BALLYNAHINCH’S Paddy McAllister gets a rare start when he lines out at loose-head as Ulster tackle Italian visitors Aironi in the first of important back-to-back Heineken Cup fixtures at Ravenhill this evening.

BALLYNAHINCH’S Paddy McAllister gets a rare start when he lines out at loose-head as Ulster tackle Italian visitors Aironi in the first of important back-to-back Heineken Cup fixtures at Ravenhill this evening.

SOUTH AFRICAN import Steven Sykes makes his Leinster debut in tonight’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash with Aironi at the RDS (6pm).

LEINSTER reclaimed second spot in the Magners League with a 20-8 victory over Aironi on Saturday afternoon but of greater satisfaction to head coach Joe Schmidt was the fact that the province left the Stadio Luigi Zaffanella without any injuries.

LEINSTER coach Joe Schmidt is taking few chances as he takes his side to Italy to face Magners League basement side Aironi at the Stadio Luigi Zaffanella today.

IT was the Italian hoodoo all over again as Connacht slumped to a 25-13 defeat away to Aironi on Saturday evening for their third Magners League defeat on Italian soil.

CONNACHT are targeting five home wins in a row for the first time since 2005 against Aironi in the Sportsgrounds tonight (7.45pm).

MUNSTER yesterday confirmed the worst-kept secret in Irish rugby by announcing the signing of Ulster tight-head prop BJ Botha.

LIKE Ireland in Rome last Saturday, Leinster found out last night that it is one thing being expected to beat Italian opposition but quite another to actually do it.

ULSTER coach Brian McLaughlin put down his team’s success in Italy on Saturday night to sheer doggedness.

LEINSTER began the business end of their season with a six-try run-out against Treviso at Donnybrook last night.

Alessandro Troncon is the only household name in the Benetton Treviso side to play Ulster at Ravenhill on Friday night.