Rugby:Ireland and Ulster centre Paddy Wallace is expected to be out of action for 6-8 weeks after he underwent surgery yesterday to repair tendon damage in his left thumb.
The injury means the versatile player will miss the rest of Ulster’s Heineken Cup campaign for 2011.
The next round of matches, three and four, will be played in December before the competition takes a break and resumes in the second week of January for round five.
The 32-year-old sustained the injury during Saturday’s Heineken Cup Pool 4 game against ASM Clermont Auvergne at Ravenhill.
The club’s medical staff had hoped surgery could be avoided but after reassessment on Wednesday, a decision was taken for Wallace to have an operation.
Ulster will miss the creativity of Wallace, who was a member of the Ireland Grand Slam winning team of 2009 and was selected for Ireland in the RWC in New Zealand this year.
As a result Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin been forced to change his starting team for the Heineken Cup Pool 4 clash with Leicester Tigers on Saturday with Nevin Spence promoted to the starting team to combine with Darren Cave in midfield.
The other change allows Declan Fitzpatrick start at tighthead prop in place of John Afoa, who was not due to join Ulster until December and had made a prior commitment to carry out best man duties at the wedding of New Zealand teamate Jerome Kaino.
The promotion of Spence and Fitzpatrick means Paddy Jackson and Adam Macklin are named among the replacements. The development duo will make their European debut if they take to the field.
The one other change on the bench will see Nigel Brady providing cover at hooker instead of Andi Kyriacou, who will be given game time for the Ravens against Currie.
“Declan has proved to be a very good tighthead prop. A couple of years ago against Stade Francais in this competition he proved what he is capable of at this level,” said McLaughlin.
“To lose Paddy is a blow. After the World cup he came back itching to play and it’s very unfortunate for him. But in Nevin Spence we have an able replacement and we have no doubts he a can do an excellent job for us. We are very fortunate to have a lot of depth in that area with Ian Whitten and also Luke Marshall who is making his way back from injury.
“Welford Road has always been a very difficult place to go. Maybe with the World Cup they haven’t got off to the best of starts but with their internationals back they will be a tough nut to crack. But we are going there full of confidence.”
In Dublin Eoin Reddan makes his first start of the season in the Leinster team to face Glasgow Warriors in Sunday’s Heineken Cup Round 2 clash in the RDS (KO: 12.45pm). Reddan partners Jonathan Sexton (making his 80th Leinster appearance) at half back in a backline which shows two changes from the one which started the opening round 16-16 draw in Montpellier last weekend.
With Fergus McFadden ruled out with a dead leg, Eoin O’Malley comes in for his third Heineken Cup appearance (and 36th Leinster cap in total) and the 23-year-old partners Wexford’s Gordon D’Arcy at centre. Luke Fitzgerald continues in the back three alongside Rob Kearney and Isa Nacewa.
Sean Cronin makes his first Heineken Cup start after an impressive try-scoring display last weekend and he starts in the front row beside fellow Ireland international Mike Ross and Heinke van der Merwe. Leo Cullen partners Player of the Month Devin Toner at centre with Kevin McLaughlin continuing alongside Sean O’Brien and number eight Jamie Heaslip in the back row.
In all there are five Ireland internationals on the bench including the fit again Cian Healy, who missed last week’s match with a muscle strain.
Munster and coach Tony Gahan keep faith with the same starting team that delivered late against Northampton last week. Munster take a trip to the South of France, where they face Castres Olympique.
The one change to the match day squad sees former Irish prop Marcus Horan return to the replacements bench in place of John Ryan, who came in last weekend.
Horan was forced to withdraw last week with an ankle injury.
Connacht have also largely stuck with the side that narrowly fell to Harlequins in round one and Eric Elwood makes just one change there. Dave Gannon joins Michael Swift in the second row with Ray Ofisa moving to the bench.
Mike McCarthy will take his place at blindside flanker with John Muldoon at openside and George Naoupu at number 8. Brett Wilkinson, Adrian Flavin and Rodney Ah You make up the front row.
The backline that outscored Harlequins two tries to one last weekend remains unchanged with Paul O'Donohoe partnering Miah Nikora at halfback. The pace of Eoin Griffin coupled with the physicality of Dave McSharry complete the centre partnership, while try scorer Tiernan O'Halloran, Brian Tuohy and captain Gavin Duffy complete the backline.
POOL 1
Castres Olympique v Munster
Castres Olympique :F Denos; M Evans, P Bonnefond, P Garcia, M Andreu; P Bernard, T Lacrampe; A Peikrishvili, B Mach, K Wihongi, S Murray, I Tekori, J Bornman, Y Caballero, C Masoe [capt]. Replacements: M Bonello, M Coetzee, L Ducalcon, M Rolland, R Capo Ortega, R Teulet, R Tales, P Lakafia
Munster: J Murphy; D Howlett, D Barnes, L Mafi, D Hurley; R O'Gara, C Murray; W du Preez, D Varley, B Botha, D Ryan, P O'Connell [capt], P O'Mahony, N Ronan, J Coughlan. Replacements: D Fogarty, M Horan, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, D Leamy, T O'Leary, I Keatley, W Chambers
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
POOL 4
Leicester Tigers v Ulster Rugby
Leicester Tigers: G Murphy [capt]; H Agulla, M Smith, A Forsyth, A Tuilagi; T Flood, S Harrison; M Ayerza, G Chuter, D Cole, L Deacon, G Parling, T Croft, J Salvi, T Waldrom. Replacements: R Hawkins, B Stankovich, M Castrogiovanni, G Skivington, S Mafi, B Youngs, J Staunton, N Morris
Ulster Rugby: S Danielli; A Trimble, D Cave, N Spence, C Gilroy; I Humphreys, P Marshall; T Court, R Best, D Fitzpatrick, J Muller [capt], D Tuohy, S Ferris, C Henry, P Wannenburg. Replacements: N Brady, P McAllister, A Macklin, L Stevenson, W Faloon, I Porter, P Jackson, A D'Arcy
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
POOL 6
Connacht Rugby v Toulouse
Connacht Rugby: G Duffy [capt]; T O'Halloran, E Griffin, D McSharry, B Tuohy; M Nikora, P O'Donohoe; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, R Ah You, M Swift, D Gannon, M McCarthy, J Muldoon, G Naoupu
Replacements: E Reynecke, R Loughney, D Rogers, T Anderson, R Ofisa, F Murphy, N O'Connor, H Fa'afili
Toulouse: C Poitrenaud; M Medard, F Fritz, Y Jauzion, V Clerc; L Beauxis, L Burgess; Y Montes, W Servat, C Johnston, G Lamboley, Y Maestri, J Bouilhou [capt], T Dusautoir, L Picamoles. Replacements: G Botha, J Poux, J Falefa, R Millo-Chluski, N Vergallo, Y Nyanga, L McAlister, G Galan
Referee: Greg Garner (England)
POOL 3
Leinster v Glasgow Warriors
Leinster: R Kearney; I Nacewa, E O'Malley, G D'Arcy, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, E Reddan; H Van Der Merwe, S Cronin, M Ross, L Cullen [capt], D Toner, K McLaughlin, S O'Brien, J Heaslip. Replacements: R Strauss, C Healy, N White, R Ruddock, S Jennings, I Boss, I Madigan, F Carr
Glasgow Warriors: S Hogg; T Seymour, P Murchie, G Morrison, C Shaw; D Weir, C Cusiter; R Grant, P MacArthur, M Cusack, R Gray, A Kellock [capt], R Harley, J Barclay, R Wilson. Replacements: F Gillies, J Welsh, E Kalman, T Ryder, H Pyrgos, C Fusaro, T Nathan, F Aramburu
Referee: Andrew Small (England)
