Wallace's absence to curb Ulster

RUGBY MAGNERS LEAGUE: Ulster v Leinster:LATE YESTERDAY afternoon, about 100 Ulster fans gathered outside Ravenhill to buy the last tickets for this evening's summit meeting. The visit of the European champions is the perfect antidote to Ulster's Euro defeat last week in Edinburgh and this evening will be a mouth-watering sell-out.

Aside from being a full-on Irish derby with the leadership of the league at stake, the game can also represent something of a quasi final trial for the autumn Tests, along with next week’s Munster-Ulster game in Limerick. Regarding the composition of the Irish team to play Australia in three weeks’ time at Croke Park, the most relevant match-up ought to have been Paddy Wallace against Gordon D’Arcy at inside centre.

However, Wallace has been withdrawn at the behest of the IRFU as part of their so-called World Cup Programme, in readiness for a tournament that is almost two years away. Careful husbandry of Ireland’s relatively small pool of internationals has been integral to the recent highs, and all the more so when set against Martin Johnson’s list of injured players. This is despite the English clubs also having to obey limits on the numbers of matches their players can play in this first phase of the season.

Ireland’s 2011 World Cup Programme decrees that their Lions may start a maximum of five games (plus one more off the bench) in this first phase of nine provincial matches while the non-Lions internationals are limited to six starts plus one replacement appearance in this window, with the stipulation that all must play in Magners League next week.

It seems faintly ridiculous Wallace has been denied the chance to face D’Arcy – and vice-versa – unless Wallace has been prematurely pencilled in against Australia, which would seem unfair on D’Arcy.

After appearing as a replacement in two of Ulster’s first three games, Wallace has only started four games since April 15th, that’s four games in six-and-a-half months!

Had Stephen Ferris not been injured, he would have been obliged to sit on the bench this week, as he’s started four games, but likewise he too needs matches.

Ian Whitten is recalled at the expense of Wallace, while Brian McLaughlin has made four changes up front; Nigel Brady, Dan Touhy and Chris Henry start ahead of Andy Kyriacou at hooker, Ed O’Donoghue at lock and Robbie Diack in the backrow, where Tamaiti Houra replaces the injured Ferris.

As for Leinster, Girvan Dempsey and D’Arcy come in for Shane Horgan (ever-present so far) and Luke Fitzgerald, Shaun Berne and Chris Keane replace Eoin Reddan and Jonathan Sexton at half-back, while up front Ronnie McCormack, Devin Toner and Kevin McLaughlin replace Cian Healy (their other ever-present to date), Leo Cullen and Malcolm O’Kelly, with Nathan Hines reverting to the secondrow. Brian O’Driscoll captains the side in Cullen’s absence while unlike Reddan, the programme’s stipulations allow Sexton and Fitzgerald to be named amongst the replacements.

“The squad have trained hard this week, to ensure that we’re at our optimum level,” said McLaughlin. “If we’re at our optimum level then I think we’ll be okay. The players were deeply disappointed by the performance last week.

“We know we have an opportunity to redeem ourselves this weekend and the fixture couldn’t be better. The next two league games are massive; Leinster at Ravenhill then Munster at Thomond Park. This is our chance to show how far we’ve come.”

Amid all the reshuffling and bad weather forecast, this is a hard one to call. It’s a big ask of the Keane-Berne half-back combination, given Sexton’s strike rate of 87.8 per cent this season has, along with Leinster’s defence, been one of their foundations, though they at least have Sexton to spring from bench. And Healy’s effervescence may be missed.

Ulster are possibly harder hit given Wallace has been the glue that’s made the 10-12-13 axis gel, while Ferris can be an inspirational figure. Leinster look to have the better back three for the aerial stuff. They are unbeaten in five years against Ulster, going back 10 games to May 2004.

ULSTER: C Schifcofske; T Nagusa, D Cave, I Whitten, A Trimble; I Humphreys, I Boss; T Court, N Brady, B Botha, D Tuohy, R Caldwell, T Horua, W Faloon, C Henry. Replacements: A Kyriacou, B Young, E O'Donoghue, R Diack, P Marshall, N O'Connor, S Danielli.

LEINSTER: R Kearney; G Dempsey, B O'Driscoll (capt), G D'Arcy, I Nacewa; S Berne, C Keane; R McCormack, B Jackman, M Ross, D Toner, N Hines, K McLaughlin, S O'Brien, J Heaslip. Replacements: J Fogarty, CJ van der Linde, M O'Kelly, Stephen Keogh, Simon Keogh, J Sexton, L Fitzgerald.

Referee: Andrew Small (RFU).

Form guide

Recent meetings: (06-07) Ulster 6 Leinster 6; Leinster 20 Ulster 12; (07-08) Ulster 16 Leinster 16; Leinster 29 Ulster 0; (08-09) Ulster 13 Leinster 21; Leinster 32 Ulster 6.

Overall league head to head: Played 13, Ulster 1 win, 2 draws; Leinster 10 wins.

Formguide (league): Ulster – L W L W W. Leinster – L W W W W.

Leading points scorers: Ulster: I Humphreys 49. Leinster: J Sexton 56.

Leading try scorers: Ulster: S Danielli, T Nagusa, A Trimble (2 each). Leinster: G Dempsey, I Nacewa, G D'Arcy, B O'Driscoll, S Horgan (1 each).

Betting (Paddy Powers): 11/10 Ulster, 20/1 Draw, 8/11 Leinster. Handicap odds (Ulster + 2pts) 10/11 Ulster, 20/1 Draw, 10/11 Leinster.

Forecast: Leinster to win.