Rugby:Ireland and Ulster centre Paddy Wallace is expected to be out of action for between six and eight after he underwent surgery yesterday to repair tendon damage in his left thumb.
The injury means the versatile player will miss the rest of Ulster’s Heineken Cup campaign for 2011.
The next round of matches, three and four, will be played in December before the competition takes a break and resumes in the second week of January for round five.
The 32-year-old sustained the injury during Saturday’s Heineken Cup Pool 4 game against ASM Clermont Auvergne at Ravenhill.
The club’s medical staff had hoped surgery could be avoided but after reassessment on Wednesday, a decision was taken for Wallace to have an operation.
Ulster will miss the creativity of Wallace, who was a member of the Ireland Grand Slam-winning team of 2009 and was selected for Ireland in the World Cup in New Zealand this year.
As a result Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin been forced to change his starting team for the clash with Leicester Tigers at Welford Road on Saturday with Nevin Spence promoted to the starting team to combine with Darren Cave in midfield.
The other change allows Declan Fitzpatrick start at tighthead prop in place of John Afoa, who was not due to join Ulster until December and had made a prior commitment to carry out best-man duties at the wedding of New Zealand team-mate Jerome Kaino.
The promotion of Spence and Fitzpatrick means Paddy Jackson and Adam Macklin are named among the replacements. The development duo will make their European debut if they take to the field.
The one other change on the bench will see Nigel Brady providing cover at hooker instead of Andi Kyriacou, who will be given game time for the Ravens against Currie.
“To lose Paddy is a blow. After the World Cup he came back itching to play and it’s very unfortunate for him,” said McLaughlin. “But in Nevin Spence we have an able replacement and we have no doubts he a can do an excellent job for us. We are very fortunate to have a lot of depth in that area with Ian Whitten, and also Luke Marshall, who is making his way back from injury.
“Welford Road has always been a very difficult place to go. Maybe with the World Cup they haven’t got off to the best of starts but with their internationals back they will be a tough nut to crack. But we are going there full of confidence.”
Eoin Reddan will make his first start of the season in the Leinster team to face Glasgow Warriors in Sunday’s clash in the RDS (kick-off 12.45pm). Reddan partners Jonathan Sexton at halfback in a backline which shows two changes from the one which started the opening round 16-16 draw in Montpellier last weekend.
With Fergus McFadden ruled out with a dead leg, Eoin O’Malley comes in for his third Heineken Cup appearance and the 23-year-old partners Gordon D’Arcy at centre. Luke Fitzgerald continues in the back three alongside Rob Kearney and Isa Nacewa.
Seán Cronin makes his first Heineken Cup start after an impressive try-scoring display last weekend and he starts in the frontrow beside fellow Ireland international Mike Ross and Heinke van der Merwe. Leo Cullen partners Devin Toner in the secondrow with Kevin McLaughlin continuing alongside Seán O’Brien and number eight Jamie Heaslip in the backrow.
In all there are five Ireland internationals on the bench, including the fit-again Cian Healy, who missed last week’s match with a muscle strain.
Munster and coach Tony Gahan keep faith with the same starting team that delivered late against Northampton last week. Munster take a trip to the South of France, where they face Castres Olympique.
The one change to the match-day squad sees former Irish prop Marcus Horan return to the replacements bench in place of John Ryan, who came in last weekend. Horan was forced to withdraw last week with an ankle injury.
Connacht have also largely stuck with the side that narrowly fell to Harlequins in round one, with coach Eric Elwood making just one change, Dave Gannon joining Michael Swift in the secondrow, with Ray Ofisa moving to the bench.
Mike McCarthy will take his place at blindside flanker with John Muldoon at openside and George Naoupu at number eight. Brett Wilkinson, Adrian Flavin and Rodney Ah You make up the frontrow.
The backline that outscored Harlequins two tries to one last weekend remains unchanged with Paul O'Donohoe partnering Miah Nikora at halfback. The pace of Eoin Griffin coupled with the physicality of Dave McSharry complete the centre partnership, while Tiernan O’Halloran, Brian Tuohy and captain Gavin Duffy complete the backline.
As expected, Toulouse have named a side packed full of stars for Connacht’s first home game in the competition, with IRB player of the year Thierry Dusautoir returning for the first time since the World Cup final, in which he won man of the match in the loss to New Zealand.
In total the French giants have made nine changes from last weekend’s 21-17 victory over Gloucester, including the return of World Cup finalists Maxime Medard, Vincent Clerc in the backs, while hooker William Servat joins Dusautor up front.
POOL 1
Castres Olympique:F Denos; M Evans, P Bonnefond, P Garcia, M Andreu; P Bernard, T Lacrampe; A Peikrishvili, B Mach, K Wihongi, S Murray, I Tekori, J Bornman, Y Caballero, C Masoe (capt). Replacements:M Bonello, M Coetzee, L Ducalcon, M Rolland, R Capo Ortega, R Teulet, R Tales, P Lakafia
Munster:J Murphy; D Howlett, D Barnes, L Mafi, D Hurley; R O'Gara, C Murray; W du Preez, D Varley, B Botha, D Ryan, P O'Connell (capt), P O'Mahony, N Ronan, J Coughlan. Replacements:D Fogarty, M Horan, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, D Leamy, T O'Leary, I Keatley, W Chambers
Referee:Wayne Barnes (England).
POOL 4
Leicester Tigers:G Murphy (capt); H Agulla, M Smith, A Forsyth, A Tuilagi; T Flood, S Harrison; M Ayerza, G Chuter, D Cole, L Deacon, G Parling, T Croft, J Salvi, T Waldrom. Replacements:R Hawkins, B Stankovich, M Castrogiovanni, G Skivington, S Mafi, B Youngs, J Staunton, N Morris.
Ulster:S Danielli; A Trimble, D Cave, N Spence, C Gilroy; I Humphreys, P Marshall; T Court, R Best, D Fitzpatrick, J Muller (capt), D Tuohy, S Ferris, C Henry, P Wannenburg. Replacements:N Brady, P McAllister, A Macklin, L Stevenson, W Faloon, I Porter, P Jackson, A D'Arcy.
Referee:Romain Poite (France).
POOL 6
Connacht:G Duffy (capt); T O'Halloran, E Griffin, D McSharry, B Tuohy; M Nikora, P O'Donohoe; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, R Ah You, M Swift, D Gannon, M McCarthy, J Muldoon, G Naoupu. Replacements:E Reynecke, R Loughney, D Rogers, T Anderson, R Ofisa, F Murphy, N O'Connor, H Fa'afili.
Toulouse:C Poitrenaud; M Medard, F Fritz, Y Jauzion, V Clerc; L Beauxis, L Burgess; Y Montes, W Servat, C Johnston, G Lamboley, Y Maestri, J Bouilhou (capt), T Dusautoir, L Picamoles. Replacements:G Botha, J Poux, J Falefa, R Millo-Chluski, N Vergallo, Y Nyanga, L McAlister, G Galan.
Referee:Greg Garner (England).
POOL 3
Leinster:R Kearney; I Nacewa, E O'Malley, G D'Arcy, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, E Reddan; H Van Der Merwe, S Cronin, M Ross, L Cullen (capt), D Toner, K McLaughlin, S O'Brien, J Heaslip. Replacements:R Strauss, C Healy, N White, R Ruddock, S Jennings, I Boss, I Madigan, F Carr.
Glasgow Warriors:S Hogg; T Seymour, P Murchie, G Morrison, C Shaw; D Weir, C Cusiter; R Grant, P MacArthur, M Cusack, R Gray, A Kellock (capt), R Harley, J Barclay, R Wilson. Replacements:F Gillies, J Welsh, E Kalman, T Ryder, H Pyrgos, C Fusaro, T Nathan, F Aramburu.
Referee:Andrew Small (England).
