Luke Fitzgerald’s badly-timed absence through injury will finally end this evening when he lines out at full-back for Leinster’s RaboDirect Pro12 encounter with Aironi at the Stadio Zaffanella.

A COUPLE of months ago Connacht were relishing the prospect of playing French aristocrats Toulouse in the Heineken Cup; this week they head there in a different frame of mind.

CONNACHT bid to end a miserable run of form away to Aironi this afternoon.

ULSTER’S victory in the Milanese suburb was not as convincing as the score suggests, but the only thing that mattered for the visitors was the attainment of a winning bonus point, according to Pedrie Wannenburg.

ULSTER successfully manoeuvred the first part of their Heineken Cup back-to-back clashes with Aironi at Ravenhill last night with a bonus-point victory in Pool Four.

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).

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

Italy coach Nick Mallett has handed uncapped Giulio Rubini a starting berth for Saturday's RBS 6 Nations game against Wales in Rome.