Expect another bruising encounter Dan! BY: ULSTER RUGBY PICTURE
Brian McLaughlin has been forced to make two changes from last week’s starting XV as his side travel to the RDS on Saturday to play Leinster in the Magners League.
Second row Johann Muller and wing Simon Danielli sustained injuries in the Heineken Cup quarter final against Northampton so Tim Barker and Craig Gilroy are promoted from the bench as direct replacements. Muller received a dead leg and Danielli picked up a shoulder injury so McLaughlin chose not to risk them.
Neil McComb and Conor Gaston replace Barker and Gilroy on the bench and are joined there by Darren Cave who returns at the expense of Ian Whitten.
Ulster have won their previous six Magners League outings but have not beaten their Irish rivals in Dublin since 1999. Leinster defeated Leicester to progress to the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup last weekend but are not expected to rest many players for this crucial game.
The Ulstermen currently occupy second position, three points ahead of their fourth-placed Leinster. Defeat for either side would be a major setback as both teams are chasing a top four play-off spot.
Ulster: (15-9) Adam D’Arcy, Andrew Trimble, Nevin Spence, Paddy Wallace, Craig Gilroy, Ian Humphreys, Ruan Pienaar. (1-8) Tom Court, Rory Best (capt), BJ Botha, Tim Barker, Dan Tuohy, Robbie Diack, Chris Henry, Pedrie Wannenburg. (16-23). Andi Kyriacou, Paddy McAllister, Bryan Young, Neil McComb, Willie Faloon, Paul Marshall, Darren Cave, Conor Gaston.
There you go, I stand corrected, though it’s not the strongest Leinster side possible so Ulster obviously think they have a sniff of a chance.
Leinster: (15-9) Isa Nacewa, Shane Horgan, Eoin O’Malley, Fergus McFadden, Luke Fitzgerald, Jonathan Sexton, Isaac Boss. (1-8) Heinke van der Merwe, Richardt Strauss, Stan Wright, Leo Cullen (capt), Devin Toner, Kevin McLaughlin, Shane Jennings, Jamie Heaslip. (16-23) Jason Harris-Wright, Cian Healy, Mike Ross, Nathan Hines, Sean O’Brien/Dominic Ryan, Eoin Reddan, Ian Madigan, David Kearney
Looking at the teams I’d like to think that we’d have them in a few areas, especially the backs, but I’d have liked to have seen Faloon start in the back row and Diack and Wannenburg switched round – obviously the Women’s Institute of Northern Ireland haven’t mobilised behind this suggestion yet!
Pienaar and Humphreys against Boss and Sexton should be an interesting encounter but if Ulster are going to get anything out of this game they are going to need to find their form early as I don’t see things improving once Leinster start to empty their bench up front though with Cave and Gaston to come on in the back line I don’t think we have any worries there.
Muller is obviously a big loss, but if it’s an open game I can see Ulster taking it. I think it will be and I think Ulster will win, but only just. Sexton to have an off day with the boot!
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