European Previews

Wasps v Ulster. Languishing at the foot of Pool B Ulster will have to perform something special to ward off defeat and almost certain elimination from the qualifying stages of the European Cup when they face Wasps at Loftus Road tomorrow. The English side are looking forward to their first home game of the season and with full points from their two previous European games against Swansea and Glasgow, their expectations are soaring.

Ulster are without their young centre Sheldon Coulter who is injured, forcing a reshuffle of the backline and a break up of the solid defensive partnership of Maurice Field and James Topping. Stanley McDowell comes in for Coulter with Topping moving out to the wing while Ballymena's Andy Matchett comes in at scrum-half with Stephen Bell going onto the replacements.

In the pack, loose head prop Richard Mackey gives way to injury and Gary Leslie moves into that position from tight head while Rab Irwin comes in at the other side of hooker Stephen Richie.

With no points yet on the board and a points difference of minus 28, Ulster will be anxious to hit the half way stage of their pool games with something more to show. But Wasps, who make three changes to the side that beat Glasgow 46-22 last week, look impressive despite "resting" their second rows Simon Shaw and Mark Weedon. Martyn Wood also comes in for England scrum half Andy Gomarsall, who moves to the replacements.

Wasps: G Rees; S Roiser, N Greenstock, R Henderson, K Logan; A King, M Wood; D Molloy, S Mitchell, W Green, D Cronin, A Reed, L Dallaglio (capt), M White, C Sheasby.

Ulster: R Morrow; J Topping, S McDowell, M Field, J Cunningham; S Laing, A Matchett; G Leslie, S Richie, R Irwin, T McWhirter, G Longwell, S McKinty (capt), A Ward, K Gallick.

Rest Of European Groups

With two of the six rounds of pool matches played only six clubs have full points; Toulouse, Wasps, Brive, Bath, Harlequins and Pau each carry two wins into the midway mark of the qualifying rounds.

Of those sides the Leicester game against Toulouse in Leinster's Pool A is expected to draw significant attention, not least of all because last year's beaten finalists have lost their way and have lost one game in Dublin.

Pool B should see Wasps reinforcing their position at the top when they meet Ulster leaving Swansea and Glasgow to scrap it out for the second position. A win is critical for both of the trailing clubs to keep a foothold in the slipstream of Wasps.

The aristocrats of Pool C, Bath and Brive face each other in a mouth watering encounter tinged with the controversy that beset the Brive-Pontypridd game of last week. Both want to win to ensure direct qualification and avoid the play-offs in early November. A match in the Arms Park for Harlequins is not without atmosphere. Cardiff will look to recreate the cauldron of last year's quarter final for the unbeaten English side when they meet in Pool D. Thierry Lacroix booted seven penalties for Harlequins against Bourgoin last week. But the side is more than just a kicker as they also ran in four tries.

Pau were involved in a bloodbath against Llanelli last week but came out on top 44-12 and head Pool E. Flanker Nichola Bacque received a yellow card but collected two tries to bring his tally to three overall, one of five players on that total.

Facing Caledonia, who squeeze Llanelli into third place on the table on points difference, Pau will expect another 5,000 crowd to urge them on. Second row Thierry Cleda will miss the rest of the pool games but the French side will be expected to consolidate their position on home turf.

Llanelli have a big game at Treviso and need a win to keep in contact. Frano Botica, who limped off with a hamstring injury is a concern, but the Welsh club need this win before trying to turn around the Pau result when they come to Stradey Park.

Begles-Bordeaux v Connacht. New Zealander Junior Charlie who retuned from injury is the only change to the Connacht side which takes on BeglesBordeaux this evening in France in the European Conference.

Charlie, who has been suffering from a hamstring injury is expected to start the match, replacing Mark Reilly who returns to the bench.

Looking for their second European Conference victory and their first in France the team has spent the last five days at a training camp one hour from Bodeaux city.

However, Connacht's coach Warren Gatland expects the Bordeaux side to be more competitive particularly up front than their Nice counterparts who defeated Connacht by a penalty try three minutes into injury time last Sunday.

Having already beaten Pau in the French championship this year and Nice in the European Conference BeglesBodeaux are still very much in the hunt for a qualifying position from their pool.

Connacht: W Ruane; M Barry, P Duignan, M Murphy, N Carolan; E Elwood, C McGuinness; J Maher, B Mulcahy, M Finlay, G Heaslip (capt), M McConnell, J Charlie, S McEntee, B Gavin. Replacements: R Ward, B Jackman, M Reilly, D Reddan, O Cobbe, A Reddan, M Cahill