Campbell and Philpott back in Ulster plans
Campbell replaces Paul Marshall as stand-in scrum-half while Philpott comes in for hooker Nigel Brady with the starting line-up to be finalised at noon.
The biggest decision is who will play at fly-half after David Humphreys came on against Leinster and completely turned the game after Paddy Wallace found life difficult behind a beaten pack.
Mark McCall must also decide whether to use Justin Harrison as an impact replacement and continue with the Ryan Caldwell and Carlos Del Fava combination in the second-row. The back-row unit will also come under scrutiny with Roger Wilson looking to get back into the starting line-up with Kieron Dawson’s openside berth coming under threat.
Forwards coach Steven Williams says that the final 30 minutes in the 16-16 draw against Leinster lifted the spirits of the side after three previous defeats.
“As yet I don’t know who will be in the pack,” said the Welshman. “After the Leinster game, there are places up for grabs and that’s the way it should be. We asked players to respond and they did.
“During the first half against Leinster, we were just too passive. We were just trying to contain the opposition, but in the last 30 minutes we were much more positive and it showed what we can do when we have the right mindset.
“It has been a tough couple of weeks and we’ve aired our views a bit in an attempt to get things sorted. But they are a good bunch and a pleasure to work with. They know they are not as good as they can be yet.
“Glasgow will not be easy. They are playing well and they are a very well-drilled side, determined and perform with a lot of attitude. They are also a very good side to watch. They will not be rolled over and will make you work for everything.
“We will not to be looking ahead to the Heineken Cup. If you have the mindset that one game is more important than another it’s a recipe for disaster. You can’t turn things on and off. It’s the one thing that the Celtic nations have to learn.”
Meanwhile Michael Bradley has announced a 25-man squad for Connacht’s first ever match at the RDS against Leinster on Friday (7.30pm). The squad includes the return of fit-again Ronan Loughney who has been out of action since injuring his hamstring against Glasgow four weeks ago. Backrow Colm Rigney and fullback Daniel Riordan are included again having overcome minor injuries in the past few weeks.
Backs: M Bartholomeusz; I Boss; T Bowe; B Cunningham; R Dewey; D Humphreys; K Campbell; M McCrea; A Trimble; P Wallace Forwards: N Best; R Best (Captain); S Philpott; R Caldwell; K Dawson; C del Fava; S Ferris; D Fitzpatrick; J Fitzpatrick; J Harrison; R Wilson; B Young.
M Deane, T Donnelly, G Duffy, P Durcan, A Farley, A Flavin, J Fogarty, D Gannon, R Loughney, K Matthews, M McCarthy, B McGovern, C McPhillips, R Morris, J Muldoon, J O’Connor, R Ofisa, C O’Loughlin, C Rigney, D Riordan, M Swift, O Treviranus, B Wilkinson, A Wynne, D Yapp.
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