Hickie returns to action after injury

Denis Hickie, Ireland's leading international try scorer last season, makes his seasonal return for the Leinster `A' side against their Connacht counterparts at Donnybrook tomorrow. It is the 22-year-old winger's first game since fracturing his jaw in the second Test against South Africa in June.

Predictably, the Leinster senior team remains unchanged for the Guinness Interprovincial which precedes the `A' game. The impressive Shane Horgan retains his place, having recovered from the knee injury which forced his halftime withdrawal last week against Munster, as does late call-up Craig Brownlie.

Brian Carey reverts to the replacements' bench, where Ciaran Scally is retained due to the absence of the injured Derek Hegarty. Aside from Hickie, Dermot O'Sullivan returns to renew his midfield partnership with Brian O'Driscoll, while Pat Ward, unluckily ruled out of his senior debut on the morning of the Munster game, makes his seasonal return in the back-row.

Edinburgh Reivers have utilised their squad system with eight changes to the starting line-up from the team which extended Newcastle to a 24-12 win last weekend for their game against Munster in Musgrave Park tomorrow evening.

Alan Tait, Jamie Mayer, John Kerr and Scott Welsh come in for Scott Hastings, Graham Shiel, Stuart Lang and Duncan Hodge, with Cammie Murray swapping wings. Up front Peter Wright, Carl Hogg and Iain Sinclair are on from the start for Ross McNulty, Tammas McVie and Adam Roxburgh.

There are six internationals in the starting XV - full-back Hugh Gilmour, Murray, Tait, Wright, Mathew Proudfoot and Hogg. An indication of their strength in depth is that six of their eight named replacements are also full internationals, amongst them Craig Chalmers following a lengthy lay-off with a knee injury.

Ulster have named a strong side for their friendly clash with Glasgow Caledonians at Ravenhill tomorrow night while at the same time taking the opportunity to look at several players including right wing Jonathan Davis, scrumhalf Andy Matchett, second row Murtagh Rea and Dean MacCartney.

Having been pitted in the same Pool as the other Scottish side Edinburgh Reivers for the upcoming European Cup, it will provide a decent test.

Leinster: K Nowlan; J McWeeney, S Horgan, M Ridge, G Dempsey; A McGowan, D O'Mahony; E Byrne, S Byrne, A McKeen, P Holden, G Fuclcher (capt), T Brennan, V Costello, C Brownlie. Replacements - H Hurley, P Smyth, H Kos, D O'Brien, C Scally, R Murphy, B Carey.

Leinster A: G D'Arcy; D Hickie, B O'Driscoll, Dermot O'Sullivan, P McKenna; R Murphy, C Scally; H Hurley, P Smyth, I McLoughlin, H Kos, L Cullen, S Rooney (capt), C McEntee, P Ward. Replacements - C Power, J Blaney, W O'Kelly, J Dempsey, G Early, David O'Sullivan.

Edinburgh Reivers (v Munster, Musgrave Park, tomorrow 7.00): H Gilmour; C Murray, A Tait (capt), J Mayer, J Kerr; S Welsh, I Fairley; P Wright, S Brotherstone, M Proudfoot, D Burns, I Fullarton, C Hogg, B Renwick, I Sinclair. Replacements - S Hastings, C Chalmers, D Hodge, C Black, A Roxburgh, R McNulty, B Stewart, J Hay.

Ulster: S Mason; J Davis, S McDowell, M McCall (capt), J Cunningham; D Humphreys, A Matchett; J Fitzpatrick, A Clarke, G Leslie, G Longwell, M Rea, D MacCartney, T McWhirter, A Ward. Replacements: S Coulter, B Cunningham, S Bell, S Duncan, M Blair, R Irwin, R Weir.