POOLS THREE AND FOUR:NIALL MORRIS will be hoping that his try-scoring exploits for the Leicester Tigers in their 28-12 Heineken Cup victory over Aironi might help him retain his place for Saturday's clash with Ulster at Welford Road.
The 23-year-old Dubliner, who joined the Tigers from the Leinster academy during the summer, made his tournament bow against the Italian club and scored the third of Leicester’s three tries. Morris, who can play fullback and wing and is a former Ireland underage international, has made a very positive impression at the club, scoring four tries in eight starts.
Playing alongside club captain and Ireland international Geordan Murphy and Samoan colossus Alesana Tuilagi in a Tigers back three, Morris is well versed in the task that his team faces this weekend against an Ulster team that beat Clermont Auvergne at Ravenhill last weekend.
He admitted: “Ulster are quality: they have a lot of Ireland internationals, a couple of South Africans and a lot of young guys who are very talented players. They are a serious side and they will be a really tough challenge next week.”
The gifted young Irishman kept New Zealander Scott Hamilton out of the team last week but faces even more competition with the likelihood that Argentine wing Horacio Agulla will be available for selection following injury.
The Tigers may also be able to call upon England scrumhalf Ben Youngs and centre Billy Twelvetrees.
Leicester’s director of rugby Richard Cockerill explained: “There is a chance that they will all be fit and involved in some way.
“Whether that is in a starting role or off the bench, we will have to wait and see. We need to win at home this weekend, and that is really important.
“Ulster have some really good players but, if we can be two-from-two in our pool with eight or nine points in the bag, it will be a huge plus for us.”
Youngs has been out since his return from the World Cup with a knee injury, while part-time centre Agulla injured both hands in the 24-24 draw against London Irish. Twelvetrees has been out for a month with an ankle injury.
The loss of Agulla, as well as Twelvetrees, Manu Tuilagi (cheek) and Anthony Allen (thumb), meant a call-up for 21-year-old Andrew Forsyth on Saturday at the Stadio Brianteo in Monza.
He acquitted himself well but in keeping with something of an injury jinx picked up a hand injury.
Meanwhile, Glasgow Warriors hooker Pat MacArthur is full of confidence ahead of their European clash with Leinster on the basis of having already won at the RDS this season in the RaboDirect Pro12 League. The Scottish side pipped Bath at Firhill in the last seconds with a fortuitous try from secondrow Richie Gray.
MacArthur pointed out: “When you get the first game of the Heineken Cup at home, it is absolutely vital you make the most of that and we have managed to get the win. To be going to Leinster next with the momentum of five wins on the bounce behind us is massive and to have already beaten them at the RDS gives us another big confidence boost.
“We did not play particularly well (against Bath), but we got the win and that is the mark of a team playing with confidence.
“I do think it will be a different type of game, though, and probably be more expansive. We just have to go to the RDS and play with more belief.
“We are a young side and we are growing with every win and this was a huge one for us against a top English Premiership (club) which is packed with world-class experience and talent.”
