Wallace To Lead Ulster In Thomond Tussle
Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin has named his starting team and replacements for Saturday’s Magners League derby meeting with Munster at Thomond Park Stadium (kick-off 5pm).
Paddy Wallace returns to captain the Ulster side after being rested last week under the IRFU 2011 World Cup Programme. He takes over in midfield from Ian Whitten who has dropped down to the replacements bench.
Stephen Ferris is also back in the number 6 jersey, after recovering from the ankle injury which kept him out of the Leinster game last weekend.
In the third personnel change, Ed O’Donoghue replaces the injured Dan Tuohy in the second row.
Commenting on Ulster’s final Magners League game before the break for the autumn internationals, head coach Brian McLaughlin said: “You’ve always got to be wary of Munster. When you think of what has happened to them in the past month, they are going to want to get back on track.
“They are playing at Thomond Park, where they’re extremely strong, so we are under no illusions about what we’re going to face down there.
“It will be a very confrontational full-strength Munster side, so it’s going to be a very hard game.
“We just have to concern ourselves with going down there with the right attitude, playing with the confidence we have been and looking for a good performance.
“It’s going to be a good check for us. It’s going to be a good place to go, take them on and test ourselves.”
He added: “The season is relentless. Yes, after Munster there is a short break, but then we have Glasgow at home followed by two really tight back-to-back games against Stade Francais in the Heineken Cup.
“Coming out of that, we have the Magners interprovincial series over Christmas.
“So it’s about us playing consistently at our best. That’s what will determine our season.”
ULSTER (v Munster): Clinton Schifcofske; Timoci Nagusa, Darren Cave, Paddy Wallace (capt), Andrew Trimble; Ian Humphreys, Isaac Boss; Tom Court, Nigel Brady, BJ Botha, Ed O’Donoghue, Ryan Caldwell, Stephen Ferris, Willie Faloon, Chris Henry.
Replacements: Andy Kyriacou, Bryan Young, Tamaiti Horua, Robbie Diack, Paul Marshall, Ian Whitten, Simon Danielli.