Michael Cheika is expected to include several front-line internationals when Leinster play their final warm-up match at Donnybrook on Friday evening against Northampton before facing into the first Celtic League match of the season against Ospreys the following weekend. It will be Cheika's second competitive match in charge of the side.
Flanker Keith Gleeson, frontrows Reggie Corrigan and Bernard Jackman and fullback Girvan Dempsey are expected to be granted dispensation from Ireland's pre-season programme and come into a squad that easily overran Italian side Parma 64-14 in Naas last Saturday.
A number of the younger players made impressive starts in that opening friendly game. Irish under-19 captain Robert Kearney ran in three tries, St Mary's winger James Norton two, with one from Irish under-21 number eight Jamie Heaslip. Once again Cheika will use the match to try out a number of players in various positions against a team that fell 20-18 to Munster in Thomond Park on the first leg of their Irish tour last Friday.
That augurs well for the home side, as over the years Northampton's record against Leinster has not been exceptional. The last time the teams met was in October 2000 when Leinster won back-to-back fixtures in Franklin Gardens and at home. In the Donnybrook match Gordon D'Arcy, who will not figure this weekend, became the first Irish player to score a hat-trick of tries in a Heineken European Cup match.
It will also be Leinster's first competitive match in the refurbished Donnybrook ground. The Leinster Branch have spent €500,000 re-laying the pitches and making improvements in and around the playing area. The branch, however, continue with their plans to host European Cup games in the RDS at Ballsbridge.
Ulster, who were defeated 17-9 by the touring London Irish last week, have made wholesale changes to the team to face Rotherham for their final friendly on Friday night at Ravenhill Road. Ulster are not scheduled to play in the first round of Celtic League matches at the beginning of September but face Cardiff Blues in the second week.
Mark McCall has switched seven players and made one positional adjustment to his starting team. Jonny Bell begins the match at outside centre instead of Andrew Trimble, while Scott Young takes over from Irish winger Tyrone Howe. Kieran Campbell also makes way for Reece Spee, who begins at scrumhalf.
In the pack Rory Best steps up instead of Paul Shields in the middle of the frontrow with Declan Fitzpatrick also claiming the tighthead prop position Simon Best held last week. The secondrow is also reassembled as Ryan Caldwell is given his chance to play alongside Australia's Justin Harrison.
Neil McMillan, who finally stepped on to a rugby pitch for a competitive match last week following a year of injury, comes in at openside flanker, captain Campbell Feather making the adjustment and moving to number eight with Neil Best at blindside.
Rotherham should have reasonable knowledge of Ulster as Andre Bester, the former coach of Ballymena and Belfast Harlequins, is now in charge of the English side, where four of his former 'Quins' players play.
Both Connacht and Munster have been unfortunate in their opening week, Michael Bradley losing the services of Mark McHugh, who ruptured a lateral ligament in his knee clearing the ball in the dying minutes of his side's 22-17 win over Leicester in the Sportsground. Surgery is required and the fullback will be out of the game for a possible eight months.
Mike Mullins is also a long-term casualty ahead of Munster's trip to Welford Road for Friday night's game against Leicester. Mullins ruptured his Achilles tendon and will have further scans before a recovery time-frame is known.
But he is probably in better shape than Northampton lock James Percival, who was injured in the second half of his team's game against Munster. After a long delay Percival was carried off on a stretcher from the pitch at Thomond Park and taken to Limerick Regional Hospital. Having been discharged the following morning, the 21-year-old yesterday underwent surgery in an English hospital for a fracture to his neck.
FRIENDLY MATCHES: Friday: Ulster v Rotherham, Ravenhill Road 7.30; Leinster v Northampton, Donnybrook 7.30; Leicester v Munster, Welford Road 7.45.
ULSTER (v Rotherham): B Cunningham; J Topping, J Bell, S Young; P Wallace, R Spee; B Young, R Best, D Fitzpatrick, R Caldwell, J Harrison, R Best, N McMillan, C Feather (capt). Replacements: TBC.
