Muller & Payne return to XV for Edinburgh

Ulster Head Coach, Mark Anscombe, has made seven changes to the Ulster side for Friday night’s RaboDirect PRO12 game against Edinburgh at Murrayfield (Kick Off 7:30pm).

Captain, Johann Muller, is selected for the first time since February and he is joined in the second row by Lewis Stevenson. Dan Tuohy has been named in the back row alongside Mike McComish and Robbie Diack, who have been retained from the team which drew with Treviso on 1st March. John Afoa has switched back to his regular tight head prop position, with Tom Court at loose head and Rob Herring at hooker.

Jared Payne will line up at full back for the first time since the beginning of January and is joined in the back three by Andrew Trimble and Michael Allen. Paul Marshall is another returning player and he will be partnered at half back by fellow Irish cap Paddy Jackson. Stuart Olding, who has scored twice in his last two games for the Province, will again combine with Darren Cave in midfield.

Nick Williams and Peter Nelson have returned from injury and are named among the replacements. They are joined on the bench by Niall Annett, Michael Heaney, Callum Black, Ali Birch and Ricky Andrew.

Game will be televised on BBC NI red button and online at www.bbc.co.uk.

Ulster XV replacements to face Edinburgh, RaboDirect PRO12, Murrayfield, Friday 22nd March 2013 (kick off 19.30)

(15-9): J. Payne, A Trimble, D Cave, S Olding, M Allen, P Jackson, P Marshall;

(1-8): T Court, R Herring, J Afoa, J Muller, L Stevenson, D Tuohy, M McComish, R Diack;

Replacements (16-23): N Annett, C Black, R Lutton, N Williams, A Birch, M Heaney, R Andrew, P Nelson.

Muller, Williams and Payne included in Ulster squad for Edinburgh clash

Johann Muller, Nick Williams and Jared Payne have all recovered from injury and have been included in the Ulster squad for Friday night’s RaboDirect PRO12 game against Edinburgh at Murrayfield (Kick Off 7:30pm).

Ulster Head Coach, Mark Anscombe, has also named Paddy Jackson and Paul Marshall who represented Ireland against Italy in the RBS 6 Nations last weekend.

Iain Henderson and Luke Marshall both suffered injuries on international duty and therefore miss the game. Henderson suffered a foot injury and will be assessed later today. Luke Marshall sustained concussion against Italy and will be monitored over the next seven days.

Ulster are second in the RaboDirect PRO12, level on points with leaders Glasgow Warriors, going into the round 18 matches.

Extended Ulster squad to face Edinburgh in the RaboDirect PRO12, Friday 22nd March, Murrayfield, 7.30pm;

Forwards (14)

Neil McComb, Callum Black, John Afoa, Robbie Diack, Mike McComish, Dan Tuohy, Lewis Stevenson, Johann Muller, Nick Williams, Rob Herring, Niall Annett, Ricky Lutton, Tom Court, Nigel Brady;

Backs (11)

Ricky Andrew, Jared Payne, Michael Allen, Paul Marshall, Peter Nelson, Michael Heaney, Paddy Jackson, Stuart Olding, Darren Cave, Andrew Trimble, Niall O’Connor.

Leinster team to face Edinburgh

The Leinster team to face Edinburgh in Friday night’s RaboDirect PRO12 clash in Murrayfield (KO: 7.35pm) has been named.

The province have been boosted by the return from injury of Lions trio Luke Fitzgerald, Rob Kearney and Brian O’Driscoll ahead of the trip to the Scottish capital.

Kearney – who will make his 122nd appearance for the province – is named in a pacy-looking back three alongside Fitzgerald and Fionn Carr, with O’Driscoll linking up in midfield with Gordon D’Arcy. Eoin Reddan, who is set to make his 75th Leinster appearance, partners Jonathan Sexton at half back.

Leo Cullen leads an all Ireland qualified starting XV which includes the likes of Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip and Sean O’Brien in the pack.

Shane Jennings has recovered from illness to take his place on the replacements bench alongside fellow Ireland internationals Michael Bent and Isaac Boss.

 

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Morrison makes first start for Glasgow since October

Graeme Morrison will make his first start for Glasgow Warriors since October, as the Warriors prepare to welcome Italian side Benetton Treviso to Scotstoun on Friday night (4 January, kick-off 7.30pm)

Morrison, back to full fitness following rehabilitation on a knee injury, made a substitute appearance in the Heineken Cup against Castres at the start of December and will form part of a reshuffled back line from last week’s win away at Edinburgh.

One of four changes to the starting XV in total, he lines up alongside Alex Dunbar, who is also making his return from injury.

Tommy Seymour is restored to the wing in place of Sean Maitland while Stuart Hogg retains his place at full-back

Ruaridh Jackson starts at stand-off for the fourth game in a row, with Henry Pyrgos partnering him at half-back.

DTH van der Merwe, who became the club’s leading league try-scorer with a double against Edinburgh at Scotstoun, keeps his spot on the left-wing.

With back-to-back wins against Edinburgh in the bag, Warriors are looking to make it three in a row against a Treviso side who are on a winning run, having triumphed twice in their own local derby against Zebre over the festive period.

Head coach Gregor Townsend said: “It’s fantastic to have Graeme and Alex back starting for the team and it gives us yet more options in the midfield to add to an already deep list of talent.

“Alex was in fine form until he suffered his injury and it will be great to see him getting back to that level of performance.

“Everyone knows exactly what kind of influence Graeme can have on a match and against a tough side like Treviso, it’s great to have someone of his experience at inside-centre.

“The selection this week again highlights the quality available to us as coaches and the fact that even with three changes to the back-line, it’s still a very strong line-up.”

There are minimal changes in the pack, with the heavy-hitting back row of Rob Harley, Josh Strauss and last week’s man of the match, Ryan Wilson, again reunited.

In the second row, Tim Swinson comes in for Tom Ryder to partner captain Al Kellock. Ryan Grant, Doug Hall and Moray Low, hugely impressive in the scrum against Edinburgh, will again pack down together for the tough Treviso test.

Townsend continued: “We were disappointed not to have picked up bonus points in both our games against Edinburgh and although defensively we were superb, and our scrum was a real weapon for us, there are still areas we need to improve upon.

“Our discipline needs to be better and all the players know that there are chances we should have taken in terms of scoring tries in the last couple of games.

“With so many players returning back from injury the strength of the squad is good and it’s important that the whole group is constantly striving to find ways to improve as a team.

“We’re right in the mix in the PRO12, with just a couple of points separating five teams so we know that every match from now on is a big occasion and we will relish each challenge as they come along.”

The RaboDirect PRO12 match against Benetton Treviso is not being televised, so the only place to watch the game is in person at Scotstoun Stadium (Friday, 4 January, kick-off 7.30pm).

You can get your tickets by calling the ticket hotline on 0844 800 3490 or buying online. You can save a fiver on the cost of the matchday ticket by buying before midnight the day before the game.

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Edinburgh aim to put best foot forward

Edinburgh_Rugby_BadgeEdinburgh Rugby aim to put their best first-foot forward as they get the New Year underway against Heineken Cup champions Leinster at Murrayfield Stadium tomorrow night (kick-off Friday 7.35pm) – live on BBC ALBA.

The match is the first opportunity for the club to atone for a tough end to 2012, which saw them endure four losses in all competitions, with their last home victory coming at the expense of champions Ospreys at the end of November (23-13).

The Dubliner’s arrive in a similar fettle, having ended an uncharacteristic three-game losing run with Saturday’s victory over Connacht at the RDS.

They will arrive confident in the knowledge that they have won their last four encounters against Edinburgh and three of their last four visits to the stadium, including the Heineken Cup final triumph over Leicester in 2009.

Head coach, Michael Bradley, said: “The competitiveness of the RaboDirect PRO12 is exceptional, and there are few tougher challenges than hosting the current European champions.

“However, while we have a lot of respect of Leinster, we don’t fear them and we are fully focused on kick starting the New Year at home after a tough December.

“We ran them close in Dublin earlier in the season and are looking forward to having another crack at them at home tomorrow night at Murrayfield.”

The one change to the club’s back-line sees Kiwi centre Ben Atiga start his first match since injuring his knee in October, to partner Matt Scott in midfield.

Willem Nel has recovered from the hamstring strain that ruled him out of last weekend’s loss to Glasgow Warriors, and is preferred to Geoff Cross at tight-head prop in an otherwise unchanged tight-five.

Stuart McInally returns to the fold on the blind-side flank with David Denton offered a start at number 8, the position at which he has earned all nine of his Scotland caps to date.

The introduction of Georgian internationalist, Dimitri Basilaia, completes a physical, ball-carrying back-row, with his second start since arriving at the club in the summer.

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