If Connacht were religious they might think someone up there had it in for them

Is AJ MacGinty leaving for the good of his health?

It was announced on Thursday that the 26-year-old United States out-half is to join Sale during the summer, the former Blackrock student signed to replace the departing Danny Cipriani at the Premiership club. MacGinty, like all Connacht's fly-halves, is currently injured and, announcing his team for Friday's PRO12 derby with Ulster, coach Pat Lam revealed that the province's emergency 10 was struck down with illness earlier in the week. With MacGinty, Craig Ronaldson and Jack Carty already unavailable, it was looking for a time like former coach and all-time Connacht great Eric Elwood might have to dust off his kicking boots for the trip to Ravenhill. However it seem former Grenoble pivot Shane O'Leary has got over his sickness in time to make his 10th appearance for the Westerners. However he will be joined in the half-backs by John Cooney after first-choice scrum-half Kieran Marmion suffered a quad injury and Tiernan O'Halloran's absence makes it FOURTEEN players unavailable due to injury/illness/acts of a vengeful god. Lam, who has led Connacht to an unlikely perch at the top of the table, is remaining philosophical.

"Our squad depth is strong in all positions except 10 and 15 so to lose AJ  to injury, have Shane  go down with sickness at the start of a short week and then have Tiernan and Kieran drop out with injuries at kicking practice, it is a challenge to say the least," said the head coach. "However once again I believe it is an opportunity for us to strengthen our resolve and continue to rely on our team systems and work ethic.  "History and the short turnaround is certainly against us for the massive physical challenge that awaits us from Ulster, but we go there knowing that focussing on the quality of our team performance will give us the best chance of getting the points on offer."

Recent Ireland international, second-row Ultan Dillane, is fit enough for a place on the bench. In an interesting side note, Ireland's first-choice centre partnership of Robbie Henshaw and Jared Payne will line up opposite each other in Belfast, at full-back.