ULSTER HEAD COACH Dan McFarland has been able to include Darren Cave and Iain Henderson in his starting line-up for tomorrow’s Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final against Leinster at the Aviva Stadium (kick-off 17.45, BT Sport).
Henderson has had to manage a knee injury since Ireland’s Six Nations win over France early this month and was rated ‘day-to-day’ earlier this week after his training load was limited.
He is partnered in the second row Kieran Treadwell. Marty Moore has recovered from the concussion sustained in the win over the Kings and packs down next to Rory Best and Eric O’Sullivan in the front row.
The injury crisis at centre was somewhat eased with the news Darren Cave’s rib injury was not as serious as feared. He partners Stuart McCloskey outside Billy Burns and John Cooney, one of five starters facing their native province.
Luke Marshall provides the centre cover among the replacements, the international could see his first senior minutes of the season after suffering an ACL injury in May.
Jacob Stockdale returns after the Six Nations and forms part of a dynamic young back three completed by Mike Lowry and Robert Baloucoune.
Ulster (v Leinster)
15. Mike Lowry
14. Robert Baloucoune
13. Darren Cave
12. Stuart McCloskey
11. Jacob Stockdale
10. Billy Burns
9. John Cooney
1. Eric O’Sullivan
2. Rory Best (Capt)
3. Marty Moore
4. Iain Henderson
5. Kieran Treadwell
6. Nick Timoney
7. Jordi Murphy
8. Marcell Coetzee
Replacements
16. Rob Herring
17. Andy Warwick
18. Wiehahn Herbst
19. Alan O’Connor
20. Sean Reidy
21. Dave Shanahan
22. Luke Marshall
23. Angus Kernohan
Murray Kinsella and Bernard Jackman look ahead to a huge weekend for the provinces in Europe and Ryan Bailey catches up with Ian Keatley on the latest episode of The42 Rugby Weekly:
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