Trimble returns to Ulster squad to face Scarlets

ULSTER COACH Matt Williams has welcomed back Ireland winger and centre Andrew Trimble to his 25-man squad to face Llanelli Scarlets on Friday night in their third pool match. The Belfast match will be make or break in their Heineken Cup campaign, writes JOHNNY WATTERSON

Trimble did not play last week in Ulster's comprehensive win over Connacht, which saw the team rise to fifth in the table and well away from the relegation zone.

Trimble has been recovering from a hip injury.

Williams, however, will be without the pace of Fijian Timoci Nagusa, who has been ruled out of the clash with a hamstring injury and has included Ballymena's Ian Whitten into the extended squad.

In the pack, Thomas Anderson returns and hopes to be named in the final line-up, which will be named on tomorrow morning.

The Scarlets were narrowly defeated by Munster last weekend and have not yet won a match in their Heineken Cup run.

But the Welsh side did beat the Ravenhill outfit in the Magners League at the start of the season. Ulster now believe and look as though they are a much better team than when the season began.

"It did hurt to lose against the Scarlets at Ravenhill at the start of the season and we know we have improved a lot since we played them in September," said Ulster captain Rory Best.

"When we look back at that game, we know we didn't start well and against good teams if you give them a lead you will always be chasing your tail.

"This Friday is a big game for us. We know if we don't win we are definitely out of the tournament. The way we are looking at it is that there a 20 points up for grabs, 20 points in the past has been enough for teams to qualify without relying on other teams, so we are trying to get the full points.

"People can say what they like about it," added the defiant captain.

"But that is the goal we are setting ourselves. This is our quarter-finals and we are going to go out and treat it as such."

ULSTER SQUAD - Forwards: J Fitzpatrick, R Best, N Brady, T Court, BJ Botha, E O'Donoghue, R Caldwell, M McCullough, K Dawson, R Diak, S Ferris, D Pollack, T Anderson. Backs: N O'Connor, B Cunningham, D Cave, A Trimble, I Whitten, C Willis, I Boss, P Steinmetz, I Humphreys, M McCrea, P Wallace, S Danielli.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times