Ulster have back-up plan in place

Rugby:ALTHOUGH ULSTER have sounded out Leinster about the potential availability of Donnybrook for their home Heineken Cup game against Bath on Saturday, their director of rugby, David Humphreys, is "totally confident the game will go ahead at Ravenhill".

Last Friday night’s Magners League match with the Dragons was postponed due to a frozen pitch and more snow fell in Belfast on Monday night. The entire office and administrative staff, including president Nigel Hamilton, spent yesterday morning clearing snow from the pitch and they were aided by about 20 local volunteers. Frost covers have been on the pitch for more than a week but the parts of the ground under shadow remain frozen solid.

“As far as we are concerned the game is going ahead at Ravenhill,” said Humphreys. “We had lots of staff clearing the pitch today, there’s no snow on the pitch and 75 per cent of the pitch is playable today. There’s a small area under the new stand which doesn’t get any sunlight, which is still frozen. However, we have employed a company from England to come in who will ensure the pitch is available for Saturday afternoon.”

Leinster have made Donnybrook (capacity 6,000) available to Ulster if playable but Ulster were essentially fulfilling ERC regulations which punish teams prohibitively for not providing alternative venues. The visit of English sides are always special occasions at Ravenhill, and as both sides have already lost to runaway pool leaders Biarritz (Bath having lost at home), Saturday’s tie is something of a must-win shoot-out for both of them and a capacity 12,000 crowd is anticipated.

Save for Darren Cave none of Ulster’s frontliners are injured, with coach Brian McLaughlin weighing up his options to partner Paddy Wallace, be it again playing Ian Whitten (nominally an inside centre) there or moving Andrew Trimble in from the wing or playing the younger Nevin Spence.

Leinster have confirmed almost 40,000 tickets have been sold for the return meeting with Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday week, and are hopeful of an attendance in the region of 45,000.

While Leinster are resigned to being without Rob Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald for the back-to-back meetings, Brian O’Driscoll has an outside chance of making the return game. Clermont hooker Mario Ledesma, lock Thibauld Privat, outhalf Brock James and centre cum winger Aurelien Rougerie are doubts.