Best returns to lead Ulster against Leinster

IRELAND hooker Rory Best will lead Ulster in Sunday’s Magners League clash with Leinster at the RDS.

Also expected to start when coach Matt Williams trims his 25-man squad are Paddy Wallace and Tom Court, who, briefly, sampled the euphoria of playing at the Millennium Stadium as Ireland secured the Grand Slam.

Best, who had a 12-minute cameo in Cardiff, will take over the captaincy from Keiron Dawson.

Williams can also call on Scotland’s Simon Danielli and Italy’s Carlo Del Fava while South African number eight Robbie Diack returns following a fractured metatarsal. However, Stephen Ferris will miss the next two games with a hand injury.

Fijian Flyer Timoci Nagusa is also expected to get a run after returning to fitness again following successive hamstring problems since December.

Meanwhile, Connacht will be looking for their first win in five Magners League games when they face Edinburgh in Murrayfield tonight (7.30). Michael Bradley has made two changes to the side that lost to Cardiff earlier this month while Andy Robinson has brought back five members of the Scottish Six Nations squad.

Michael Swift and Kieran Campbell return for the westerners, Campbell replacing Frank Murphy, who misses out with a calf injury, at scrum-half, while Swift has come into the second row with Player of the Month Andrew Browne switching to blindside flanker and David Gannon moving to the bench.

Johnny O’Connor is included among the replacements..

Michael Bradley’s men are currently 11 points adrift at the bottom of the table.

“Edinburgh are a quality team, they supplied 17 internationals to the Scottish set-up this year and all those players are returning off the back of five tough Six Nations games,” said Connacht captain John Muldoon. “We are fully aware what to expect.”

Connacht lost 27-14 to Edinburgh at home back in October having conceded three tries to their opponents in a shocking the opening half.

Edinburgh have picked a strong side with five of the Scottish six Nations squad rolled out within a week of their Calcutta Cup defeat. Blair will captain the side at nine while Chris Paterson, Nick De Luca, Phil Godman, Ross Ford and Jim Hamilton also start.

Elsewhere, Leinster, who host Ulster on Sunday, yesterday announced that support has grown by 13 per cent in the last year, with average attendances up from 14,500 to 16,500, with the next game set to take the season’s attendance past the 150,000 barrier.

Since announcing a new season ticket deal, over 5,000 current holders have already taken up an option for next season.

Leinster Chief Executive Mick Dawson said: “It shows the popularity of the team and the RDS as an entertaining family-friendly venue.

“This is another timely boost of confidence for the team and management ahead of an extremely important period in the season.”

ULSTER (squad): J Fitzpatrick, N Brady, T Court, B Botha, B Young, E O’Donoghue, M McCullough, C Del Fava, C Henry, D Pollock, R Best, R Caldwell, R Diack, S Danielli, D Cave, A Trimble, C Willis, N O’Connor, C Schifcofske, I Whitten, I Boss, I Humphreys, M McCrea, T Nagusa, P Wallace.

CONNACHT: T Nathan; L Bibo, G Duffy, K Matthews, F Carr; I Keatley, K Campbell; B Wilkinson, S Cronin, R Morris; M Swift, A Farley; A Browne, R Ofisa, J Muldoon (capt).

Replacements: A Flavin, R Loughney, D Gannon, J O’Connor; C O’Loughlin, A Dunne, M Deane.

EDINBURGH TEAM: C Patterson; A Turnbull, B Cairns, N De Luca, S Webster; P Godman, M Blair (capt); K Traynor, R Ford, G Cross; C Hamiliton, J Hamilton; S Newlands, A MacDonald, A Hogg,

Replacements: A Kelly, G Kerr, S MacLeod, M Mustchin, G Laidlaw, D Blair, J Houston.