Provinces look to their frontline players

NEWS ROUND-UP:LEINSTER, ESPECIALLY, and Munster will both welcome back frontline players who were missing from Ireland's blank weekend in the Magners League when announcing their squads for next weekend's crucial resumption of the Heineken Cup. However, Ulster will be sweating over a few of their missing Test players.

Apart from the injured duo of Luke Fitzgerald and Jonathan Sexton, as well as the suspended Shane Jennings, Michael Cheika will be announcing a full-strength squad today for Saturday’s trek to pool leaders the Scarlets. In addition to 13 players who were rested from Sunday’s defeat to the Dragons, the normally indestructible Stanley Wright may also be included for the first time since the win over Munster at the start of October, while CJ van der Linde went off injured at Rodney Parade, he too is expected to be fine.

Despite Leinster’s defeat, Cheika maintained “there’s no right way, and there’s no wrong way, these are the decisions you have to make” with regard to his selection policy last week.

“Of course we were unhappy with our defence against the Dragons but we had rested a lot of players. However, after this disappointing defeat we are obviously very eager to go and take on the Scarlets on Saturday and we will look at that as another game and, as after any loss, all you can do is get ready for the next challenge.”

The European champions now enter what he admits is the meat of their season. “December and January are when you really make your pitch for the rest of the season — and for us that starts on December 12th,” said Cheika.

“The Scarlets are the leaders of the group and that puts them in a commanding position, while having the home leg of the back-to-back games against us first is a massive benefit to them.

“We are at the stage of the tournament where you stare at the opposition and make sure you don’t blink first.”

Similarly, Tony McGahan will name Paul O’Connell, Jerry Flannery, Denis Leamy and David Wallace – all of whom missed Satruday’s defeat away to the Ospreys – for Friday night’s rendezvous in Thomond Park with the French champions Perpignan.

O’Connell had travelled to Wales with the squad last Friday but felt his calf tightening up slightly and, largely as a precautionary measure, Donncha Ryan was promoted to the starting line-up, while Mick O’Driscoll was summoned from Cork.

Perpignan, meanwhile, returned to second place in the Top 14 with a 29-3 win over Montpellier, their 16th in a row at Stade Aime Giral. They sit two points behind Castres but with a game in hand after their game against Bayonne last Saturday week was called off due to an outbreak of swine flu in their camp; one case according to La Ligue, three according to the French champions. Away from home though, they have lost five out of six in both competitions, including their round one defeat in Treviso.

“After our faux-pas against Benetton Treviso in Round 1, we compromised our chances to qualify, but luckily a victory against Northampton Saints has helped us stand second in our Pool behind Munster so all is not lost,” said Nicolas Mas. “We really made things difficult for ourselves and now we have no choice but to win these back-to-back games against Munster.”

Unlike Leinster and Munster, the news is not so good for Ulster in advance of Stade Français’ visit to Ravenhill on Saturday. Although the rested Andrew Trimble will be recalled, the hors de combat trio of Paddy Wallace, Stephen Ferris and BJ Botha will be assessed before a decision is made later in the week.