Last of the Irish big guns set for action

RUGBY MAGNERS LEAGUE:SLOWLY BUT surely, with each passing week, the big guns are being unloaded and save for the longer-term casualties this weekend should mark the return of the remaining Irish frontliners from delayed pre-seasons.

Even Andrew Trimble is set to make an earlier return from injury than expected and is included in the Ulster squad to entertain Edinburgh this weekend, and although Leinster have not named a squad for their trip to Treviso, the likelihood is that Rob Kearney and Gordon D’Arcy will be involved.

The Leinster management are also “optimistic” that the four players who picked up knocks before or during the win over Cardiff – Shane Horgan (back), Shane Jennings (foot), Jonathan Sexton (quad) and Fergus McFadden (cut head) – will be available for the trip to Italy. As with Ulster last week though, they may take the view that the sheer length of the Italian trips may make them opportune games for some to have their requisite rests.

In addition, some of those involved in the Leinster A defeat to Munster last Sunday may come into the mix, as might possibly Rhys Ruddock after a dual load last summer of Under-20 World Cup and a late replacement on the Irish tour to New Zealand and Australia.

Cian Healy, likely to start after his barnstorming impact off the bench, acknowledges the tough task facing Leinster in Treviso but has been encouraged by the way the Leinster pack have set about their task to date.

“There has been a good focus on us (the pack) and we’ve tried to change a few things, such as our foot placement (at scrums) and stuff like that to work to our advantage. We’ve been doing a lot of one-on-one work with Greg Feek in the frontrow and the backrow have been working separately with each other, so it has been a case of players managing their own time and their own meetings and Jono (Gibbes), in fairness, has pushed that on us.

“He told us to get our act together and do our own work in the frontrow – the backrow and the secondrows will meet up separately – and that has been really working out for us.”

Following his belated finger surgery on an injury sustained in Ireland’s defeat to the All Blacks but only detected by the Ulster medical staff in pre-season, Trimble has been named in a 27-man Ulster squad alongside the man who was brought into the squad as his short-term cover, USA Eagle Paul Emerick.

Ulster, one of only two sides along with Munster to boast two wins from two games, are also strengthened by the return of Rory Best and BJ Botha. Best was injured in the opening match against the Ospreys and rested for last weekend’s trip to Aironi is included while Botha returned to Belfast last week following the conclusion of the Tri-Nations.

ULSTER SQUAD: Forwards– Tom Court, Paddy McAllister, Bryan Young, BJ Botha, Rory Best, Nigel Brady, Andi Kyriacou, Johann Muller, Tim Barker, Ryan Caldwell, Stephen Ferris, Chris Henry, Willie Faloon, Robbie Diack, Pedrie Wannenburg. Backs– Adam D'Arcy, Jamie Smith, David McIlwaine, Paul Emerick, Andrew Trimble, Jonny Shiels, Darren Cave, Ian Whitten, Ian Humphreys, Niall O'Connor, Ian Porter, Paul Marshall

LEINSTER UNDER-20(v Munster): Michael Sherlock (Skerries); Sam Coghlan Murray (UCD), Alex Kelly (UCD), Colin O'Shea (Clontarf), Andrew Boyle (UCD); Cathal Marsh (Dublin University), Peter Du Toit (UCD); Peter Reilly (Lansdowne), David Doyle (UCD), Martin Moore (Lansdowne, capt), Michael Kearney (Clontarf), Emmet McMahon (UCD), Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne), Mark McGroarty (UCD), Eoin Joyce (UCD). Replacements: Patrick Carroll (Blackrock College), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf), Robert Hynes (UCD), Patrick Dix (UCD), Patrick O'Driscoll (Lansdowne), Gearóid McDonald (Old Belvedere), Michael McGrath (Clontarf).