of a rest, I came back and felt really good, then a small tweak of the hamstring kept me out for a little bit more. It wasn’t planned to be that long, so it was a tough one, especially the last two weeks with the boys playing so well.”
Kok said he had given Ulster some “insight” into his former Sharks teammates.
“I’ve been speaking to the coaches and trying to give them personal things I know about the guys, I was with them for four years so I know them in and out and hopefully we can capitalise on it.
“I know 80% of their squad and I know what we’re going to get, and they will know what they’re going to get from me.
“They’re going to come with 11-12 Springboks, but if we’re on top of our game we’ll out work and outplay them. We really need to get at least four [log] points out of it so it’s a really big game.”
TEAM: Sharks keep faith for Ulster showdown
Ireland centre Stuart McCloskey also starts for Ulster, who are 10th on the Vodacom URC log, after missing last week’s 41-17 loss to Leinster in Dublin through injury.
With injuries to Michael Lowry and Stewart Moore, Zac Ward starts on the left wing, with Kok on the right and Ireland international Jacob Stockdale at fullback.
There is one change to the pack, with Matty Rea coming in at blindside flank.
Ulster stalwart Alan O’Connor captains the side for his final home match, with Andrew Warwick, Rea and Kieran Treadwell all in line for their farewell appearance in front of their fans.
ULSTER – 15 Jacob Stockdale, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Jude Postlethwaite, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Zac Ward, 10 Jack Murphy, 9 Nathan Doak, 8 James McNabney, 7 Nick Timoney, 6 Matty Rea, 5 Cormac Izuchukwu, 4 Alan O’Connor (c), 3 Tom O’Toole, 2 Rob Herring, 1 Andrew Warwick,
Bench: 16 Tom Stewart, 17 Callum Reid, 18 Scott Wilson, 19 Matthew Dalton, 20 Kieran Treadwell, 21 Dave Shanahan, 22 Aidan Morgan, 23 David McCann.
Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Getty Images
The post Kok gives Ulster ‘insight’ into Sharks appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.