Leinster aim to secure home quarter-final

SIMON BEST has been retained by coach Alan Solomons as Ulster named an unchanged side to take on Northampton in their crunch Heineken Cup game at Ravenhill on Friday night (7.05).

The Ireland 'A' prop was given his big chance when he started in place of the suspended Justin Fitzpatrick in the victory against Cardiff last week. Solomons told the 24-year-old to go out and prove a point. He just did that, and more. Best turned in a five-star performance that sees him retained at loose-head for Friday's crucial affair.

Ulster not only need to beat the Saints, but outscore them by four tries if they are to qualify for the knock-out stages of the competition for the first time since they became Euro kingpins back in 1999.

Even if Ulster manage to run in three more tries than Northampton, they must put 26 points daylight between the sides to achieve their goal. Although Biarritz are likely to beat Cardiff in the other Pool 6 game on Saturday and make it a possible three-way tie at the top, they will not come into the equation if Ulster miraculously reach their quota.

It's a mammoth task, but Solomons believes that the inclusion of Best will help their cause, even though Fitzpatrick was having his best season for a while. The former international now finds himself on the bench after his indiscretion against Munster which earned 10-day ban for punching.

"Simon did extremely well last week, and deserved to keep his place," said Solomons.

"I always said that people will be rewarded if they go out prove themselves. Simon did that last week.

"Obviously we have a very difficult task ahead of us. But we can only go out and do our best, and leave the rest up the mathematicians.

"I know I will not be worrying about the calculator. Hopefully the scoreboard will just show we have more points than them when the game finishes.

"But, whatever the result, I think the team has done well this season."

Meanwhile, Leinster coach Matt Williams has put a clamp on any Heineken Cup celebration until Sunday afternoon - but then he hopes to raise a glass or two after their tie with Bristol to mark the team's march to the quarter-finals.

"We want a home quarter-final, and to make sure we have got to beat Bristol on Sunday," he admitted yesterday.

Williams is fully conscious of the fact that Leinster won five games out of six last year, topped their group but still ended up having to play Leicester away in the knock-out stages.

"We set our targets from the start of the year to make sure that wouldn't happen again, and we have said all along that we would need to win all our games in a very tricky group to make sure of a home draw. That hasn't changed. Sure, we're there in the hunt and we could do it even if we lose to Bristol but, honestly, defeat isn't on our minds."

Williams is, fully aware that Bristol will make life very difficult for his side. "They are a quality team and proved that by beating Montferrand at home and away. I'm sure they will feel very disappointed that they dropped the points to us and particularly to Swansea in St. Helens. One more win for them and this game could really have been a huge showdown. As it is, it is still a match of huge significance, and the fact that Bristol have given themselves a lifeline will make it all the more difficult."

Meanwhile, Anthony Foley will reach a unique milestone at Thomond Park on Saturday when he becomes the first player to make 50 Heineken Cup appearances.

Foley is eagerly awaiting the visit of Gloucester as Munster seek to stretch their unbeaten European run at the Limerick venue.

"I remember going into that first game against Swansea back in 1995 feeling pretty apprehensive. There was a lot of excitement because this was a new, European competition and we didn't really know what to expect.

"Since then, we have managed to beat every other team who have come to Thomond Park - a record we are fiercely proud of and one we will be looking to uphold against Gloucester.

"The rise and fall of Munster in the Heineken Cup is a bit of a tragic story in parts, but we are still in the running to get out of our group this season."

ULSTER: B Cunningham; J Topping; R Constable, S Stewart, S Coulter; D Humphreys, N Doak; R Kempson, M Sexton, S Best, G Longwell, J Davidson, A Ward, capt, N McMillan, T McWhirter. Replacements: J Fitzpatrick, P Shields, M Blair, R Nelson, K Campbell, J Cunningham, S Young.