Rugby Celtic League: Gary Ella, with 12 players injured and nine on international duty, makes three forward changes and one in the back line in the Leinster side to face Munster at Musgrave Park on Friday night in the Celtic League.
Des Dillon, returning after several weeks, comes in at number eight beside captain Shane Jennings, with Niall Breslin again lining out at blindside flanker. In the absence of Brian O'Meara (hamstring), the pairing at nine and 10 is Brian O'Riordan and Matt Leek. With Gordon D'Arcy on international duty, Christian Warner again partners David Quinlan in the centre..
Ella, like his Ulster counterpart, Alan Solomons, is stretched for bench cover, with David Blaney the only contracted player among the seven replacements.
Ulster have to bring Sheldon Coulter onto the bench for their game against Neath-Swansea Ospreys on Friday night at Ravenhill. The province has serious problems in covering their centres. Johnny Bell, Séamus Mallon and Shane Stewart are unfit to play, while Tommy Bowe is with the Irish under-21s.
Solomons, who hopes to consolidate his side's lead at the top of the table, has made four changes to the side which defeated Llanelli last weekend. Neil Doak returns at scrumhalf and Paddy Wallace is at centre.
In a rotational change, Matt Sexton starts and Paul Shields reverts to the bench. Gary Longwell, struggling to reclaim his place in the side since the World Cup, is named in the second row. Bryan Young comes in to sit on the bench as Simon Best is, like David Humphreys and Tyrone Howe, unavailable due to Ireland commitments.
Coach Alan Gaffney will not select his Munster team until today. Mike Mullins has been ruled out after he fractured his jaw in a collision with Kevin Maggs during Ireland's training session yesterday and will be out of action for five to six weeks. David Wallace is also out after straining a knee at the same session.
The Connacht team to play Edinburgh on Friday night at Meadowbank (7.30 p.m.) shows eight changes from that which went down to Celtic Warriors at the weekend. Five of the changes are up front as Dan McFarland and Bernard Jackman return to the front row, Damian Browne comes back into the second row, while John Muldoon and Tom Carter start in the back row.
The half-back partnership of Eric Elwood and Conor O'Loughlin starts, with Shane Moore at inside centre. Mark McHugh is at full back with Matt Mostyn moving to the right wing.
LEINSTER: J Norton; J McWeeney, C Warner, D Quinlan, B Burke; M Leek, B O'Riordan; E Bohan, G Hickie, P Coyle, A Kearney, B Gissing, N Breslin, S Jennings, D Dillon. Replacements: S Brophy, D Blaney, S Crawford, K Potts, S Whelan, J Downey, G Brown.
ULSTER: B Cunningham; J Topping, P Wallace, P Steinmetz, S Young; A Larkin, N Doak; R Kempson, M Sexton, R Moore, M McCullough, G Longwell, A Ward (capt), N Best, R Wilson. Replacements: P Shields, B Young, M Mustchin, W Brosnihan, K Campbell, S Coulter, A Maxwell.
CONNACHT: M McHugh; M Mostyn, D Yapp, S Moore, C McPhillips; E Elwood, C O'Loughlin; D McFarland, B Jackman, A Clarke; D Browne, A Farley; J Muldoon, T Carter, J O'Sullivan.
