I wouldn’t like to be facing us on one of our good days
STUART’S CONFIDENT HIS ULSTER CAN ROCK BLUES
IT’S a massive result for Leinster that James Ryan returns as captain for their trip to Belfast and ahead of their Champions Cup final date next weekend.
But Leo Cullen will stress the need for another on the pitch tonight as the jockeying for position with two rounds of the regular season to play continues.
The Blues want to ensure they secure a top two berth but they also have the not small matter of that final to come.
And that is reflected in a muchchanged line-up led by Ryan (right).
Hugo Keenan returns from injury too, while Jimmy O’brien is named at centre and Cormac Foley makes his first start of the URC campaign.
For O’brien, his midfield selection could be an audition to partner Robbie Henshaw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in seven days’ time, with Garry Ringrose again missing out through injury for this week. O’brien’s fellow Kildare man Jamie Osborne has been the man in possession alongside Henshaw in recent weeks.
Ulster, meanwhile, have Tom O’toole back from injury and fit for the front row battle as Richie Murphy prepared the team this week for the first time as permanent head coach.
The hosts are in sixth place in the table but only five points separate them from Connacht in ninth in the battle to make the play-offs – and Ulster must travel to in-form champions Munster in their final regular fixture of the season.
“Leinster always have internationals, they have such a strong squad with great depth, unbelievable players across the board,” said Ulster’s Ireland centre Stuart Mccloskey.
“Whatever team they bring we have to make sure we do everything to win and help us for the play-offs. We are looking for the play-offs, looking to secure top eight and see where we go from there.
“On our day we can beat anybody, being realistic we aren’t the favourites to win the competition but I wouldn’t want to play us on one of our good days.”
Ulster beat Leinster on New Year’s Day at the RDS and second row Kieran Treadwell is taking encouragement from that victory. “I think we can take
confidence from the game that they are beatable,” he said of what is a sold-out Kingspan Stadium challenge.
“We still need to put the performance out there, hopefully it comes to the forefront on Saturday.
“The results look after themselves if the performances are good enough. I think we have good foundations, have a way to go but have potential for some serious growth.
“This game is massively important. It’ll be our last home game unless results go our way so to have a home interpro is massive.
“We need to put the performance in and, with the help of the crowd, we can dig deep.” ULSTER: E Mcilroy, M Lowry, W Addison, S Mccloskey, J Stockdale, B Burns, J Cooney; E O’sullivan, R Herring, T O’toole, K Treadwell, A O’connor (c), C Izuchukwu, D Mccann, N Timoney.
LEINSTER: H Keenan, T O’brien, J O’brien, C Ngatai, R Russell, H Byrne, C Foley; C Healy, R Kelleher, M Ala’alatoa, B Deeny, J Ryan (c), M Deegan, W Connors, J Conan.