Amid a season riddled with issues that have occurred both internally and externally, Ulster’s woes show no signs of lessening. Indeed, the blow from elite recruit Steven Kitshoff’s absence will be felt more significantly since the two-time World Cup champion will no longer be a part of the province’s team.
Kitshoff, who had already created a substantial impact at the club due to his impending return to the Stormers at the season finale post a solitary campaign in Belfast out of his planned three, will journey back to his homeland, South Africa, for a knee operation this week.
His surprisingly early departure marks the termination of an extremely brief and relatively unremarkable stint with Ulster, which began last November. The prop’s swansong was witnessed early this month during the crushing defeat against Clermont in the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup, where he sustained the injury that prevents him from participating in any more of the regular season remaining contests in the URC province.
Ulster, having dropped to the 10th spot in the rankings and fallen past the playoff spots – though they are just a trifling three points away from their mid-table rivals Benetton Rugby scheduled for Friday, are feeling the weight of Kitshoff’s absence. This forces interim chief coach Richie Murphy into relying heavily on sparse resources for the loosehead prop.
Adding to this, there might be no more appearances for the season from centre James Hume, following a serious knee injury sustained during the barely satisfactory victory over Cardiff last Friday, as reported by Ulster. After participating for only 19 minutes, Hume was helped off the field and will now consult with a knee specialist.
Also, possibilities are Jake Flannery (thigh), Nathan Doak (groin), and Tom O’Toole (ankle) may also be uncertain to play in the crucial game with the high-performing Italians on Friday. Furthermore, there are no confirmations whether Rob Herring, Iain Henderson, Nick Timoney or Stewart Moore, all of whom were benched for Cardiff, are even capable enough to participate this week. Marty Moore continues to be a long-term absentee.