Celtic League news: The former All Black, Christian Cullen, has resumed training and light contact work with the Munster squad. The injury prone fullback, who tore shoulder ligaments last March in a Celtic League match against Llanelli in the Arms Park, has been missing from the Munster team since picking up the injury.

While Cullen is unlikely to lineout for Munster this weekend against Ulster in a top-of-the-table clash in Ravenhill Road, he could be in contention for a place on the Heineken European Cup squad to face Perpignan in April. But the run of games are not in his favour to prove his fitness to coach Declan Kidney.

After this weekend, Munster have only one competitive match, against Llanelli, before they meet Perpignan at Lansdowne Road, although a development game involving Munster and Leinster A has been arranged for March 16th. If Cullen, who had been influential in giving Munster a cutting edge in attack, is to hold out any hopes of making it back for the European Cup quarter-final, he will probably have to play in the development match.

Otherwise Munster are unlikely to have any of the players who took full part in last week's international, available to them, while Ulster line up without Andrew Trimble.

Tommy Bowe comes back into the Ulster squad as does Kevin Maggs, while Munster are significantly weakened with most of the Irish pack and midfield unavailable.

While Mick O'Driscoll, who came on against Wales late in the second half, would normally be lining out for Munster, the possibility is that with Paul O'Connell recovering from a shoulder injury, the Irish management may just want to ensure that the secondrow cover is not in Belfast subjecting himself to possible injury.

In Leinster hooker Bernard Jackman comes back into contention for Michael Cheika's side as they face Connacht on Sunday in the resumption of their Celtic League campaign. Jackman broke a bone in his leg in early December last year playing against Connacht in the Sportsground but made a 50-minute appearance last week in Leinster's A game and came through unscathed.

Cheika, who will select a squad today, will decide if Jackman has made enough progress to pressurise either of the Blaney brothers, Brian and David. Adam Byrnes, who broke his nose last time out, is also likely to come into contention in the Leinster pack.

Leinster should have all of their international players back, bar Malcolm O'Kelly, Brian O'Driscoll, Shane Horgan and Gordon D'Arcy, who all played against Wales. Once again the match will present a number of figures, notably Denis Hickie, Girvan Dempsey, and Keith Gleeson, with the opportunity to impress Irish coach Eddie O'Sullivan.

In Connacht, Michael Bradley is set to lose his secondrow, Christian Short, at the end of the season. Short is to take up a two-year contract with Northampton Saints. The decision by the 26-year-old to move to Franklin's Gardens comes just a few weeks after former Irish Under-21 lock Damian Browne, who captained the Saints in Sunday's 30-3 loss to London Irish, turned down an offer to return to Connacht.

Short indicated that the offer to join Northampton on a two-year deal was considerably greater than anything put on the table by the Irish province.

"I have had three wonderful seasons at Connacht and would have loved to stay here. It was a very difficult decision to make. I have settled in Galway, bought a new house in Barna," he said. "That said, Northampton came in and put an offer on the table. They are one of the top clubs in Europe, have a fantastic set-up and great support. It wasn't an easy decision but, in the circumstances, I feel I have made the right decision."

This season Connacht drafted in Kiwi Andrew Gallagher into their secondrow but, like Pieter Myburgh before him, he has failed to make an impact and Short and Farley have formed the secondrow partnership.

Tickets for Munster's European Cup quarter-final game with Perpignan at Lansdowne Road will go on sale today. Under the ERC participation agreement the visiting club are entitled to 25 per cent of total capacity and they have indicated their intention to take up their full entitlement.

ULSTER (squad): Backs: B Cunningham, A Maxwell, T Bowe, J Topping, P Steinmetz, J Bell, K Maggs, A Larkin, D Humphreys, K Campbell, I Boss. Forwards: B Young, J Fitzpatrick, S Best, R Best, N Brady, J Harrison, M McCullough, R Cauldwell, N Best, N McMillen, R Wilson, S Ferris.