Ulster v Munster (Sat)

MAGNERS LEAGUE
Venue: Ravenhill Date: Saturday, 2 January Kick-off: 1800 GMT
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio Ulster medium wave and the BBC Sport website

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Stephen Ferris is back in the Ulster starting line-up

Ulster's Magners League match against Munster at Ravenhill will go ahead on Saturday evening following an afternoon pitch inspection.

Ireland stars Stephen Ferris, Tom Court, Paddy Wallace and Andrew Trimble are all back in the Ulster team.

Munster are minus their current Ireland regulars although Peter Stringer, Doug Howlett and Jean de Villiers do start.

Ferris, Court, Wallace and Trimble displace Thomas Anderson, Bryan Young, Darren Cave and Timoci Nagusa.

Ian Humphreys also returns at fly-half in place of Niall O'Connor while Jamie Smith is retained at full-back.

Ronan O'Gara, Tomas O'Leary, Paul O'Connell, David Wallace, John Hayes and Donncha O'Callaghan are among the Munster absentees because of IRFU regulations on international players.

Felix Jones, Nick Williams and Julien Brugnaut are out injured in a team which has six changes from the Boxing Day win over Connacht.

Howlett and Lifeimi Mafi return to the Munster team after missing the Boxing Day win.

Munster coach Tony McGahan makes six changes - two of those positional - for the trip to Belfast.

Two of those changes are forced on McGahan by the injuries to Jones in the game against Connacht and to Williams who sustained a knee injury at training on Tuesday.

Denis Hurley switches from the wing to full-back with James Coughlan replacing Williams at number eight.

We have to go to town with them up front Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin

The other change up front sees Wian du Preez replace the injured Brugnaut (groin) while McGahan's bench has a decidedly youthful look to it.

Tom Gleeson is the only non-Academy or Development player in the replacements with Alan Quinlan missing out.

Paul Warwick starts at number 10 while Mick O'Driscoll will captain the side.

Despite last weekend's 15-3 by Leinster, Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin took positives from his team's display.

"I thought that we competed well but should have made a lot more of our scoring opportunities," said McLaughlin.

"We definitely deserved at least something from that game.

"It is Munster this Saturday, a home match at Ravenhill.

"We have to make sure we are up for the game, we have to compete and we have to make sure we beat them at Ravenhill.

"We have to go to town with them up front and we have to show that we are more than capable of dealing with them."

Reigning Magners League champions Munster currently lie fourth in the table, with Ulster back in eighth.

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Ulster: J Smith, A Trimble, I Whitten, P Wallace, S Danielli, I Humphreys, I Boss, T Court, N Brady, BJ Botha, E O'Donoghue, D Tuohy, S Ferris, W Faloon, C Henry (capt). Replacements: A Kyriacou, D Fitzpatrick, R Caldwell, TJ Anderson, C Willis, N O'Connor, T Nagusa.

Munster: Denis Hurley; Doug Howlett, Lifeimi Mafi, Jean de Villiers, Ian Dowling; P Warwick, P Stringer; W du Preez, D Varley,T Buckley; M O'Driscoll, D Ryan; B Holland, N Ronan, J Coughlan. Replacements: M Sherry, S Archer, P O'Mahony, T O'Donnell, D Williams, S Deasy, T Gleeson.