\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/euro.gif\" "\\"Click")
<\/a>\nUp front, Callum Black, who arrived in Belfast during the summer from Worcester, will make his senior Ulster debut at loosehead prop, while Academy player Ali Birch, a mainstay of the Ulster Ravens side, will make his first senior appearance at openside flanker. Birch is joined in the back row by Robbie Diack and Neil McComb, who while more used to the second row, will don the no6 jersey.<\/p>\n
Tim Barker and Lewis Stevenson form an experienced second row combination, while Black is joined by captain Nigel Brady, and Adam Macklin in the front row.<\/p>\n
On the bench, Niall Annett, James Simpson, Conor Joyce and Stuart Olding are all in line for a debut if their services are required while Jerry Cronin, Ian Porter, Conor Gaston and Ireland international Tom Court are the other replacements.<\/p>\n
RaboDirect PRO12 table topping Leinster are unbeaten in their last eleven fixtures in all competitions since Glasgow lowered their colours at the RDS on 17 September. The Leinstermen\u2019s only defeat in their last five clashes with a fellow Irish province was 9-19 to Munster in last season\u2019s final.<\/p>\n
Ulster have won their last three games but have not won away from home in the RaboDirect PRO12 since a trip to Aironi on 10 September. The Ulstermen\u2019s most recent victory on the road to a fellow Irish province was on 25 September 2009 in Connacht.<\/p>\n
Ulster Match Day Squad to face Leinster, Monday 26th December, RDS, Dublin (kick-off 5.30pm)
\n(15-9): P Nelson; C Cochrane, M Allen, C Farrell, S Danielli; J McKinney, P Marshall;
\n(1-8): C Black, N Brady (capt), A Macklin, T Barker, L Stevenson, N McComb, A Birch, R Diack;
\nReplacements (16-23): N Annett, J Cronin, T Court, J Simpson, C Joyce, I Porter, S Olding, C Gaston<\/p>\n
Player Information<\/p>\n
Peter Nelson
\nDOB: 05.10.92
\nHeight: 1.79m
\nWeight: 82kg
\nPosition: Fullback
\nClub: Dungannon<\/p>\n
Chris Cochrane
\nDOB: 18.12.88
\nHeight: 1.84m
\nWeight: 90kg
\nPosition: Wing
\nClub: Dungannon<\/p>\n
Michael Allen
\nDOB: 28.11.90
\nHeight: 1.81m
\nWeight: 96kg
\nPosition: Centre
\nClub: Belfast Harlequins<\/p>\n
Chris Farrell
\nDOB: 16.03.93
\nHeight: 1.95m
\nWeight: 102kg
\nPosition: Centre
\nClub: Dungannon<\/p>\n
Ali Birch
\nDOB: 13.10.88
\nHeight: 1.88m
\nWeight: 98kg
\nPosition: Back row
\nClub: Dungannon<\/p>\n
Niall Annett
\nDOB: 07.05.91
\nHeight: 1.85m
\nWeight: 102kg
\nPosition: Hooker
\nClub: Belfast Harlequins<\/p>\n
James Simpson
\nDOB: 03.11.90
\nHeight: 1.96m
\nWeight: 109kg
\nPosition: Second row
\nClub: Ballymena<\/p>\n
Conor Joyce
\nDOB: 05.07.93
\nHeight: 1.91m
\nWeight: 103kg
\nPosition: Back row
\nClub: Queen\u2019s University<\/p>\n
Stuart Olding
\nDOB: 11.03.93
\nHeight: 1.80m
\nWeight: 87kg
\nPosition: Outhalf
\nClub: Belfast Harlequins<\/p>\n
Conor Gaston
\nDOB: 05.08.90
\nHeight: 1.86m
\nWeight: 96kg
\nPosition: Wing
\nClub: Dungannon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin has handed competitive debuts to five players for the RaboDirect PRO12 Boxing Day clash against Leinster at the RDS (kick off 5.30). With two games in the space of just four days, McLaughlin has had to make full use of his entire squad over the festive period. Following the Boxing Day […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1100,6809,8324,6966,6722,8321,6505,4275,7132,8323,6870,8322,6953,3959,1997,4281],"class_list":["post-20132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ulster-rugby","tag-allen","tag-black","tag-callum","tag-chris","tag-debutants","tag-farrell","tag-five","tag-i","tag-james","tag-mckinney","tag-michael","tag-nelson","tag-peter","tag-rugby","tag-ulster","tag-xv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20132"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20135,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20132\/revisions\/20135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}