Murphy targets February return

News round-up: Leicester and Ireland full back Geordan Murphy hopes to be in contention for a place in Ireland's Six Nations Championship side for the last three matches of this year's competition.

Currently running and using pads in training, Murphy could be fit for selection for Ireland's matches against England at Twickenham on March 6th, against Italy on March 20th and for Ireland's final game on March 27th against Scotland at Lansdowne Road, providing his on-going recovery continues.

"Yeah, there's internationals coming up. There are always internationals now, they never seem to end," said Murphy. "Of course there's the Six Nations, which I won't be fit for the start of but hopefully I'll be fit for the end of it and there's a summer tour as well.

"A lot it is going to depend on how I get on. It's going to be an uphill battle. First I've got to get my fitness back, then I've got to get my form back.

"It's been a long old road. I'm not back into full contact just yet. I'm still into speed work. I went down and did a little bit of non-contact with the guys (Leicester). But I haven't sort of stepped into the full-on stuff just yet. It is going to be another two or three weeks before I step into that. The first week of February is my aim and after that we'll see what's going to happen."

Murphy, who broke his leg in Ireland's World Cup warm-up game against Scotland back in August of last year, has targeted Leicester's game against London Irish on February 21st as a possible comeback game. Currently in Australia addressing a post-World Cup International Rugby Board conference, the 25-year-old is ahead of schedule but is not assuming automatic selection.

"It's a great presumption for me to think I'll step right into the first team," he says. "I'm doing a lot of running. I'm not very quick but I can run in a straight line and side-step a bit. I'm also doing a lot of weights to try and get my legs equal in strength. My left leg is not side-stepping as fluently as it should be."

Then a late February, early March date with Eddie O'Sullivan?

"That's the plan. That's the plan. But I wouldn't expect anything. Nothing will be given to me, so I'll see how it goes."

In Ulster, coach Alan Solomons has changed almost half of his team following their five-try capitulation to Leicester last Saturday. Six changes, including Ireland's Gary Longwell's return to the side following the World Cup, makes for a revised team to face Stade Francais in Paris this Saturday. Ulster need to win to keep their hopes alive of advancing from the pool.

The new-look second row features Matt McCullough and Longwell, who will make his first Ulster start since the Stade Francais visit to Ravenhill in December.

Back row Neil McMillan also makes his return to Ulster action for the first time since injuring his cruciate ligament against Glasgow in September. He replaces Neil Best at openside flanker.

In the back line Bryn Cunningham, who came on during the Leicester game last week, forces Paddy Wallace into the replacements with Seamus Mallon coming into the centre in place of the injured Shane Stewart. Stewart limped off early at Welford Road with a knee injury. Finally, a change in the front row forces Simon Best out of the starting line-up with another replacement from last week, prop Rod Moore, coming in to partner Robbie Kempson and Matt Sexton in the front row.

Solomons insisted the changes were part of his plan to rotate his squad. "We've had six back-to-back games at just a notch under Test level. These players have never experienced this before and I had always planned to rotate the squad at some point during this period."

News on Leinster's Des Dillon is better than expected with the number eight likely to be out for a couple of weeks rather than the earlier estimate of six weeks. Dillon injured the AC joint in his shoulder against Sale last week.

Munster will select a team today to face Treviso in Italy on Saturday. Marcus Horan had a scan on his back on Monday and was given the all-clear, which allows Alan Gaffney to select from a full squad. Michael Bradley will also pick his Connacht side today to face Narbonne in France. Connacht go into the first leg of their Parker Challenge Pen Cup with no injury worries.

ULSTER (v Stade Francais): B Cunningham; J Topping, S Mallon, P Steinmetz, T Howe; D Humphreys, N Doak; R Kempson, M Sexton, R Moore, M McCullough, G Longwell, A Ward, N McMillan, R Wilson. Replacements: S Best, P Shields, M Mustchin, N Best, K Campbell, A Larkin, P Wallace.