Performing players will force Anscombe’s hand

Ulster coach Mark Anscombe has major selection headaches ahead of Friday’s Heineken Cup trip away to Northampton.

The province top Pool 4 and are chasing their 50th victory in tournament history at Franklin’s Garden.

But with a near full squad available, Anscombe admits there are some “tough decisions” to make this week.

Will it be new Ireland sensation Craig Gilroy or Andrew Trimble on the left wing; Darren Cave or Luke Marshall in midfield alongside Paddy Wallace, Tom Court or Callum Black at loose-head, while Nick Williams is vying for the number six jersey against young Ireland tyro Iain Henderson.

“This is what a coach wants,” enthuses Anscombe. “We talk about players performing and forcing our hands for selection, which in turn makes it easy for us.

“Players have already been told who is playing and the ones that have missed out have been outstandingly positive. In order to survive you need good internal competition through a long season. You certainly cannot survive on 15 players alone.”

Anscombe insisted he is notconcerned by the short turnaround since Sunday’s Rabodirect Pro 12 league win over Scarlets.

“It’s tough but we have known about it for some time so there are no excuses. We’ve just got on with it. The boys were back on duty on Monday, despite a problem with delayed flight back home. I didn’t hear any gripes since despite some getting to their beds by three in the morning. To me that shows the guys are focused on the job in hand and not looking for excuses.”

And he knows the strength of the challenge facing them against the Saints. “They have a very strong pack and their game is built around that. They don’t hide from that fact and they are confident. We have to compete with that. Their set-piece is very strong and they just love scrummaging. They get a lot of penalties in that area and they have also a big maul from the line-out. So we have to be excited about meeting that challenge head-on and not heading from it. So basically we have to hold that, and conquer it.”

ULSTER SQUAD (v Northampton) Forwards: R Herring, R Best, N Brady, R Lutton, C Black, T Court, J Afoa, N McComb, J Muller, D Tuohy, I Henderson, R Diack, C Henry, M McComish, R Wilson, N Williams. Backs: R Pienaar, P Marshall, P Jackson, P Wallace, L Marshall, D Cave, M Allen, T Bowe, A Trimble, C Gilroy, J Payne.