Celtic League Ulster v Cardiff, Ravenhill, 7.30 From an Ulster standpoint, a one-point victory over bottom-of-the table Borders last week was a Godsend when you're stumbling from one defeat to another. The northern province have lost four matches on the trot in this competition. They hope to continue their rehabilitation tonight.
They face a Cardiff team - it won't be finalised because of injuries until about an hour before kick-off - who have cobbled together successive wins in the Celtic League for the first time since rounds 14 and 15 last season. However, the Blues have not won away since they beat Leinster 22-18 at Donnybrook on March 5th.
Ulster will also take heart from the fact they have already beaten the Blues at Ravenhill this season, 21-16 in a European Cup match.
Scot Campbell Feather will lead Ulster from number eight. Coach Mark McCall has had 12 players unavailable through injury or international commitments. Andy Ward could be out for six to eight weeks with the knee injury he sustained last weekend. There are three changes of personnel and two positional changes from the Borders game.
Scott Young comes in on the right wing with Andrew Maxwell switching to the left for the absent Tyrone Howe (knee). Ronan McCormack is introduced at loosehead for Simon Best, on Ireland duty, while a shortage of back row players necessitates a switch to blindside flanker for Matt McCullough. Gary Longwell is named in the second row.
There are three alterations to the bench with Ballymena prop Bryan Young included while Ulster's latest signing, Gavin Pfister, may well get his first run out tonight. Gifted young centre Andrew Trimble is named in the squad for the first time.
Cardiff captain and former Welsh international second row Craig Quinnell faces a late fitness test on a leg injury. Scrumhalf Dean Dewdney is out with a mouth injury but Tristan Davies and Nick Walne are fit.
The home side has managed to win the clashes between these sides in recent times and that is a record that Ulster would dearly love to preserve.
ULSTER: B Cunningham; S Young, J Bell, P Steinmetz, A Maxwell; A Larkin, K Campbell; R McCormack, P Shields, R Moore; G Longwell, R Frost, M McCullough, C Feather (capt), N Best. Replacements: N Brady, B Young, G Brown, G Pfister, N Doak, S Mallon, A Trimble.
CARDIFF: tbc
Referee: Iain Ramage (SRU)
Recent meetings: October 2003 (CL) at Ravenhill: Ulster 32 Cardiff Blues 7; April 2004 (CL) at Arms Park: Cardiff Blues 19 Ulster 15; October 2004 (EC) at Ravenhill: Ulster 21 Cardiff Blues 16. Leading points scorers: Ulster - David Humphreys 39; Cardiff - Lee Thomas 42.
Verdict: Ulster.
