ALMOST a year ago, youngster Ricky Andrew made his debut for Ulster when he came off the bench in Dublin and played two minutes at the end of a PRO12 game against Leinster.
On Friday night the Ballymena fullback is set to get his first start in a shock call-up for Ulster against Edinburgh at Ravenhill.
With Ulster missing several players due to Ireland squad selection or injury, Andrew is expected to be named in the 15 jersey when the team is announced on Thursday.
Ruan Pienaar will start once again at outhalf and Paul Marshall gets the nod at scrumhalf but there is no place in the matchday 23 for Paddy Jackson.
Craig Gilroy - who was been released from the Irish training camp - and Chris Cochrane will be the two expected wingers.
Up front, Stephen Ferris who was also released by Ireland and although it has been a case of ‘will he or won’t he’ start over the past few weeks since suffering with a back problem, is likely to play a half.
Roger Wilson will get his first start at No 8 and it is likely that Mike McComish will start at openside and Robbie Diack will come off the bench for Ferris.
John Afoa returns to start at tighthead, Callum Black gets the loosehead nod and Nigel Brady is almost certain to captain the side at hooker.
With several players who were expected to be included initally for the PRO12 game instead released to their clubs for the All Ireland League games this weekend, the bench will have a reasonably inexperienced look about it compared with previous weeks.
Niall Annett, Stuart Olding, Adam Macklin and Ricky Lutton are expected to be included along with Diack, Williams and possibly Peter Nelson.
The reasoning behind some of the changes appears to be thoughts of the trip to Zebre in three weeks when many of the current squad could be unavailable due to the Ireland XV game against Fiji at Thomond Park.
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