MAGNERS LEAGUE Scarlets v Ulster:IMPORTANT GAME for Ulster if they are to challenge for the play-offs, especially considering the Scarlets are six points ahead of them alongside third-placed Cardiff Blues in the table.
From an Irish context it also has serious value considering Andrew Trimble is given the chance to challenge for a place in the team, or at least the squad, to face Scotland on Sunday week.
Presuming Tommy Bowe comes straight back into the national starting XV, then it appears Trimble is against Keith Earls, Fergus McFadden and Paddy Wallace for either the number 11 or 22 jersey at Murrayfield.
Trimble’s return from a hand injury tonight sees Craig Gilroy switch wings and Simon Danielli drop to the bench. This is further indication of the rapid progress of the man Mike Ruddock would dearly like to build the Irish under-20s attack around.
It is difficult to gage just how the Irish management rates Wallace, as they did not use him as an impact sub despite the recent dip in form by incumbent Irish inside centre Gordon D’Arcy. Wallace is not considered as outhalf cover either, so he must be boiling over with eagerness to prove he is more than a bench-warmer this evening.
Wallace’s primary role will be to bring this season’s best breakthrough artist, Nevin Spence, into play. The same applies to Ian Humphreys, who returns to outhalf after a shoulder problem.
Tom Court is the another returnee from international duty, having featured for 23 minutes against France, but significantly, Rory Best and, of course, Stephen Ferris are unavailable.
Best has been held back by the Irish camp having started against Italy and France, while Ferris has yet to recover from the knee cartilage damage sustained against Aironi last January in what seemed innocuous circumstances but is now likely to rule him out of a third Six Nations match.
As a result, TJ Anderson, Chris Henry and Pedrie Wannenburg make up a backrow that comes up against a Scarlets loose trio bolstered by the release of Josh Turnbull and Rob McCusker from the Welsh squad. Outhalf Rhys Priestland and Scottish winger Sean Lamont also return.
All told, Ulster have enough about them to recover from defeat to the Ospreys and maintain the pressure on the five clubs ahead of them in the Magners League.
SCARLETS: D Evans; G Maule, R King, S Williams, S Lamont; R Priestland, M Roberts; I Thomas (capt), E Phillips, R Thomas; V Cooper, L Reed; R McCusker, J Turnbull, B Morgan. Replacements: R Lawrence, R Jones, S Gardiner, J Fa'amatuainu, J Edwards, T Knoyle, D Newton, J Ajuwa.
ULSTER: A D'Arcy; A Trimble, N Spence, P Wallace, C Gilroy; I Humphreys, R Pienaar; T Court, A Kyriacou, D Fitzpatrick; J Muller, T Barker; TJ Anderson, C Henry, P Wannenburg. Replacements: N Brady, J Cronin, B Young, R Caldwell, R Diack, P Marshall, L Marshall, S Danielli.
Referee: A MacPherson(SRU).
Verdict: Ulster to win.
