Tough Task Tomorrow Night

Munster travel to Ulster tomorrow night to face the northern province in the RaboDirect PRO12 for the first time this season (ko 7:05pm).

It will be a tricky encounter for Rob Penney’s league leaders as they have won only once at Ravenhill since 2007 – a 16-6 win in October 2010 – with Ulster losing just one home game in the last 11 months.

The sides had contrasting fortunes in their respective Irish derbies last week as Munster overcame Connacht 22-16 for their ninth win in a row with Ulster falling to a disappointing 19-6 loss to Leinster at the RDS.

That defeat ended the side’s five-game winning run but if they can overcome Munster, Mark Anscombe’s side will move back into the top four.

Scrum-half Cathal Sheridan is in the first XV after making his first Heineken Cup start away to Perpignan last month and, with another difficult away trip looming, is reaping the rewards from that baptism of fire.

“I think it definitely gives you more confidence, you just have that bit of belief in yourself that if you go to a place like Perpignan and deal with what they have to throw at you.

“But, at the same time, you can’t be looking back to last week. You have to think this is a different team, different set-up, different week, so you have to prepare as if you didn’t do anything last week and you are not going to be doing anything next week. You have to be ready for this week coming.

“You always know what to expect when you go up to Ulster. Any of the senior lads who have been there year in and year out will tell you. You are never going to get an easy game up there.

"I know it is a cliché, but it’s the fact of the matter. It could be in the Heineken Cup or the Rabo, but at the end of the day it is an inter-pro game between Munster and Ulster and they are always something to be savoured.”

Rob Penney has made 12 changes to the side that beat Connacht with Ireland captain Paul O'Connell and Munster captain Peter O'Mahony two notable inclusions in the side.

Ulster v Munster will be shown live on RTE and BBC Northern Ireland tomorrow night (ko 7:05pm).

Munster’s next home game is against Edinburgh in their final game of Pool 6 on Sunday, January 19th (ko 12:45pm) and tickets are still available here.

Munster: Felix Jones; Andrew Conway, Casey Laulala, Ivan Dineen, Ronan O'Mahony; Ian Keatley, Cathal Sheridan; Dave Kilcoyne, Damien Varley, Stephen Archer; Donncha O'Callaghan, Paul O'Connell; Peter O'Mahony Capt., Tommy O'Donnell, James Coughlan. Replacements: Duncan Casey, John Ryan, BJ Botha, Dave Foley, CJ Stander, Duncan Williams, Johnny Holland, Johne Murphy.