Skipper: Leo Cullen
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Leo Cullen will captain an all-Ireland qualified XV in their PRO12 visit to Ravenhill where they take on Ulster.
Selection for the trip to Belfast mixes youth and experience. Gordon D'Arcy partners Brendan Macken at centre, with Eoin Reddan set to make his 74th appearance at scrum-half where he will link up with Ian Madigan for the Friday fixture.
Kevin McLaughlin returns to the back-row alongside fellow internationals Jamie Heaslip and Sean O'Brien, while tighthead prop Michael Bent will make his second start for the province after being named alongside hooker Sean Cronin and loosehead Cian Healy in the front-row.
Former CBS Naas back Adam Byrne is named on the bench and is in line to make his senior bow after impressing with two tries for the British & Irish Cup side in last weekend's victory over Jersey. Byrne features on a bench alongside the likes of Isaac Boss and Rhys Ruddock.
Meanwhile, Ulster head coach Mark Anscombe has made three personnel changes and two positional switches to the side that lost to Northampton for Friday's PRO12 game.
Following Tommy Bowe's knee injury against the Saints last week, Andrew Trimble switches to the right wing, with fellow Ireland international, Craig Gilroy on the left.
Luke Marshall starts at inside centre alongside Darren Cave with Paddy Wallace named on the bench. Paddy Jackson and Ruan Pienaar continue their half-back partnership, while full-back Jared Payne will be looking to add to his record of having scored five tries in nine games in the RaboDirect PRO12 so far this season.
Tom Court, Rory Best and John Afoa all start in an unchanged front row.
Second-row Dan Tuohy suffered a torn calf muscle against Northampton - his place is taken by Neil McComb. In the other changes to the pack, Nick Williams moves from blindside flanker to eight with Roger Wilson dropping to the bench. Robbie Diack starts at six.
Four players have been called up to the bench - Rob Herring, Adam Macklin, Alan O'Connor and Adam D'Arcy.
The teams:
Ulster: 15 Jared Payne, 14 Andrew Trimble, 13 Darren Cave, 12 Luke Marshall, 11 Craig Gilroy, 10 Paddy Jackson, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Nick Williams, 7 Chris Henry (c), 6 Robbie Diack, 5 Neil McComb, 4 Iain Henderson, 3 John Afoa, 2 Rory Best, 1 Tom Court.
Replacements: 16 Rob Herring, 17 Callum Black, 18 Adam Macklin, 19 Alan O'Connor, 20 Roger Wilson, 21 Paul Marshall, 22 Paddy Wallace, 23 Adam D'Arcy.
Leinster: 15 Noel Reid, 14 Andrew Conway, 13 Brendan Macken, 12 Gordon D'Arcy, 11 Fergus McFadden, 10 Ian Madigan, 9 Eoin Reddan, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Sean O'Brien, 6 Kevin McLaughlin, 5 Devin Toner, 4 Leo Cullen (capt), 3 Michael Bent, 2 Sean Cronin, 1 Cian Healy.
Replacements: 16 Aaron Dundon, 17 Heinke van der Merwe, 18 Jamie Hagan, 19 Tom Denton, 20 Rhys Ruddock, 21 Isaac Boss, 22 Andrew Goodman, 23 Adam Byrne.
Date: Friday, December 21
Kick-off: 19:05
Venue: Ravenhill
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland), Olly Hodges (Ireland)
Television match official: Dermot Moloney (Ireland)
Comments
new_j4a says...
@KentBrockman, Theshaw, Gleek, Very good advice for @damo.....so good that I suggest you try it yourselves.....from wikipedia: "The word journeyman comes from the French word journée, which means a period of one day. The title refers to the journeyman's right to charge a fee for each day's work." A journeyman is just one step above apprentice and one below master craftsman.....and only in some times and places was travel involved...."In parts of Europe, as in later medieval Germany, spending time as a wandering journeyman (Wandergeselle), moving from one town to another to gain experience of different workshops, was an important part of the training of an aspirant master.:" Now what were you saying about people looking like fools?
Posted 17:20 05th January 2013
makemehappy says...
@leinster_goy - you need to grow up. Evidence please. Now back to supporting sexy boy lol - what an awful name!
Posted 10:08 01st January 2013
leinster_goy says...
damo = makemehappy's alter ego?
Posted 14:21 21st December 2012
Gleek says...
@damo - how can a player who has only played at one club be considered a journeyman?
Posted 10:52 21st December 2012
Theshaw says...
@ damo journey man!? Do you know what a journey man is?
Posted 09:49 21st December 2012
curates_egg says...
@damo good man Damo. Keep up your anti-D'Arcy trolling, Deccie definitely reads the PR comments ;)
D'Arcy fell off a few too many tackles against Clermont. Glad he is back at 12.
Was hopeful for Cave but was disappointed he didn't take his opportunity as well as all others against Fiji.
Posted 09:41 21st December 2012
KentBrockman says...
@damo I really think you need to find out the meaning of "Journeyman" before commenting. Just make yourself look like a fool.
Posted 08:15 21st December 2012
Dannyboy says...
Have to say, I love these Christmas games and the local nature of it.
I'll go for a walk down Dun Laoghaire pier, maybe meet a friend, then to the pub bout 5, sink a few Guinness and let the lovely work-free Christmassy feeling do it's thing.
Happy Christmas to all the rugby heads out there! Have a great one!
Posted 06:54 21st December 2012
damo says...
Hope Cave and Marshall show Darcy up for the washed up journeyman he has become the past few years!!!!! Kidney better be watching. I think this will be close, ulster by 1
Posted 22:49 20th December 2012
curates_egg says...
Very strong looking Ulster side. Very experimental Leinster backline - has Reid even played 15 before?
Even if Leinster has selected a strong pack, the outstanding Ulster scrum and the misfiring Leinster lineout, should mean the superior Ulster backline comes out on top.
Ulster to break their Leinster hoodoo and win by a couple of scores at home.
Posted 15:22 20th December 2012