Ulster roll out their big guns

RUGBY/Ulster v Munster:HERE FOLLOWS another unbalanced interprovincial match over the festive period. The only problem with letting the coach choose when to rest players, while adhering to the IRFU player management programme, is they will do it at different times to their counterparts.

This evening’s scenario will continue to hurt the reputation of the Magners League.

Ulster, having been stripped of their growing international contingent for last week’s defeat to Leinster, can now recall Andrew Trimble, Paddy Wallace, Tom Court and big Stephen Ferris.

Munster are moving in the other direction, with all their internationals rested as a return to full strength is more useful against the Scarlets next weekend, before European duty recommences.

Their injury list also continues to grow at an alarming rate, with Kiwi number eight Nick Williams (damaged knee at training on Tuesday) and French prop Julien Brugnaut (groin) forcing coach Tony McGahan to dig deeper into the academy reserves.

They could be in serious trouble tonight if Ulster land some early blows on the scoreboard.

Either way, with all their enforcers absent the Belfast crowd will be baying for Munster blood from the outset. Donnacha Ryan and Tony Buckley do have an opportunity to prove they can shoulder such responsibility once the likes of Alan Quinlan and John Hayes finally slip away. Billy Holland is another with a rare opportunity on the blindside flank.

There are plenty of concerns up front, but the visiting backline remains in fine shape. Peter Stringer and Paul Warwick can cope with whatever ball comes their way, while the combination of Jean de Villiers and Lifeimi Mafi needs further testing should Keith Earls ever become a permanent fullback.

Mafi is charged with making an impact in the unfamiliar outside channel, while Denis Hurley reverts to his preferred fullback role after Felix Jones’ unfortunate neck injury.

“It’s easily one of the toughest games of any season,” admitted captain for the day Mick O’Driscoll. “They have a great home record and, besides that, last weekend, without key players, they gave a full-strength Leinster one helluva game.

“So yes, it’s going to be very difficult to get anything out of this one. Always is in Ravenhill, but these are the sort of games you want to play in and I’d be happy with our form going into it.”

Ulster look in decent shape with Ian Whitten preferred to Darren Cave, who is left out entirely, at outside centre as Wallace comes back at 12.

Jamie Smith is retained at fullback after some encouraging moments in his debut against Leinster, while Fijian winger Timoci Nagusa makes way for Trimble but should feature at some stage.

One imagines the returning power of Court and particularly Ferris will shift the balance of possession in the home side’s favour.

“We were very disappointed after last weekend in Dublin,” said coach Brian McLaughlin. “I thought that we competed well but should have made a lot more of our scoring opportunities; we definitely deserved at least something from that game.

“It is Munster this Saturday, a home match at Ravenhill. We have to make sure we are up for the game, we have to compete and we have to make sure we beat them at Ravenhill.

“We have to go to town with them up front and we have to show that we are more than capable of dealing with them.

“At training this week we have worked hard in certain areas of the pitch, we’ve put down patterns of play we’ll be using, and it’s just a matter of us holding onto the football and making the best use of it possible.”

The pitch was deemed playable last night and the covers will come off this morning.

There are at least four points on the table to bring Ulster back into the play-off contention. They should take them.