Ulster will be without their most influential player, Andy Ward, for their daunting away European Cup assignment against inaugural winners Toulouse on Saturday. The Irish open-side flanker sustained a groin injury in the draw with Edinburgh Reivers last week.
Also ruled out is their international hooker Allen Clarke although each player expects to be fit for the the following Saturday's interprovincial away to Munster and the subsequent European tie against Ebbw Vale.
Even if there was only a slight doubt about either - and both players were on the sidelines at yesterday's Irish training session in Greystones - in many ways it makes sense to leave both out of the Toulouse game. With the best will in the world, this is hardly a winnable one, whereas the ensuing games are, and that in turn makes them important to Ulster.
Ward's loss is partially offset by the return from a chest infection of Dean Macartney. In the latter's absence, Ulster had no choice but to bring on Stuart Duncan against Edinburgh, with Stephen McKinty switching to the open side. McKinty's instincts are primarily those of a number six, with the net result that Ulster's fringe defence had no natural defender to lead the line.
However, Macartney has played open side and as Harry Williams also pointed out yesterday, "he's an experienced guy and Toulouse shouldn't hold any fears for him as he played some of his rugby in France for a few years."
The only other change is an unenforced one, with Williams preferring Andy Matchett to Stephen Bell, and the Ulster coach stated that it was a preference in selection rather than a continuation of Ulster's revolving policy between the two scrum-halves.
Leinster expect to announce their side today for Friday's eagerly awaited visit of Stade Francais to Donnybrook. They are also nearing full-strength, with Reggie Corrigan, Pat Ward, Angus McKeen and Girvan Dempsey all back in contention and the latter two, at any rate, liable to be reinstated.
Jim Glennon stated yesterday that "there is a quiet air of confidence among the players and a belief that we can turn over the French champions." The province's A team coaches, Willie Dawson and Brent Pope, watched Stade Francais win at Begles/Bordeaux last weekend and their report prompted Glennon to say: "We expect they'll play a similar type game to Toulouse and the players know we should have beaten Toulouse here last year."
Connacht, too, have been boosted by the return to training of Barry Gavin, Billy Mulcahy, Shane McEntee and Eric Elwood, though the latter still reckons a return on Saturday week at home to Leinster is a more feasible target than their European Shield opener away to Newport this Saturday.
Munster have received less encouraging news about scrumhalf Tom Tierney, who damaged ankle ligaments last Saturday against Padova, although the torn groin which ruled Killian Keane out of that game may only sideline him for another week.
Ulster: S Mason; S Coulter, J Bell, C van Rensburg, J Cunningham; D Humphreys, A Matchett; J Fitzpatrick, R Weir, G Leslie, M Rea, G Longwell, S McKinty, T McWhirter, D Macartney. Replacements: S McDowell, B Cunningham, S Bell, R Irwin, S Ritchie, M Blair, S Duncan.
