John Cooney Sidelined for Ulster’s Champions Cup Opener Against Toulouse

Ulster’s scrum-half, John Cooney, has been ruled out of the team’s initial Investec Champions Cup match against the reigning champions Toulouse, scheduled for Sunday at 15:15 GMT. The 34-year-old sustained a hamstring injury during the previous week’s defeat to Leinster in Belfast, an ailment that head coach Richie Murphy has stated “is not as bad as first feared”. Additionally, winger Ben Moxham, aged 23, is expected to be unavailable for an extended period. He also incurred an injury during the match against Leinster and is scheduled to consult a knee surgeon within the current week. Conversely, Murphy verified that Werner Kok has been cleared to play in the Toulouse match. Furthermore, an injury update issued by Ulster earlier on Tuesday indicated optimism that Zac Ward would resume training sufficiently to be available for the game, having recovered from concussion. The club is currently experiencing a shortage of available wingers. Jacob Stockdale sustained a “significant” hamstring injury while on Ireland duty last month, Robert Baloucoune has not yet featured this season, and Aaron Sexton has left the team to pursue a career in the NFL. Regarding Stockdale’s condition, Murphy stated: “He will miss a good number of weeks. It’s not clarified how long that will be but weren’t expecting to see him anytime soon.” Ulster also confirmed that players who participated in Ireland duty during the November Tests are now eligible for selection. Following the fixture against Toulouse, Richie Murphy’s squad is scheduled to proceed with their European campaign, facing Bordeaux, Leicester, and Exeter in subsequent matches. In the previous season’s Champions Cup, Ulster was defeated by Toulouse with a score of 48-24 when the teams last encountered each other in Belfast.