McMillan recovered for Ulster trip to Saracens

ULSTER flanker Neil McMillan has been declared fit for Saturday’s crunch Heineken Cup game against Saracens at Vicarage Road.

McMillan has recovered from rib damage sustained in last Friday’s win over Saracens at Ravenhill.

The only change to the Ulster squad sees prop Justin Fitzpatrick, fit once again, replace Rod Moore on the bench.

Fly-half David Humphreys, meanwhile, will make his 50th Heineken Cup appearance in Saturday’s game.

Kieran Campbell retains his starting place at scrum-half even though Isaac Boss helped turn last Friday’s game in Ulster’s favour, after he was introduced in the closing stages.

Ulster coach Mark McCall is hoping for better conditions on Saturday after driving rain at Ravenhill.

“I would now like to face them on a dry day at Vicarage Road, on a good surface, where we will be able to move the ball about,” he said.

Fit again Paul Warwick has been added to the Connacht squad for Saturday’s European Challenge Cup, Pool Five clash with Worcester at the Sportsground.

The out half missed last week’s 30-20 defeat in Worcester with a hamstring injury, but is back to full fitness and in contention for selection.

Darren Yapp has not recovered sufficiently from a calf injury and joins long-term absentees Mark McHugh and James Downey on the sidelines.

Connacht will name their side on Friday morning. A win by more than seven points will bring them level on top of the group with the Guinness Premiership’s fourth-placed side, with two games remaining.

The five pool winners and three of the best five runners-up advance to the quarter finals.

Similar to the Heineken Cup, these are played on a one-off format in the home grounds of four of the five pool winners.

Connacht have reached the last eight of this competition three year’s in succession, losing semi finals, in the last two campaigns, against Harlequins and Sale.

Jonah Lomu will make his home debut in Cardiff Blues’ Heineken Cup clash against Calvisano on Saturday.

New Zealand superstar Lomu lines up in a familiar left-wing role, having played for 60 minutes during Blues’ 25-10 Pool Two away victory over the Italians last weekend.

The Blues expect a capacity crowd to witness Lomu’s Arms Park bow, with Cardiff also on course for a Heineken Cup quarter-final place.

Blues coach David Young has made three changes, handing Wales and Lions prop Gethin Jenkins a first start of the campaign after he recovered from shoulder surgery, while also featuring wing Craig Morgan and centre Jamie Robinson.

ULSTER (v Saracens): B Cunningham, T Bowe, K Maggs, A Trimble, P Steinmetz, D Humphreys, K Campbell, B Young, R Best, S Best (capt), J Harrison, M McCullough, N Best, N McMillan, R Wilson. Replacements: N Brady, J Fitzpatrick, R Caldwell, S Ferris, I Boss, A Larkin, J Topping.

CONNACHT SQUAD (23)

Backs: M Mostyn, C McPhillips, D Riordan, T Robinson, K Matthews, J Hearty, P Warwick, D Slemen, C O’Loughlin, T Tierney C Keane.

Forwards: R Hogan, A Clarke, S Knoop, J Fogarty, J Merrigan, C Short, A Farley, A Gallagher, M Lacey, J Muldoon, M Swift, C Rigney.