Ulster Squad for Leinster.

Who's the Boss? We'll find out Monday afternoon! Picture fromrugbypicture.co.uk

The Ulster squad, from which the starting XV and replacements to play Leinster at Ravenhill on Monday 27th December (ko 4pm) will be selected, has been named.

With the Irish international players unavailable for selection under the Player Management Programme, Brian McLaughlin’s side for the Magners’ League interprovincial derby will have a different look to those which recorded back-to-back Heineken Cup wins over Bath in recent weeks.

The Ulster starting XV and replacements will be named on Friday at noon.

Meanwhile, with an almost sell-out crowd, grounds-staff at Ravenhill are working hard to ensure a playable surface and safe ground for spectators on 27th December. The pitch is in good condition and well insulated under the lying snow and we are bringing in machinery to help scrape the snow and frost from the terraces and walkways.

FORWARDS: Declan Fitzpatrick, Paddy McAllister, Bryan Young, BJ Botha, Jerry Cronin, Nigel Brady, Andi Kyriacou, Tim Barker, Neil McComb, Johann Muller, Dan Tuohy, Ryan Caldwell, TJ Anderson, Robbie Diack, Chris Henry, Willie Faloon, Pedrie Wannenburg

BACKS: David McIlwaine, Adam D’Arcy, Jamie Smith, Simon Danielli, Tommy Seymour, Craig Gilroy, Luke Marshall, Nevin Spence, Ian Whitten, Ian Humphreys, Niall O’Connor, Paul Marshall, Ruan Pienaar

Interesting that none of the Irish Internationals will be appearing – for Ulster at least. Maybe this should have been announced before the game sold out of did I just miss that? Of course the interesting sidebar of Pienaar v Boss could be worth the entrance fee alone!

The absence of the front line Irish contingent should help Ulster’s chances as we now have good strength in depth all over the pitch with quite a few of our youngster, like Spence and Gilroy, being the stand out performers over the last month.

Ulster are in the happy position where thay must now seriously consider that they may be involved in the business end of two competitions after the end of January and I think this game will be used as an opportunity to give some of those not involved over the last fortnight a bit of a runout to keep them match ready. I’m therefore predicting quite a few changes, but tempered with the fact that momentum is everyting and we’ll certainly want to keep a winning run going.

FRU XXIII: (1-8) McAllister, Kyriacou, Young, Barker, Muller, Henry, Faloon, Diack. (9-15) Pienaar, Humphreys, Danielli, Whitten, Spence, Gilroy, Smith. (16-23) Brady, Fitzpatrick, Cronin, Tuohy, Wannenburg, P Marshall, N O’Connor, D’Arcy.

Interesting!

More like this:

• Magners League: Squad for Ospreys.
• Ulster squad for Treviso.
• Ulster Squad for Kerdiff!
• Squad for Edinburgh