Provinces delay naming teams as players nurse their wounds

RUGBY/European Cup News: Leo Cullen is sure to find it difficult to watch Leinster's Heineken European Cup match this weekend.

The injured second row, who hopes to be back in action in six to eight weeks, is on the pitch again and running but has not engaged in any lineout work or contact.

But if Leinster can come up with a win or a draw against Biarritz in France on Saturday, then Cullen - along with Brian O'Driscoll and Felipe Contepomi - will be available for the knockout stages of the competition.

Coach Gary Ella will not announce a team until tomorrow, but Eric Miller (shoulder) is definitely out. The good news is that Christian Warner, Mathew Leek and Des Dillon are all probably available.

There will be at least 500 fans travelling for the game.

In Munster, a decision on Shaun Payne's fitness will be taken later in the week for the Saturday evening match against Bourgoin in Thomond Park. At the moment he's 50-50 to make the pitch, while hooker Frankie Sheahan is unlikely to be risked this time out. Prop Marcus Horan trained yesterday, while David Wallace, who is suffering from a haematoma, was at the physio's table and not the training pitch yesterday. The Irish flanker, though, has a better than 50-50 chance of being fit.

The Connacht team to play Narbonne in the second leg of their Parker Pen Challenge Cup quarter-final at the Sportsground on Saturday (2.0 p.m.) won't be known until today. Coach Michael Bradley is waiting to see how a number of players recover from Saturday's physical encounter in Narbonne when his side scored an impressive 27-18 victory to set up a great home advantage for the second leg.

Prop Dan McFarland, scrum-half Mike Walls, centre Darren Yapp and flanker Michael Swift are among a number of players nursing injuries.

The good news for Bradley is that flanker Paul Neville, injured earlier this month in the Celtic League against Munster, will be in contention for selection.

Tickets are selling well and a large crowd is expected at the Sportsground where, once again, children will be admitted free and there will be a host of activities laid on for them.

Ulster, who cannot now qualify for the knockout phase of the competition, show just two changes from the team beaten in Paris by Stade Francais last week. Alan Solomons' side go into their final pool game against Gwent Dragons at Ravenhill on Friday with Paul Shields starting the match and Matt Sexton, a late injury withdrawal last week, named on the bench.

Neil McMillan, who returned to Ulster action against Stade, has injured a medial ligament in his knee and will sit this game out, allowing Neil Best back into the starting line-up with Warren Brosnihan providing replacement cover.

ULSTER: J Cunningham; J Topping, S Mallon, P Steinmetz, Y Howe; D Humphreys, N Doak; R Kempson, P Shields, R Moore, G Longwell, M McCullough, A Ward (capt), N Best, R Wilson. Replacements: M Sexton, S Best, M Mustchin, W Brosnihan, K Campbell, A Larkin, P Wallace.