O'Leary, Mafi return for Munster

Rugby – Team News:Munster have been able to call on the services of Tomás O'Leary and Lifeimi Mafi - who for differing reasons were sidelined since the Magners League defeat to Leinster at the start of October - ahead of tomorrow night's game against the Dragons.

O’Leary has been out of action since picking up a thumb injury during the 13-9 defeat to their provincial rivals at the Aviva Stadium, while Mafi was serving a suspension for his dangerous tackle on Gordon D’Arcy in the same game.

O’Leary makes the starting line-up while Mafi takes his place on the bench alongside the likes of Barry Murphy, who scored a crucial try as Munster narrowly edged the Scarlet 27-26 last time out.

Paul Warwick will pull the strings from outhalf, Johne Murphy at fullback, while captain Doug Howlett and Denis Hurley start wide on the wings.

Up front John Hayes was released from the Ireland camp and starts in the frontrow alongside Dave Ryan and Mike Sherry, with Ian Nagle and Billy Holland in the engine room. Tommy O'Donnell starts at blindside with Niall Ronan and James Coughlan completing the backrow.

As the province take on the Dragons many will also keep tabs on Young Munster when they take on local rivals Shannon where Paul O'Connell is set to play his first competitive match since the Six Nations.

Welsh players Aled Brew and Toby Faletau have been released to the Dragons and will both start against league leaders Munster (kick-off is 7:05pm).

In Ulster,Darren Cave returns to the starting line-up and will form a centre partnership with Paddy Wallace in tomorrow night's encounter away to Treviso.

Cave has recovered from the hamstring injury he picked up during the Heineken Cup clash with Aironi last month, while Wallace was a late release from the Ireland squad, who will take on Argentina in the final international of the four-match autumn series.

It means last week’s centre partnership of Nevin Spence and Ian Whitten move to the bench, while Craig Gilroy, the two-try hero in the win over Cardiff, retains his place on the wing.

Up front, Bryan Young replaces Paddy McAllister in the frontrow while injury to Johann Muller (neck) means Tim Barker is called into the secondrow room alongside Dan Tuohy. Injury to Robbie Diack (ankle) means captain Chris Henry will move from openside to cover the number eight position, while Willie Faloon is drafted in on the flank.

In the longer term, Ulster will be without their captain Rory Best for up to six weeks after the hooker fractured a cheekbone on Ireland duty against the All Blacks last weekend.

In the Treviso camp all eyes will be on new signing Willem De Waal. The South African played with Western Province in the Currie Cup final and will play at outhalf with Kris Burton moved to fullback.

Andrea Pratichetti and Enrico Ceccato will make their debut appearances, while lock Valerio Bernabò is named at openside flanker.

Italian international winger Michele Sepe could make his debut in the green and white jersey, starting from the bench. Kick-off at Stadio Mongio is 6.05 Irish time.

Ulster moved to third in the table after their win in Wales while Treviso are eighth after losing to Edinburgh last time out but defeated Connacht when they last hosted an Irish province at the end of October.

Connachtcoach Eric Elwood has once again blended youth and experience ahead of their game away to Edinburgh at Murrayfield tomorrow night.

Hooker Dermot Murphy wins his ninth cap after impressing in last week’s narrow defeat to the Ospreys. He lines up alongside centurion Brett Wilkinson and former Ireland under-20 Jamie Hagan in the frontrow.

Miah Nikora retains the number 10 jersey after an assured kicking display last week when the 25-year-old New Zealander landed all of Connacht 15 points.

Galway’s Andrew Browne returns at blindside of the scrum as locks Michael McCarthy and Michael Swift renew their partnership. Brian Tuohy and Shane Monahan win their first league starts of the season after both had strong performances in Connacht’s recent win over Samoa. They join Eoin Griffin, Keith Matthews and Gavin Duffy in the backline.

Teams

Munster team (v Dragons):J Murphy; D Howlett capt, B Murphy, S Tuitupou, D Hurley; P Warwick, T O'Leary; D Ryan, M Sherry, J Hayes; B Holland, I Nagle; T O'Donnell, N Ronan, J Coughlan. Replacements: S Henry, W du Preez, P Borlase, B Hayes, P O'Mahony, C Murray, S Deasy, L Mafi.

Dragons team (v Munster):P Leach, A Hughes, T Riley, A Smith, A Brew, J Tovey, W Evans, P Price, T Willis, N Hall, L Charteris, R Sidoli, L Evans, G Thomas, T Faletau. Replacements: L Burns, B Castle, H Gustafson, A Jones, H Ellis, T Cheeseman, J Evans, M Jones.

Ulster team (v Treviso):A D'Arcy; C Gilroy, D Cave, P Wallace, S Danielli; I Humphreys, P Marshall, B Young, N Brady, BJ Botha, T Barker, D Tuohy, P Wannenburg, W Faloon, C Henry (captain). Replacements: A Kyriacou, P McAllister, J Cronin, N McComb, A Birch, I Porter, I Whitten, N Spence

Treviso team (v Ulster):K Burton, L Nitoglia, A Pratichetti, G Garcia, J Maddock, W De Waal, T Botes, M Filippucci, V Bernabò, F Minto, C Van Zyl, A Pavanello (captain), P Di Santo, E Ceccato, I Fernandez Rouyet. Replacements: F Sbaraglini, M Muccignat, A Allori, E Pavanello, G Padrò, B De Jager, F Semenzato, M Sepe

Connacht team (Edinburgh):B Wilkinson, D Murphy, J Hagan, M Swift, M McCarthy, A Browne, J O'Connor, J Muldoon, F Murphy, M Nikora, B Tuohy, K Matthews, E Griffin, S Monahan, G Duffy. Replacements: R Loughney, D Rogers, R Sweeney, B Upton, M McComish, C Willis, I Keatley, T Nathan