News: Ulster's signing yesterday of Kiwi scrumhalf Isaac Boss has completed their squad roster for this season.
Mark McCall's addition to his Celtic League toppers arrived in Belfast yesterday, having travelled overnight from New Zealand. The Super 12 player will immediately undergo a routine medical check and is scheduled to get a quick taste of action this weekend.
On his arrival, Boss was whisked off to the Ulster press conference at Newforge Lane, where he was promptly named on the Ulster A side that will face Leinster tomorrow at 7pm in Navan. Two and a half days to adjust? That is a baptism of fire.
Boss comes to Ulster from the Waikato (NPC) and the Wellington Hurricanes (Super 12) and was a member of the New Zealand Under-19 Rugby World Cup team in 1999.
More importantly from an IRFU point of view, the 25-year-old, who is also comfortable playing at fullback, has Irish ancestry and qualifies to play for Ireland.
He is highly rated in New Zealand and is said to be good enough to put Peter Stringer under pressure.
In the Celtic League, Ulster face Leinster on Saturday at 5.30pm in Donnybrook, and McCall names largely the same team that defeated Newport Dragons 22-19 last week.
David Humphreys comes into the starting line-up at outhalf in place of Adam Larkin. Humphreys failed a fitness test on an ankle injury on the morning of last week's match, but has recovered enough to face Leinster.
Ulster continue with their rejigged backline, with Andrew Trimble and Kevin Maggs in the new-look midfield, without the injured Paul Steinmetz and with James Topping on the left wing.
In Connacht, Michael Bradley's bleak beginning to the week has brightened up a little with the news that his first-pick outhalf, Paul Warwick, is rated 60-40 to line out against Munster at the Sportsground on Saturday (at the earlier-than-usual time of 2pm).
Bradley has, therefore, not had to haul his current assistant coach and former Ireland outhalf, Eric Elwood, out of retirement and into his 24-man squad for the Celtic League clash. The clear hope now is that Warwick will make the field despite the recurrence of a rib injury against Borders on Saturday.
If the number 10 does pass a fitness test he will help patch up the midfield, but Bradley is also concerned over two other injured players: Tom Tierney (groin) and Christian Short (ankle). As a result Andrew Gallagher and Conor O'Loughlin have been added to the squad as cover.
Furthermore, Connacht are awaiting confirmation on the availability of Conor McPhillips following his involvement in the Irish international squad's three-day training session this week.
McPhillips was a member of the Ireland squad that toured Japan this summer, but was unfortunate not to win his first cap.
He has started this season in good form, scoring a try in his opening game, and if he turns up on Friday in full working order he will start the match.
ULSTER: P Wallace; T Bowe, A Trimble, K Maggs, J Topping, D Humphreys, K Campbell; J Fitzpatrick, R Best, S Best (capt); J Harrison, M McCullough; N Best, N McMillan, R Wilson. Replacements: P Shields, B Young, R Frost, C Feather, R Spee, A Larkin, T Howe.
CONNACHT: Forwards - D McFarland, R Hogan, S Knoop, J Fogarty, C Venter, C Short, A Farley (captain), A Gallagher, M Swift, J Muldoon, M Lacey, B O'Connor, C Rigney. Backs - T Tierney, C Keane, C O'Loughlin, P Warwick, D Slemen, C McPhillips, T Robinson, K Matthews, M Mostyn, D Yapp, J Downey.
