Fitzgerald to make long-awaited Leinster comeback

Luke Fitzgerald will make his first Leinster appearance since March in the side's European Champions Cup encounter against Castres at Stade Pierre-Antoine on Sunday (1pm Irish time).

Fitzgerald has been beset by abdomen and groin issues since Leinster's 22-18 Pro12 win over Munster at Aviva Stadium on 29 March, but is ready to return to the fray after undergoing surgery.

Fitzgerald comes in on the left wing and Darragh Fanning moves to the right wing. As a result, Zane Kirchner switches from the right wing to full-back.

Mike Ross and Rob Kearney will play no part in Sunday's game after failing to recovery from injuries sustained late last week.

The front row remains unchanged, but Mike McCarthy drops to the bench as Kane Douglas partners Devin Toner in the second row.

Isaac Boss starts at scrum-half instead of Eoin Reddan, with Jimmy Gopperth lining up at at ten.

Outside of them, Ian Madigan moves from full-back to inside centre, with Gordon D'Arcy again selected at 13. Noel Reid, who started at 12 last week, reverts to the bench.

Jamie Heaslip once again captains the side in what will be his 191st game for Leinster.

Leinster: Kirchner, Fanning, D'Arcy, Madigan, Fitzgerald, Gopperth, Boss, J McGrath, Cronin, Bent, Toner, Douglas, Ruddock, Ryan, Heaslip (capt)

Replacements: Strauss, Byrne, Furlong, McCarthy, Conan, Reddan, Reid, M McGrath.

Ulster head coach Neil Doak has made two changes to their team for Saturday's Champions Cup Pool 3 game against Toulon at Kingspan Stadium (kick-off 1pm), with Stuart Olding and Roger Wilson both starting.

Olding replaces Stuart McCloskey at inside centre, with Wilson coming in for Nick Williams at number eight.

The rest of the team is unchanged with Louis Ludik at full-back, Tommy Bowe on the right wing, Jared Payne at outside centre, Craig Gilroy on the left wing, Paul Marshall at scrum-half and Paddy Jackson is retained at out-half while Ian Humphreys comes onto the bench.

Andrew Warwick is selected at loosehead beside captain Rory Best with Wiehahn Herbst continuing at tighthead.

Franco van der Merwe and Lewis Stevenson continue their partnership in the second row, while Chris Henry and Robbie Diack start either side of Wilson in the back row.

Rob Herring, Callum Black, Declan Fitzpatrick, Clive Ross, Nick Williams, Michael Heaney and Darren Cave complete the squad.

Ulster salvaged a bonus point from a 25-18 defeat by Leicester Tigers last weekend, while Toulon beat the Scarlets 28-18 in their opening game.

Ulster are still without influential South African scrum-half Ruan Pienaar, toe injury victim Andrew Trimble and second row men Iain Henderson and Dan Tuohy, the latter three all long-term absentees.

Furthermore, Ireland centre Luke Marshall faces a spell on the sidelines after limping off with a suspected medial cruciate ligament injury in the Ulster Ravens' 22-17 British and Irish Cup defeat by Yorkshire at the Kingspan Stadium.

Ulster: Ludik; Bowe, Payne, Olding, Gilroy; Jackson, Marshall, Warwick, Best (capt), Herbst, Stevenson, Van der Merwe, Diack, Henry, Wilson.

Replacements: Herring, Black, Fitzpatrick, Ross, Williams, Heaney, Humphreys, Cave.

Connacht head coach Pat Lam has made eight personnel changes from the starting XV that beat La Rochelle last weekend to play Exeter at Sandy Park on Saturday (3pm).

Loosehead prop Denis Buckley is recalled, while tighthead Nathan White has been handed the captaincy in the absence of John Muldoon, who is rested this week having started every game prior to this one.

The competition's highest-capped player Michael Swift is named in the second row for his second appearance of the season and he is partnered by the returning Mick Kearney.

Galway man Andrew Browne starts in a back row with Willie Faloon and George Naoupu.

There are changes to the backline with the introduction of Niyi Adeolokun, Dave McSharry and Ian Porter.

Craig Ronaldson, who started the last three games at inside centre, has this week been handed the reins at out-half.

Connacht: Darragh Leader, Niyi Adeolokun, Robbie Henshaw, Dave McSharry, Danie Poolman, Craig Ronaldson, Ian Porter; Denis Buckley, Jason Harris-Wright, Nathan White (capt), Michael Swift, Mick Kearney, Andrew Browne, Willie Faloon, George Naoupu.

Replacements: Dave Heffernan, Ronan Loughney, Rodney Ah You, Aly Muldowney, Danny Qualter, Caolin Blade, Jack Carty, Fionn Carr.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Fitzgerald to make long-awaited Leinster comeback

Dengan url

http://olahragaenjoy.blogspot.com/2014/10/fitzgerald-to-make-long-awaited.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Fitzgerald to make long-awaited Leinster comeback

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Fitzgerald to make long-awaited Leinster comeback

sebagai sumbernya

Olahraga Enjoy