WITH the Ireland team to meet Western Samoa at Lansdowne Road on November 12th due to be selected next week, Ireland captain and scrum half Niall Hogan makes a timely return to the representative arena when he plays for Leinster against Scottish Borders in the European Cup in Melrose on Saturday.
Hogan has been kept out of the Leinster side this season by Alain Rolland, although he did play against Ulster when Rolland was ill.
Leinster manager Jim Glennon said: "Hogan has been selected on merit and not at the behest of the Ireland selectors."
Hogan's return is one of four changes from the side that lost to Leicester. The openside flank berth has also been left open. Ciaran Clarke comes in at full back for Peter McKenna; Den is Hickie, fit again after a leg injury, returns on the right wing for Paddy Gavin; and Angus McKeen is at tighthead prop for Paul Wallace, who has not been released by Saracens.
The openside berth will be filled later in the week and rests between Dean Oswald and Stephen Rooney. Oswald has been out injured since Leinster's match against Ulster, but it is hoped he will play for Blackrock College for at least half the match in their Floodlit Cup tie tomorrow. Two vacancies have also been left in the replacements.
Ireland under 21 international Eric Miller, who played for Leicester against Leinster last Wednesday and in the win over Scottish Borders last Saturday, will miss the remainder of the group matches in the European Cup because of torn ankle ligaments.
The Ulster team to meet Neath at the Gnoll on Saturday will be announced tomorrow. Ulster will be without Paddy Johns who, like Paul Wallace, has not been released by Saracens. This is likely to mean a recall for Gary Longwell in the second row.
Monster hope to have all the players who played with such distinction against Wasps last Saturday available for the visit to Toulouse on Saturday week.
Monster scrum half Stephen McIvor sustained a neck injury against Wasps, but the hope was yesterday that he will be fit. He had the injury X rayed yesterday.
The Connacht team to meet Toolon on Saturday in the European Conference will be announced tomorrow night.
The Ireland selectors meet in Limerick on Saturday night to discuss the team to meet Western Samoa. That team will be announced on Friday week. No new players have been added to the Ireland squad, but Ireland manager Pat Whelan said that the position will be reviewed.
"I said some time ago that we would look at the possibility of, adding to the squad at the end of October when we had seen most of the European group matches. That remains the position."
Meanwhile Victor Costello and Malcolm O'Kelly, two of the five London Irish players who opted to play for their provinces in the European Cup, played for the London Irish second NV against Leicester Its at the weekend. The indications that London Irish will settle their differences with the players in an amicable manner.
