(Don’t crucify me, Munster fans) The best teams in the country will do battle in Belfast tonight. Yet both Heineken Cup finalists come into this fixture having suffered the reality check of home defeat.
Whereas Leinster were comprehensively out-played by a better team over two weeks, Ulster will be the most disappointed of the two clubs as they failed to fire against a side they had torn apart just seven days earlier.
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The northern province remain unbeaten after 10 Pro12 fixtures and will be hoping to maintain that winning run as Leinster bid to avoid the unthinkable – losing three games on the trot.
Team news: Ulster boss Mark Anscombe has been forced into two massive changes as Dan Tuohy and Tommy Bowe join Stephen Ferris in the treatment room.
Bowe will miss the next four months through knee injury meaning more responsibility for the shoulders of Craig Gilroy, who Anscombe had been keeping a rein on since his star turn for Ireland.
The league leaders retain a strong starting line-up, the majority of who started both Heineken Cup fixtures. The only non-enforced changes are mere tweaks with Luke Marshall coming in for Paddy Wallace while Robbie Diack freshens up the back row, allowing Nick Williams to do his thing from number eight with Roger Wilson available from the bench.
Ulster: J Payne; A Trimble, D Cave, L Marshall, C Gilroy; P Jackson, R Pienaar:T Court, R Best, J Afoa, I Henderson, N McComb, R Diack, C Henry (capt), N Williams.
Replacements:R Herring, C Black, A Macklin, A O’Connor, R Wilson, P Marshall, P Wallace, A D’Arcy.
Leinster: N Reid; A Conway, B Macken, G D’Arcy, F McFadden; I Madigan, E Reddan: C Healy, S Cronin, M Bent; L Cullen (capt), D Toner; K McLaughlin, S O’Brien, J Heaslip.
Replacements: A Dundon, H van der Merwe, J Hagan, T Denton, R Ruddock, I Boss, A Goodman, A Byrne.
Connacht v Munster
When: Saturday 5.15
Where can I watch? TG4
The story so far: Depending on the result at Ravenhill, Munster could leapfrog third-placed Leinster with a win in Galway. However, Rob Penney’s men have won just two wins from seven away trips this season including both inter-provincial clashes.
At home, Connacht have been in excellent form, managing over 20 points in three of their last four outings at the Sportsground, only losing to Harlequins and (narrowly) Edinburgh in that sequence.
The westerners sit tenth in the league table and they will hope for a performance to match their early-season thrashing of Leinster to help them overtake Cardiff Blues, four points above them.
Team news: Eric Elwood has made only two changes from the team that lost out in the Biarritz mud-bath last Friday night. Michael Swift returned to training this week, but is only deemed fit enough for the bench. George Naoupu will take the place of Mick Kearney in the second row.
Captain Nathan White also comes into the side at tight head in place of Ronan Loughney. Danie Poolman has made an astounding recovery after being stretchered off in the European defeat and will again partner Dave McSharry as Eoin Griffin has to settle for a place on the bench.
Penney has torn up the side which lost narrowly at Vicarage Road with 10 changes. Among the players recalled are Ian Keatley, Peter Stringer and, from injury, Johne Murphy and Tommy O’Donnell.
Exciting 20-year-old fly-half JJ Hanrahan is named on the bench.
Connacht: R Henshaw; T O’Halloran, D Poolman, D McSharry, F Vainikolo; D Parks, K Marmion; B Wilkinson, J Harris-Wright, N White (capt); G Naoupu, M McCarthy; A Browne, J O’Connor, E McKeon.
Replacements: E Reynecke, D Buckley, R Loughney, M Swift, E Grace, P O’Donohoe, M Jarvis, E Griffin.
Munster: D Hurley; J Murphy, C Laulala, J Downey, L O’Dea; I Keatley, P Stringer; D Kilcoyne, M Sherry, S Archer; D O’Callaghan, B Holland; P Butler, T O’Donnell, J Coughlan (capt).
Replacements: S Henry, W du Preez, BJ Botha, D Foley, S Dougall, D Williams, JJ Hanrahan, D Barnes.
Pro12 Cheat Sheet: Your guide to this weekend's inter-pros
Ulster v Leinster
When: Tonight 7.05
Where can I watch? RTE 2 or BBC, up to you.
The story so far:
(Don’t crucify me, Munster fans) The best teams in the country will do battle in Belfast tonight. Yet both Heineken Cup finalists come into this fixture having suffered the reality check of home defeat.
Whereas Leinster were comprehensively out-played by a better team over two weeks, Ulster will be the most disappointed of the two clubs as they failed to fire against a side they had torn apart just seven days earlier.
The northern province remain unbeaten after 10 Pro12 fixtures and will be hoping to maintain that winning run as Leinster bid to avoid the unthinkable – losing three games on the trot.
Team news: Ulster boss Mark Anscombe has been forced into two massive changes as Dan Tuohy and Tommy Bowe join Stephen Ferris in the treatment room.
Bowe will miss the next four months through knee injury meaning more responsibility for the shoulders of Craig Gilroy, who Anscombe had been keeping a rein on since his star turn for Ireland.
The league leaders retain a strong starting line-up, the majority of who started both Heineken Cup fixtures. The only non-enforced changes are mere tweaks with Luke Marshall coming in for Paddy Wallace while Robbie Diack freshens up the back row, allowing Nick Williams to do his thing from number eight with Roger Wilson available from the bench.
Connacht v Munster
When: Saturday 5.15
Where can I watch? TG4
The story so far: Depending on the result at Ravenhill, Munster could leapfrog third-placed Leinster with a win in Galway. However, Rob Penney’s men have won just two wins from seven away trips this season including both inter-provincial clashes.
At home, Connacht have been in excellent form, managing over 20 points in three of their last four outings at the Sportsground, only losing to Harlequins and (narrowly) Edinburgh in that sequence.
The westerners sit tenth in the league table and they will hope for a performance to match their early-season thrashing of Leinster to help them overtake Cardiff Blues, four points above them.
Team news: Eric Elwood has made only two changes from the team that lost out in the Biarritz mud-bath last Friday night. Michael Swift returned to training this week, but is only deemed fit enough for the bench. George Naoupu will take the place of Mick Kearney in the second row.
Captain Nathan White also comes into the side at tight head in place of Ronan Loughney. Danie Poolman has made an astounding recovery after being stretchered off in the European defeat and will again partner Dave McSharry as Eoin Griffin has to settle for a place on the bench.
Penney has torn up the side which lost narrowly at Vicarage Road with 10 changes. Among the players recalled are Ian Keatley, Peter Stringer and, from injury, Johne Murphy and Tommy O’Donnell.
Exciting 20-year-old fly-half JJ Hanrahan is named on the bench.
I’ll be seeing you: Poite gets the whistle for crucial Munster and Leinster matches
O’Driscoll hopes to be fit for 6 Nations opener
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