MAGNERS LEAGUE:WITH THREE starts this season Ulster backrow Chris Henry is gaining crucial game time as Ulster continue to build points in the Magners League. The 24-year-old is again part of Matt Williams' extended squad to face Dragons on Sunday.

Following his recent performances in the Heineken Cup, Williams has encouraged the former Ireland Under-21 and in his first year as a fully-contracted Ulster player, he is finally making inroads to the senior team.

“The last few weeks have been fantastic,” he says. “The Irish sevens has definitely helped me a lot in the overall skills, seeing space and picking lines.

“I knew the competition in Ulster was always going to be tough and at the moment my focus is week to week. But my main goal was to get time on the pitch this season.”

A geography graduate from Queen’s, Henry was on a development contract last year but has captained the Ulster A side and impressively filled in while more experienced players such as Stephen Ferris have been absent.

“I’d say I’d be seen as a number eight,” he says. “In the last few weeks in the sevens camp I’ve worked on fitness and speed. I’d like to be seen as a realistic option and versatile in the backrow. That’s what I’d like to push.”

Henry is joined in the Ulster squad by prop Tom Court, on release from the Ireland senior squad, as well as Ireland A players Darren Cave, Andrew Trimble, Mark McCrea, Isaac Boss, Ian Humphreys, Ryan Caldwell and Ed O’Donoghue.

Cillian Willis, back on form, is named after recovering from injury, while Carlo Del Fava and Simon Danielli have been released from international duty with Italy and Scotland respectively. Ferris and the battered Paddy Wallace are unavailable.

For Connacht, it is a good time to meet the Ospreys and director of rugby Michael Bradley knows it. He yesterday announced a 25-man squad ahead of their clash at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday.

Ospreys will be missing their Wales contingent as well as Ireland right wing and try scorer against Italy, Tommy Bowe, while Bradley’s main omission is backrow forward Michael McCarthy, who has been ruled out of the clash having suffered a broken bone in his foot this week and is expected to be out for up to 10 weeks.

Daniel Riordan, Conor Muldoon, David Gannon and Mel Deane have all been called up since Connacht beat Dax in the European Challenge Cup last month but Bradley remains cautious. The Welsh side, who sit second on the Magners League table with 29 points, three behind leaders Munster, are still a considerable threat.

“They’ve a lot of strength in depth and despite missing some players with the Six Nations under way they’ll still be able to field a very strong side,” said Bradley. “We’ve two matches during the Six Nations against the Ospreys and Cardiff and know we’ll be facing some depleted sides and with that it mind it’s an opportunity for us to get some championship points.”

Just past the half-way stage of the competition, Connacht prop up the table on 13 points. Ulster, who at the beginning of the season were in Connacht’s sights, are in seventh place on 22 points.

CONNACHT SQUAD: L Bibo, A Browne, K Campbell, F Carr, S Cronin, M Deane, A Dunne, G Duffy, A Farley, A Flavin, D Gannon, I Keatley, R Loughney, K Matthews, R Morris, C Muldoon, J Muldoon, F Murphy, T Nathan, R Ofisa, C Rigney, D Riordan, M Swift, N Ta’auso, B Wilkinson.

ULSTER SQUAD: Forwards – J Fitzpatrick, N Brady, T Court, B Botha, B Young, E O’Donoghue, M McCullough, K Dawson, C Del Fava, C Henry, D Pollack, S Phillpott, R Caldwell; Backs – S Danielli, D Cave, A Trimble, C Willis, N O’Connor, C Schifcofske, I Whitten, I Boss, P Steinmetz, I Humphries, M McCrea, B Cunningham.