Ian Whitten set for Instonians debut as club hosts Bangor in Ulster Premiership Division 2

Capped twice by Ireland, Whitten left Ulster to join the Exeter Chiefs in 2012.

He was part of the Chiefs team that beat Wasps in the 2017 English Premiership final and helped the Devon club to a domestic and European doble in 2020.

The 36-year-old joins his three brothers Alan, Robert and David – recently signed from Queen’s – at Instonians, the club their father John also played for.

Ian will be unleashed from the bench, Robert captains the side from the second row with David at No8.

Coach Paul Pritchard is delighted to welcome the new signing.

“It is brilliant to have the four Whitten’s there, Ian brings a lot of experience and David coming to the club is a great talent,” enthused Pritchard.

“It is probably the easiest recruitment of the lot and certainly since I have been at the club, there are players coming to us which is ideal and what we want.”

After their history-making, record-breaking All Ireland League season when Inst won all 18 games with bonus points, the Shaw’s Bridge club start the new campaign a week later than scheduled.

Pritchard’s team were awarded five match points after Belfast Harlequins conceded last weekend’s fixture due to being unable to field a front row.

“It is a new season; last season is done,” he said. “Obviously we were proud of that in May and June when the season ended but we are only looking forward now, it is not really on our minds at all.

“We set high standards and we want to continue to push forward, momentum is a powerful thing, and we want to prolong it.”

He added: “Very disappointed not to play Quins, as coaches we plan a bit more in advance than just one game, the Ulster League is a good time to look at players.

“We’re going into week one maybe a week behind Bangor; certainly in terms in of action we are behind, but it is what it is and we are just going to have to accept it.

“We’ll go into this week and play the best rugby that we can play.

“In the early stages you really don’t focus on the opposition, you sort of focus on yourself. We’ll just go out and do our jobs and that is all we can do.

“It is our first game and our first time playing opposition in a few months, we just want to get our processes and the things that we worked hard on over the summer in, and then hopefully the result takes care of itself.”

If Inst win Division 2 their reward will be to play in the quarter-final of the Senior Cup.

“It’s certainly a carrot, we think we have the depth to compete on a couple of fronts and internally that is what we are trying to do,” Pritchard said.

“This league is going to be a challenge and there are still some good teams in there.”

Omagh host Harlequins in the other Division 2 game.

In Division 1 Group A, Ballynahinch and Queen’s – who both had bonus point wins in their opening fixtures – meet at Ballymacarn Park. Dungannon host Banbridge.

In Group B, Armagh will be looking to make it two wins out of two as they visit Ballymena while Malone entertain Rainey at Gibson Park.