Ulster’s hopes of catching the Ospreys in fourth place are all but mathematically over, so the focus will turn to bidding farewell to Ruan Pienaar and Roger Wilson. While the hosts will want to protect their proud record at Kingspan Stadium (one home defeat in the PRO12 since February 2016), title-chasing Leinster are determined to finish out the regular season as table toppers.
GUINNESS PRO12: Saturday, May 6
ULSTER (5th) v LEINSTER (1st), Kingspan Stadium, 5.15pm (live BBC 2 Northern Ireland)
Team News: Roger Wilson, Ulster’s most-capped player, will earn his 221st and final cap for the province when he starts at number 8 in Saturday’s sold-out GUINNESS PRO12 clash with Leinster.
While qualification for the GUINNESS PRO12 play-offs is still mathematically possible, it would require the unlikely scenario of Ulster beating leaders Leinster with a try-scoring bonus point, the Ospreys losing to the Scarlets without any bonus points, and Ulster making up a points difference of 73.
Wilson, one of an elite list of players who have made over 300 professional appearances, has enjoyed two stints at his home province, either side of a four-year spell at Northampton where he represented Saints on 117 occasions.
Ruan Pienaar, who has become a firm favourite with the Kingspan Stadium faithful during the past seven seasons, will also make his final competitive appearance for Ulster tomorrow evening, as he adds to his tally of 140 caps and 877 points in the Ulster jersey
Pienaar takes his place at scrum half in what is an unchanged back-line with Paddy Jackson operating outside him in the number 10 jersey. Charles Piutau, captain Andrew Trimble and Craig Gilroy provide the back-three firepower, while Ireland internationals Stuart McCloskey and Luke Marshall continue together in midfield.
In the pack, Wilson will be flanked by fellow loose forwards Robbie Diack and Sean Reidy. Kieran Treadwell and Alan O’Connor continue in the engine room for the sixth successive game, while in the front row, hooker Rob Herring and tighthead prop Rodney Ah You come in to join Andrew Warwick.
Named among the replacements, prop Kyle McCall is in line to make his first appearance of 2017 having recovered from a significant hamstring injury which he sustained away to Clermont Auvergne in December. John Andrew, Ricky Lutton, who comes in for the withdrawn Wiehahn Herbst (knee), Chris Henry and Nick Timoney are the other back-up forwards, while Paul Marshall, Peter Nelson and Jacob Stockdale will provide the back-line cover.
Meanwhile, only four players will start in Belfast from the Leinster team that accounted for the Glasgow Warriors last weekend, although Jack Conan, who was pulled from the original line-up due to a tight calf, is again selected at number 8.
Captain Isa Nacewa comes in at full-back with Fergus McFadden and Adam Byrne both retained on the left and right wing respectively. Byrne was one of the main winners from the Leinster Rugby Awards Ball last week, receiving the Irish Independent Try of the Season award for his effort against Montpellier at the RDS in the Champions Cup.
Noel Reid and Garry Ringrose come back into the centre with Ireland internationals Luke McGrath and Joey Carbery likewise returning to don the number 9 and 10 jerseys. This will be their first run-outs since McGrath and Carbery, who kicked the match-winning penalty against Glasgow, were crowned the province’s Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year respectively.
In the pack, 2017 Lions props Jack McGrath and Tadhg Furlong come in on either side of the retained James Tracy, with Devin Toner and Hayden Triggs both recalled to the second row.
In the back row Rhys Ruddock comes in for the injured Dominic Ryan who is ruled out with a bicep injury. Josh van der Flier is again selected at openside flanker with the aforementioned Conan set to win his 50th Leinster cap.
ULSTER: Craig Gilroy; Andrew Trimble (capt), Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Charles Piutau; Paddy Jackson, Ruan Pienaar; Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring, Rodney Ah You, Kieran Treadwell, Alan O’Connor, Robbie Diack, Sean Reidy, Roger Wilson.
Replacements: John Andrew, Kyle McCall, Ricky Lutton, Chris Henry, Nick Timoney, Paul Marshall, Peter Nelson, Jacob Stockdale.
LEINSTER: Isa Nacewa (capt); Adam Byrne, Garry Ringrose, Noel Reid, Fergus McFadden; Joey Carbery, Luke McGrath; Jack McGrath, James Tracy, Tadhg Furlong, Devin Toner, Hayden Triggs, Rhys Ruddock, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Richardt Strauss, Cian Healy, Andrew Porter, Ross Molony, Dan Leavy, Jamison Gibson Park, Ross Byrne, Rory O’Loughlin.
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: John Lacey, Eddie Hogan O’Connell (both Ireland)
Television Match Official: Leo Colgan (Ireland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ulster to win: 7/5; Draw: 18/1; Leinster to win: 4/7
Pre-Match Quotes: Roger Wilson (Ulster) – “I don’t really do emotional to be honest, my wife will tell you that! But after a 15-year career, 11 of those years spent at Ulster, it’s fair to say I will miss it. About a third of my life has been spent in and around Ravenhill, so it will take a lot of getting used to, not turning up here every week.
“I am looking forward to the countdown over the next few weeks, it will be great to be involved in this game and looking back it has been an enjoyable time all round. With professional sport you get highs and lows and this season hasn’t gone as we had expected it to. But I am very grateful for all the good years I have had here.
“On the field, definitely winning my first cap was a big thing. It is something you want to achieve from when you are a kid coming to watch Ulster play. Winning my first cap was amazing, then winning the league in 2005/06 was a massive highlight and getting those big European victories here at home are always good games to be involved in.
“Off the field, the camaraderie and the bond that comes with playing professional sport, when you’ve got the win and your sitting in the changing rooms having a beer with the boys and you’ve just put everything on the line together as a team. It’s a great feeling and a special moment.”
Luke McGrath (Leinster) – “Ulster at home have such a proud record, only Munster have beaten them there and they drew against Cardiff. They have a massive home crowd, they get on top of you. It is important we get a big start up there. It’s one we are looking forward to – interpros are what we always want to play, we know each other so well.
“Ruan Pienaar is a world class player and has had such a massive influence for Ulster rugby, definitely, even Irish rugby. When you go up against these players, you have to lift your game. He was man-of-the-match in this game last year. I just remember he was almost unstoppable. You just take those ‘learnings’.
“I grew up watching him and (Dimitri) Yachvili, who was similar. I think him being able to play ten helps him to play nine as well. He is just so natural in an unstructured kind of way. He can simply slot into both positions seamlessly.
“He is just a class act, he always looks like he has so much time on the ball. That is a learning for me – he knows when to kick the ball or when to pass it. He put us back in the corners a good few times last year. You learn small things from playing with great players, no more than playing against them.
“He always looks like he has time, he is always at the ruck early and picks the right options. I always love going up against him – I only have two or three times in my career and I enjoy playing against guys of that calibre.”
Top Scorers – 2016/17 GUINNESS PRO12: Ulster – Points: Ruan Pienaar 100; Tries: Jacob Stockdale 9; Leinster – Points: Isa Nacewa 85; Tries: Joey Carbery, Rory O’Loughlin 8 each
2016/17 TEAM FORM: Ulster – Played 21, Won 13, Drew 1, Lost 7, 64 Points; W 29-8 v Newport Gwent Dragons (home), W 22-11 v Benetton Treviso (away), W 19-8 v Scarlets (home), W 22-17 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 9-7 v Ospreys (home), L 30-25 v Connacht (away), L 15-14 v Munster (home), L 28-17 v Edinburgh (away), W 35-22 v Cardiff Blues (away), W 23-7 v Connacht (home), L 22-7 v Leinster (away), L 16-13 v Scarlets (away), W 24-18 v Edinburgh (home), W 37-17 v Glasgow Warriors (home), W 40-17 v Zebre (away), W 19-7 v Benetton Treviso (home), W 68-21 v Zebre (home), W 27-17 v Newport Gwent Dragons (away), D 24-24 v Cardiff Blues (home), L 22-20 v Munster (away), L 24-10 v Ospreys (away); Leinster – Played 21, Won 18, Lost 3, 84 Points; W 20-8 v Benetton Treviso (home), L 33-25 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 33-20 v Edinburgh (away), W 31-19 v Ospreys (home), W 16-13 v Cardiff Blues (away), W 25-14 v Munster (home), W 24-13 v Connacht (home), W 33-10 v Zebre (away), L 38-29 v Scarlets (away), W 28-15 v Newport Gwent Dragons (home), L 29-17 v Munster (away), W 22-7 v Ulster (home), W 70-6 v Zebre (home), W 40-14 v Benetton Treviso (away), W 39-10 v Edinburgh (home), W 54-22 v Newport Gwent Dragons (away), W 45-9 v Scarlets (home), W 22-21 v Cardiff Blues (home), W 20-18 v Ospreys (away), W 37-24 v Connacht (away), W 31-30 v Glasgow Warriors (home)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Saturday, January 3, 2015 – Leinster 24 Ulster 11, the RDS
Friday, April 24, 2015 – Ulster 26 Leinster 10, Kingspan Stadium
Friday, November 27, 2015 – Leinster 8 Ulster 3, the RDS
Saturday, April 30, 2016 – Ulster 30 Leinster 6, Kingspan Stadium
Friday, May 20, 2016 – Semi-final – Leinster 30 Ulster 18, the RDS
Saturday, January 31, 2016 – Leinster 22 Ulster 7, the RDS
MATCH FACTS:
– For Ulster to make a fifth successive GUINNESS PRO12 semi-final, they would need a big bonus point win in this fixture and then hope that the Ospreys are soundly beaten in Llanelli
– The Ulstermen are winless in the last three rounds of the PRO12 since beating the Dragons in Newport on March 24
– Ulster have lost just once in Belfast in the PRO12 since February 2016: by a single point to Munster in round 7 this season
– Leinster have already secured a home semi-final for the seventh time in the past eight seasons, but need to take three league points from this game to ensure they will finish as number 1 seeds
– The Leinstermen have won their last ten PRO12 matches since Munster beat them in Limerick on December 26 (their only defeat to an Irish province this season)
– Ulster’s only victory over a fellow Irish province this season came when Connacht visited Belfast in round 11
– Leinster have lost just two of their last ten encounters with Ulster, both in Belfast in April 2015 and April 2016
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