RUGBY DIGEST: Ulster coach Alan Solomons has made five changes to the Ulster side that played English side Orrell last week for Friday night's friendly against London Irish at Ravenhill, reports Johnny Watterson.
Andy Maxwell, who scored on his debut, stays on the wing with Tyrone Howe coming in for Seamus Mallon at 14.
Matt Sexton starts at hooker for Paul Shields, on the bench for Ireland at Thomond Park, while New Zealand's Matt Mustchin comes into the second row for Matt McCullough in his first Ulster start.
Debutant Rowan Frost replaces Gary Longwell, who partners Leo Cullen against Italy.
In the back row Neil Best begins the match at open-side flanker with Roger Wilson at number eight and captain Andy Ward on the blind side.
Howe will play the full 80 minutes at the request of O'Sullivan as will tighthead prop Simon Best, while Neil Doak, who underwent a shoulder operation in the summer, will probably play in the second half.
Adam Larkin, who is the only cover at outhalf for Paddy Wallace as David Humphreys is tied up with Ireland, is recovering from a viral infection but hopes to be be on the bench. A dislocated finger has ruled out Tony McWhirter.
ENGLAND: England coach Clive Woodward has named another experimental team for Saturday's game against France in Marseilles, the second of their three World Cup warm-ups.
A virtual England second-string side thrashed Wales 43-9 in Cardiff last Saturday and though there are 10 changes from that team, the line-up for the first of back-to-back matches against France is again a long way from Woodward's first choice.
Dorian West, who will captain his country for the first time, is one of seven Leicester players in the team. Centre Ollie Smith, who turned 21 earlier this month, will make his full debut alongside Mike Tindall.
Bath full back Iain Balshaw, whose last international appearance came against Ireland in 2002, is recalled, while recent first-choice full back Josh Lewsey moves to the wing.
There is also a return for Austin Healey, who will play inside Paul Grayson at scrumhalf after a lengthy injury absence.
England play France again at Twickenham on September 6th.
WALES: An untested Wales side head into today's World Cup warm-up match with Romania seeking a morale-boosting win.
Coach Steve Hansen named eight uncapped players in the side for the match at Wrexham as he continued to examine the depth of his squad ahead of rugby's showpiece tournament.
Wales, already smarting after a 35-12 loss to Ireland and 43-9 drubbing at the hands of an England side without their first-choice players on Saturday in Cardiff, have not won an international match since beating Canada 32-21 last November.
The Welsh, drawn in Pool D with New Zealand, Canada, Italy and Tonga in Australia , have lost 10 internationals in a row.
Hansen, however, has refused to apologise for his decision to give uncapped players a chance in the warm-up matches. n SCOTLAND: Prop Tom Smith (thumb), wing Kenny Logan (neck) and reserve hooker Rob Russell (rib) have been ruled out of Scotland's World Cup warm-up match against Wales on Saturday. Logan and Smith could miss the match against Ireland on Saturday week.
All three picked up knocks in Scotland's commanding 47-15 win over Italy at Murrayfield at the weekend, but the team. Coach Ian McGeechan will announce his team today.
ARGENTINA: Scrumhalf Agustin Pichot has recovered from an ankle injury and will make his first appearance for Argentina in nine months in their Pan-American Cup match against Uruguay today.
Pichot will link up with his 1999 World Cup half-back partner Gonzalo Quesada in a team that has 13 changes from the side that crushed the US 42-8 in their opening match of the tournament on Saturday.
The US meet Canada, 21-11 winners against Uruguay on Saturday, in today's other match.
ULSTER: B Cunningham; T Howe, R Constable, S Stewart, A Maxwell; P Wallace, K Campbell; R McCormack, M Sexton, S Best, M Mustchin, R Frost, A Ward (capt), N Best, R Wilson. Replacements: N Brady, B Young, M McCullough, T Barker, N Doak, S Mallon, S Young, A Larkin.
WALES: G Henson; N Brew, M Watkins, A Marinos, S Williams; N Robinson, M Phillips; P James M Davies, B Evans, I Gough, B Cockbain, J Thomas, G Thomas, A Popham
ENGLAND: I Balshaw; J Lewsey, O Smith, M Tindall, B Cohen; P Grayson, A Healey; J Worsley, L Moody, M Corry, D Grewcock, S Borthwick, J White, D West (capt), G Rowntree.
ARGENTINA: I Corleto; O Bartolucci, J Orengo, M Contepomi, JN Piossek; G Quesada, A Pichot; M Reggiardo, F Mendez, M Scelzo, P Albacete, R Alvarez, R Martin, M Durand, P Bouza,
ROMANIA: D Dumbrava; C Sauan, V Maftei, R Gontineac (capt), G Brezoianu; I Tofan, L Sirbu; P Balan, M Tincu, M Socaciu, S Socol, P Cristian, G Chiriac, C Mersoiu, O Tonita.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Friday: Ulster v London Irish, Ravenhill, 7.30; Connacht v Munster, Sportsground, 4.0.
Saturday: Ireland v Italy, Thomond Park, 3.0.
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