Munster braced for northern exposure

DIRECTORS of rugby certainly have different ways of looking at things. For tonight’s Magners League encounter at Ravenhill, Ulster’s Brian McLaughlin has called up the majority of his big name players having rested them for last week’s visit to Leinster.

In complete contrast, his opposite number at Munster, Tony McGahan, has excluded all his senior internationals for the second successive week.

These factors combined with Ulster’s stellar record at their Belfast fortress point to a home victory. Star-studded Stade Francais were the latest to leave Ravenhill with red faces after their comprehensive 29-16 defeat in the Heineken Cup a few weeks ago.

And they have lost just one of their last seven encounters with fellow Irish provinces at the venue – by 13-21 to Leinster in December, 2008. Munster have never found it a happy hunting ground although they did win there in the 2006/07 season.

True, they did produce one of their best displays of the season in scoring a bonus point 24-10 win over their northern cousins back in October but not alone was that game played at Thomond Park but they also fielded a full-strength side. This time, stars of that show like try scorers Keith Earls and David Wallace along with Ronan O’Gara, Tomas O’Leary, Donncha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell, David Wallace, Alan Quinlan along with the injured Jerry Flannery and Denis Leamy are all absentees.

As against that, Ulster can call upon their Ireland contingent of Paddy Wallace, Tom Court and Stephen Ferris along with the likes of Andrew Trimble, Ian Humphreys and Isaac Boss, all of whom have been in outstanding form in recent times.

McLaughlin yesterday gave young academy prospect Jamie Smith another chance at full-back at the expense of Clinton Schifcofske while Ian Whitten is given the nod over Darren Cave at second centre. Smith, a solid, quick footed ball player, is a son of Ollie, a stalwart at Ballymena for many seasons while his uncle Steven made his name as an uncompromising hooker with Ulster, Ireland and the Lions.

“I loved making my debuts in both the Magners League and in Europe,” said the 21-year-old Smith.

“To be named on the bench for the Stade game and then to get five minutes against one of the biggest teams in Europe was fantastic.

“Last weekend, my league debut against Leinster was a real thrill. I could not believe I was selected initially and it was pretty surreal.

“Now to have another chance against a team like Munster is even more exciting.”

This is obviously a big test for Munster with most observers focussing on the Lifeimi Mafi-Jean de Villiers centre partnership and how James Coughlan fares at number eight, a problem position for Tony McGahan now that Denis Leamy is ruled out for the rest of the season.

They are very keen to stay in touch with the leaders, having drawn within two points of current pacesetters Glasgow Warriors and into fourth place thanks to the five-pointer against Connacht last week. Any side containing players of the reputation and quality of Doug Howlett, de Villiers, Mafi, Paul Warwick, Peter Stringer, Wian du Preez and skipper Mick O’Driscoll should always be difficult to beat. Moreover, the likes of Denis Hurley, Ian Dowling, Tony Buckley, Donnacha Ryan and Niall Ronan would be welcomed by any team in the Magners League.

Sadly, injury has eliminated the extremely talented Felix Jones from the equation but that still leaves excellent performers like Damien Varley, Billy Holland and James Coughlan in the starting line-up with a whole host of highly promising younger players gagging for game time off the replacement bench.

There will also be a degree of pressure on Ulster who have slipped to three straight defeats in the Magners League and are currently back in eighth place and only barely hanging on to the hope of a place in the knock-out stages. Much will depend on the ability of Ian Humphreys to repeat the form that made him the hero of their amazing 37-11 win at Thomond Park in October 2008 and again at the same venue a couple of months ago when he contributed all of his side’s ten points.

His siege gun left boot and ever-increasing ability to get the best out of his back line are vital to Ulster’s success ratio.

However, the bang-in-form Paul Warwick could be an even more potent force for Munster as he moves up to out-half in the absence of Ronan O’Gara.

While fully content to more regularly ply his trade at full-back, the Aussie also relishes the idea of filling the number 10 jersey when the opportunity arises and a combination of his superb passing and kicking game and shrewd tactical brain have made Warwick a huge favourite with Munster fans. However, he knows what it is to go to Ravenhill and lose and doesn’t underestimate the challenge awaiting the side this evening.

“We have been guilty of going into our shell and maybe even being a little intimidated up there,” he acknowledged. “Hopefully we can change that now and really give it to Ulster. We are blessed with the talent in our squad and it’s what our win in the Magners League last year was based on. There is a hunger when we put on the jersey that maybe wasn’t there at the start of the season.”

Munster have won their last three games in all competitions since a 14-19 reversal at Ospreys on December 5 although their only win on the road in the league was by 22-20 at Llanelli Scarlets in September. And they have won just once away from home against an Irish province in their last six encounters – 18-0 at Leinster in September 2008.

ULSTER: J Smith; A Trimble, I Whitten, P Wallace, S Danielli; I Humphreys, I Boss; T Court, N Brady, BJ Botha, D Tuohy, E O’Donoghue, S Ferris, C Henry, W Faloon.

Replacements: A Kyriacou, D Fitzpatrick, R Caldwell, TJ Anderson, C Willis, N O’Connor, T Nagusa.

MUNSTER: D Hurley; D Howlett, L Mafi, J de Villiers, I Dowling; P Warwick, P Stringer; W du Preez, D Varley, T Buckley; M O’Driscoll, D Ryan; B Holland, N Ronan, J Coughlan.

Replacements: M Sherry, S Archer, P O’Mahony, T O’Donnell, D Williams, S Deasy, T Gleeson.

Referee: Ian Lewis (IRFU).