As this stage we’ve all heard of and watched in increasing horror at the lives lost and damage caused by the earthquake off Sumatra on December 26 2004. However, there is still something that we can do to help.
Ulster out-half David Humphreys returns for Saturday’s Celtic League clash with Connacht in Belfast. Humphreys’s inclusion is the only change to the starting line-up from the narrow defeat to Leinster last Monday.
David Wallace will be available for Munster’s New Year’s Day clash with Leinster. Wallace has recovered enough from a neck injury to make the 26 man Munster squad but John Kelly hasn’t made the squad with Gaffney indicating that Kelly isn’t better just yet.
Leinster coach Declan Kidney is expected to name a full strength team to face Munster on New Year’s Day. Girvan Dempsey who missed Leinster last match returns to the squad which contains all of Leinsters Irish Internationals.
Today saw the first of two weekends of derbies in the Celtic League with Munster visiting Connacht and Ulster making the trip to Dublin to face Leinster. In the end it was the kickers, Paul Burke for Munster and Felipe Contepomi for Leinster who saw their teams to narrow victories.
Munster coach Alan Gaffney has decided to choose an experimental side for his side’s trip to Galway on Monday to fact Connacht. The back-line in particular has an experimental feel to it with Mike Mullins and Rob Henderson being given time off for Jason Holland and James Storey to get a start.
With some injury worries and the nature of the Christmas break, Connacht coach Eric Elwood has like the other provinces decided to name delay selection of his side in favour of a 25-strong squad for next Monday’s clash with Munster at the Sportsgound kick off 2pm.
Ireland winger Tommy Bowe has signed a four-year full-time professional contract with Ulster. Twenty-year-old Bowe had been on a development contract with the Irish province for the last two years.
Ulster coach Mark McCall has named a squad of 26 players from which he will name his match-day 22 on Sunday for the clash with Leinster on Monday.
Alan Gaffney has named a 25 man squad for the trip to Connacht next Monday. The squad sees the return of Anthony Foley and Anthony Horgan, both of whom were rested last week, while both Ronan O’Gara and Peter Stringer have been rested for this match.