All Black World Cup winner Stephen Donald on the way to Ulster

While Ulster’s players and management insist that the focus is entirely on Saturday’s lunchtime clash with Pool 1 leaders La Rochelle, it’s become clearer who will be replacing Christian Leali’ifano when the Wallaby’s short-term contract ends this month.

As the Irish Examiner reported, 2011 World Cup-winning out-half Stephen Donald is to join up with the squad in February, the 34-year-old expected to arrive in Belfast in time for the resumption of the Guinness PRO14 series. A former team-mate of Ulster head coach Jono Gibbes at Waikato’s Super Rugby outfit, the Chiefs, Donald is currently playing in Japan where the season is coming to a close.

Though there’ll be no official confirmation of Donald’s recruitment for some days, Ulster operations manager Bryn Cunningham has revealed that an overseas No.10 has been identified and that director of rugby Les Kiss is happy with the outcome.