Ulster v Munster Ravenhill, 5.15Prior to the Ulster-Ospreys match at the end of September, the Ravenhill public address announcer observed that the Celtic League table had a familiar look to it: Ulster near the top and Munster near the bottom. As events have since transpired, however, Ulster now find themselves second from last while Munster are nine points above them in fourth place.
That game against the Ospreys, in which Ulster imploded after having a 14-0 half-time lead, kick-started a run of four defeats in five games during which they have conceded 170 points. The one highlight, a badly needed win in their Heineken European Cup opener against Cardiff, remains their only win at Ravenhill this season, where they have lost all three Celtic League matches.
Meantime, Munster have won five games in succession in both competitions to climb the Celtic League table and top their pool in the European Cup.
Ravenhill has had a run of attractive fixtures so far this season but the return to a TV-enforced Saturday evening kick-off will not only test the loyalties of those with afternoon affiliations to their clubs, it will send an ominous tremor through their core support. Saturday teatime games at Ravenhill just don't cut it.
Yet form guides won't carry too much relevance this evening for, no less than Connacht in Donnybrook last night, it is still preferable for Ulster to be bumping into Munster while the international frontliners are absent.
Mark McCall has to do without David Humphreys and Kevin Maggs but, aside from calling up Jonathan Bell and Adam Larkin, makes only two further changes; recalling Paul Shields and Rowan Frost for Nigel Brady and Gary Longwell - changes he made four minutes into the second-half of their 55-13 defeat at Gloucester last week.
Clearly, any notions of rotating his squad have been overcome by the need to give his team every chance of recording a victory.
Alan Gaffney, by contrast, has made 11 changes to the team which beat the Ospreys. Most of them are enforced.
It is far from a weak side, however, with a quintet of internationals including the league's most potent finisher, Christian Cullen, and an eye-catching back row of Alan Quinlan, David Wallace and Denis Leamy.
Nonetheless, Ravenhill remains something of a bugbear for Munster, who've won there just once since 1979, and Ulster have won five of the last six meetings between the two.
Also playing: (tomorrow) Cardiff Blues v Llanelli Scarlets (3.00). Idle: Edinburgh.
ULSTER: B Cunningham; T Bowe, J Bell, P Steinmetz, T Howe; A Larkin, N Doak; S Best, P Shields, R Moore, R Frost, M McCullough, A Ward, C Feather, N Best. Replacements: R Best, R McCormack, G Longwell, G Brown, K Campbell; S Mallon, A Maxwell.
MUNSTER: C Cullen; S Payne; J Storey, J Holland, M Lawlor; P Burke, M Prendergast; F Roche, J Flannery, G McIlwham; D O'Callaghan, T Hogan; A Quinlan, D Wallace, D Leamy. Replacements: J Blaney, E McGovern, T Bowman, S Keogh, E Reddan, M Mullins, J Kelly.
Referee: Nigel Whitehouse (WRU).
Overall head-to-heads: Played 64, Ulster 37 wins, Munster 19 wins, 8 draws.
Last five years: '99/'00 - (Interpro) Ulster 24 Munster 25; Munster 36 Ulster 19. '00/'01 - Ulster 16 Munster 21; Munster 29 Ulster 21. '01/'02 - (CL semi-final) Munster 15 Ulster 9; (Interpro) Ulster 23 Munster 18. '02-'03 - (CL) Ulster 26 Munster 17; (CL Semi-final) Munster 42 Ulster 10. '03-04' - (CL) Munster 15 Ulster 16; Ulster 36 Munster 13.
Five-game formguide: Ulster - 24-37 v Ospreys (h); 21-28 v Dragons (h); 20-34 v Glasgow (a); 21-16 v Cardiff (h), 13-55 v Gloucester (a). Munster - 19-13 v Llanelli (h); 28-26 v Glasgow (a); 49-18 v Cardiff (h); 15-9 v Harlequins (h); 20-18 v Ospreys (a).
Leading points scorers: Ulster - David Humphreys 73, Paddy Wallace 14. Munster - Ronan O'Gara 51, Christian Cullen 43, Paul Burke 31.
Leading try scorers: Ulster - Bryn Cunningham, Tommy Bowe, Andrew Maxwell 2 each. Munster - Christian Cullen 8, Anthony Horgan, Denis Leamy 3 each.
Forecast: Ulster to win.
