Williams keeps faith with Ulster

Celtic League Team news:Ulster caretaker coach Steve Williams has kept faith with the Ulster side that lost to Bourgoin last week.

Although the province was defeated in their Heineken European Cup second-round match, the team showed a greater appetite for performing to expected levels after a dreadful beginning to the season.

Williams' side travels to Galway for tomorrow night's Magners Celtic League game against Connacht at the Sportsground knowing that anything but a win would further plunge his side into crisis. It is imperative that Ulster finish as one of the top three Irish teams (as it is for Connacht) to qualify for next year's European Cup competition.

Ulster are currently at the bottom of the league table with Connacht just one point above them. But history favours the visitors and the Galway side have not beaten Ulster for almost two years. A home defeat on Friday would see the western province drop to the bottom of the league.

With no injuries after the physical battle in France, Williams keeps faith with the same squad, which means that once again there is no room for former Australian lock Justin Harrison, or stalwart fullback, Bryn Cunningham. The centre partnership of Andrew Trimble and fit-again Paul Steinmetz, also remains intact as Scottish international Rob Dewey again sits it out on the bench.

"It is very much a case of keeping with the same 22. We need to finish the job that we started in France and it is up to the same group of players to finish it this week," said Williams defiantly challenging his team to go a step further this week.

"We led for most of the game and we now know what allowed them back in, it was us and not them that made the errors. We all have a clear idea in our minds what we need to do on Friday night."

Connacht coach Michael Bradley has named a 27-man squad ahead of what will be his side's third Celtic League home match of the season. Bradley and his assistant, Eric Elwood, are waiting on fitness reports on a number of players before naming the side today. Mel Deane, however, comes back into contention after injury forced him to miss last week's 75-8 European Challenge Cup rout of Spanish side, Cetransa El Salvador.

Andy Dunne, who joined Connacht at the start of the season but who has been out of action since suffering a knee injury in the pre-season clash with South Africa, is named in the squad. If selected, Dunne, who successfully returned to club action at the weekend, would be making his competitive debut. Another player who has successfully returned to club action from injury and is also included this week, is former Irish international Matt Mostyn.

"It is great to see the likes of Andy and Matt coming back from long-term injuries as they will give us options at the back," said Bradley.

"Injuries are an ongoing issue in rugby and we just need to check on a few others before finalising the team and the bench for this match. It is a big game for us and everyone is looking forward to it, not least that there should be a great atmosphere in the Sportsground on Friday night."

Munster, who face the Newport Gwent Dragons at Musgrave Park on Saturday, have included both David Wallace and John Hayes in their squad. Whether those two international players take to the field or not will be decided later this week, although Declan Kidney is sure to be keeping an eye on Munster's crucial third round European Cup match against Llanelli in Stradey Park in three weeks.

Both players picked up non-serious injuries in the cup win over Clermont Auvergne last weekend and Kidney must decide whether caution this weekend would serve the greater medium term need.

There is also a welcome return for John Kelly who has been out of action since the game against Viadana in September. Kelly made a try-scoring return to playing, in Cork Constitution's All-Ireland League game last weekend.

Leinster, who face the Ospreys at Liberty Stadium, will select their team today but coach Michael Cheika and Kidney may well want to take a look at the A game between Munster and Leinster at the Sports Bowl, UL this afternoon at 2.30.

Leinster opened their A campaign with a 22-14 win over Ulster and take on Munster with a team that includes former Ireland Under-20 Grand Slam winners Shane Monahan, Felix Jones and Ian Keatley in the backline and Ruaidhrí Murphy, Richie Sweeney, captain Seán O'Brien and Kevin Sheahan in the pack. Michael Berne partners Jones at centre, while Richie Leyden starts in the secondrow. A vacancy has been left at scrumhalf until closer to kick off.

Selections

CONNACHT: (squad v Ulster): A Browne, M Deane, T Donnelly, G Duffy, P Durcan, A Dunne, A Farley, A Flavin, J Fogarty, D Gannon, R Loughney, K Matthews, M McCarthy, C McPhillips, J Merrigan, R Morris, M Mostyn, J Muldoon, J O'Connor, R Ofisa, C O'Loughlin, D Riordan, M Swift, O Treviranus, B Wilkinson, A Wynne, D Yapp.

ULSTER: (v Connacht): M Bartholomeusz; T Bowe, A Trimble, P Steinmetz, S Danielli; P Wallace, I Boss; J Fitzpatrick, R Best (capt), B Young, M McCullough, C Del Fava, N Best, K Dawson, R Wilson. Replacements: N Brady, D Fitzpatrick, R Caldwell, D Pollock, K Campbell, N O'Connor, R Dewey

MUNSTER: (squad v Dragons): D Hurley, S Payne, J Kelly, I Dowling, B Carney, K Lewis, L Mafi, R Tipoki, P Warwick, R O'Gara, G Hurley, P Stringer, M Horan, F Pucciariello, J Hayes, T Buckley, F Sheahan, J Flannery, M O'Driscoll, D O'Callaghan, D Ryan, A Quinlan, D Leamy, A Foley, D Wallace, N Ronan.

LEINSTER: 'A': F Carr; S Monoghan, F Jones, M Berne, V Artemiev; I Keatly, A N Other; R Murphy, R Sweeney, P Doran Jones, R Leyden, B Nagle, S Abbott, S O'Brien (capt), K Sheahan. Replacements: J Hagan, G O'Meara, N Smullen, B Moroney, A N Other, J Power, K Tonetti, K McKenzie.

MUNSTER: 'A': M Lawlor; K Earls, B Murphy, C Doyle, C O'Boyle; J Manning, D Williams; D Ryan, D Fogarty, T Ryan; M Melbourne, D Sherry; B Holland, B O'Mahony, J Coughlan (capt). Replacements: G Walsh, M Essex, B Madigan, D Hurley, T O'Donnell, G Hurley, E Ryan, T Gleeson.

How They Stand

P W D L F A BP Pts

Cardiff 6 5 0 1 157 107 3 23

Llanelli 6 4 0 2 171 107 4 20

Leinster 6 3 1 2 138 125 2 16

Munster 6 3 1 2 102 94 1 15

Glasgow 6 3 1 2 112 118 0 14

Ospreys 6 2 1 3 106 87 3 13

Dragons 6 3 0 3 116 135 0 12

Edinburgh 6 1 2 3 88 98 2 10

Connacht 6 1 1 4 87 130 1 7

Ulster 6 1 1 4 68 144 0 6