Munster, Ulster and Connacht keep changes to a minimum for their European home ties tomorrow against Cardiff, Swansea and Nice respectively. However, Leinster have been forced to make one alteration to their original selection, with Angus McKeen prevented from reclaiming his tight-head place due to the rib cartilage injury sustained against Toulouse three weeks ago.
Rather than revert to the frontrow which was given such a torrid time by the Milan scrum, Leinster coach Mike Ruddock has decided to keep Reggie Corrigan at loosehead with Emmet Byrne coming in on the tight side. Byrne thus becomes Leinster's sixth prop and 27th player in seven competitive games this season.
Only Munster have had more selectorial upheaval, and the introduction of Cork Constitution winger John Kelly makes him their 29th player in six competitive outings this season so far. Kelly replaces Andrew Thompson, a late replacement for original selection Anthony Horgan who is still unavailable. This is the only change arising from the 17-15 win over Bourgoin last week for tomorrow's pivotal Pool D tie against Cardiff at Musgrave Park.
"We're conscious of the fact that things have been a little unstable and so we want to try and establish a more settled side," admitted their joint coach Niall O'Donovan.
For Ulster coach Davey Haslett it's more a case of needs must. Rarely have their resources of true representative players been so slim, a barometer of which being the absence of any internationals for the first time in aeons at the outset of this season's interprovincials before Maurice Field and James Topping recovered from injury.
The only highlight of a dismal campaign was the win at home to Munster which preserved Ulster's presence in the European Cup for another season, culminating last weekend in a 56-3 defeat to Wasps at Loftus Road. Yet, in the light of that record defeat, Ulster have largely made a statement of faith in the XV which started that game for the return fixture with Swansea at Ravenhill.
The one change is Michael Jackson replacing the injured Stanley McDowell (ankle) in midfield to become their 24th player of the competitive campaign. Richard Mackey and Sheldon Coulter are still sidelined.
Connacht coach Warren Gatland names an unchanged side for their European Conference game against Nice at the Sportsground, though this is hardly earth-shattering in light of his side's win away to Begles-Bordeaux last Saturday.
The former All Blacks' hooker places great store by loyalty, both from season to season and game to game. "The turnover in Connacht players has always been huge and I've also tried to keep from making as many changes as possible during the year."
Gatland has been as good as his word too, using only 19 players in his six starting line-ups to date; admittedly helped by a relatively injury free run so far. Thus Connacht are the most successful Irish representative in Europe this season and, by some distance, the most settled Irish provincial side as well. Could the two be, in any way, related?
Munster: D Crotty (Garryowen); J Lacey (Shannon), C Burke (Sunday's Well), R Ellison (Shannon), J Kelly (Cork Constitution); K Keane (Garryowen), B O'Meara (Cork Constitution); I Murray (Cork Constitution), M McDermott (Shannon), P Clohessy (Young Munster), M Galwey (Shannon, capt), S Leahy (Garryowen), E Halvey (Shannon), A Foley (Shannon), A Quinlan (Shannon). Replace- ments: S McCahill (Sunday's Well), S McIvor (Garryowen), G Walsh (Garryowen), A McSweeney (Cork Constitution), U O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution), F Sheahan (Cork Constitution), D Wallace (Garryowen).
Ulster: R Morrow (Dungannon); J Top- ping (Ballymena), M Jackson (Collegians), M Field (Malone), J Cunningham (Ballymena); S Laing (Portaodwn), A Matchett (Portadown); G Leslie (Dungannon), S Ritchie (Ballymena), R Irwin (Ballymena), T McWhirter (Ballymena), G Longwell (Ballymena), S McKinty (Bangor, capt), K Gallick (City of Derry), A Ward (Ballynahinch). Replacements: A Park (Ballymena), B Cunningham (Bective Rangers), S Bell (Dungannon), R Wilson (Instonians), C Keown (Portadown), C O'Kane (Portadown), M Rea (Malone), A Adare (Instonians).
Connacht: W Ruane (Ballina); N Barry (Clontarf), P Duignan (Galwegians), M Murphy (Galwegians), N Carolan (Galwegians); E Elwood (Galwegians), C McGuinness (St Mary's); J Maher (Bective Rangers), B Mulcahy (Skerries), M Finlay (Galwegians), M McConnell (Buccaneers), G Heaslip (Cork Constitution, capt), J Charlie (Galwegians), B Gavin (Galwegians), S McEntee (Wanderers). Replacements: R Southam (Suttonians), D Reddan (Galwegians), A Reddan (Lansdowne), M Reilly (St Mary's), M Cahill (Bohemians), B Jackman (Clontarf), R Ward (Old Belvedere).
Due to an extreme injury list, Skerries are unable to field a team for their Leinster Senior League tie with Terenure this weekend; their problems having been compounded by a quartet of additional injuries sustained in Tuesday night's Floodlit Cup defeat to Old Belvedere. The Leinster Branch, accordingly, have cancelled the game and given the four points for a win to Terenure.
Brive scrum-half Philippe Carbonneau will miss today's European Cup return match against Pontypridd at Sardis Poad. Club president Jean-Jacques Madrias said yesterday that Carbonneau's withdrawal from the match was "a gesture that will be understood by the Welsh."
Brive said Caronneau would not play because they had been unable to find a face mask that would protect his nose - broken in the fierce clash between the teams 11 days ago. Pontypridd blamed Carbonneau for sparking several incidents in the match.
European cup rivals Llanelli and Pau are to be punished for the violence that marred their Pool E clash in France earlier this month. Tournament director Roger Pickering last night announced that he will recommend disciplinary sanctions against both clubs at an emergency European Rugby Cup Limited board meeting.
"Following a fact-finding meeting in Dublin today with representatives from the Pau and Llanelli clubs, I have decided to recommend to the ERC board that sanctions be taken against both teams." Pickering said.
