By Sea_point
October 5 2006

Connacht and Ulster will both be looking to get back to winning ways on Friday when they meet in the third of this season's provincial derbies. Connacht have announced their squad for Friday nights Magners League fixture with Ulster.

MAGNERS LEAGUE: Friday, October 6

CONNACHT v ULSTER, The Sportsground, 6.30pm

Team News:

Connacht and Ulster will both be looking to get back to winning ways on Friday when they meet in the third of this season's provincial derbies.

Connacht have announced their squad for Friday nights Magners League fixture with Ulster. Not selected because of injury are Conor O'Loughlin (shoulder), Ronan Loughney (knee), Joe Merrigan (foot), David McGowan (hamstring), Conor McPhillips (hamstring), Stephen Knoop (back).

Connacht Squad: Andrew Farley, Adrian Flavin, John Fogarty, David Gannon, Ray Hogan, Chris Keane, Matt Lacey, Keith Matthews, Mark McHugh, Matt Mostyn, John Muldoon, Ray Ofisa, Colm Rigney, Daniel Riordan, Ted Robinson, Brett Sturgess, Michael Swift, Tom Tierney, Paul Warwick, Brett Wilkinson, Gavin Williams, Darren Yapp.

Neither Tommy Bowe nor Mark Bartholomeusz are included in the panel to face Connacht having both picked up hamstring injuries last weekend against Munster, consequently both Andrew Maxwell and Scott Young have been drafted into the squad. Ulster coach McCall will name his team this Thursday.

Ulster Squad: Backs - Bryn Cunningham, Andrew Maxwell, Scott Young, Paul Steinmetz, Kevin Maggs, Paddy Wallace, Andrew Trimble, David Humphreys, Isaac Boss, Kieran Campbell.

Forwards - Justin Fitzpatrick, Bryan Young, Declan Fitzpatrick, Rory Best, Paul Shields, Justin Harrison (capt), Matt McCullough, Tim Barker, Stephen Ferris, Neil Best, Kieron Dawson, Neil McMillan, Roger Wilson.

Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Touch Judges: Olan Trevor, Trevor Collins (both Ireland)

PREVIOUS LEAGUE MEETINGS:

 

November 2003	Connacht	31	Ulster	20	The Sportsground
April 2004	Ulster	42	Connacht	27	Ravenhill
September 2004	Connacht	13	Ulster	19	The Sportsground
January 2005	Ulster	23	Connacht	14	Ravenhill
October 2005	Ulster	36	Connacht	10	Ravenhill
December 2005	Connacht	22	Ulster	12	The Sportsground

 

Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against
6	2	0	4	117	152

 

MATCH FACTS:

- Connacht are winless in their last three Magners League encounters - against the Scarlets, Edinburgh and Leinster. The westerners have won just one of their last 15 games against their fellow Irish provinces - 22-12 in this equivalent fixture last season

- Champions Ulster have stuttered a little of late with two defeats in their last three matches. Away from home against fellow Irish sides, the Ulstermen have won just once since September 2004 - a 20-17 victory over Munster in Cork last December

- An indication of the experience now found in the Connacht Squad is that Chris Keane & Matt Lacey both made their 50^th Celtic/Magners League appearances in the recent draw against Edinburgh. Matt made his league debut back in season 2003-04, and Chris Keane in 2001-02.

- Lacey & Keane still have a way to go to catch up with our own Mr Nobody (Andy Farley) though, who in his four seasons with the province has made 69 league appearances. The hugely impressive feature of which is that only one was as a replacement….

- A win would take Ulster back to the top of the Magners League. They have won four of their last five clashes with Connacht, but they were held tryless when they visited Galway last December. Out-half David Humphreys kicked four penalties as the men in white were beaten by the hosts, who counted on flanker Matt Lacey, number 10 David Slemen and winger Conor McPhillips for tries

- Leading the try scorers in the Magners League for Connacht is veteran wing/full back Matt Mostyn on 2 tries. For Ulster one of the ineligibles leads the try scoring Paul Steinmetz on three tries, with Bryn Cunningham on two.

- That 22-12 victory ended a four-match losing run for Connacht. Centre-cum-out-half Paul Warwick has scored 20 points in three of the sides' last four meetings - six penalties and a conversion. McPhillips has pocketed two tries in the last three seasons against Ulster

- Connacht will be happy that Ireland winger Tommy Bowe (hamstring) is missing from the Ulster squad. The Monaghan man has bagged four tries in five outings against Connacht, including one of Ulster's five touchdowns in their 36-10 win at Ravenhill last October

- Humphreys and Connacht out-half Mark McHugh are currently the two leading scorers in the Magners League. Humphreys has collected 79 points (1 try, 10 conversions and 18 penalties) in five appearances, while McHugh's five games have seen him tally up 66 points (1 try, 5 conversions and 17 penalties).

McHugh has the slightly better kicking average at 78.57% (22 successes from 28 attempts) with Humphreys on 77.78% (28 out of 36)