City of Armagh chief Chris Parker looking to tick off season first as side seek All-Ireland League table progression

Chris Parker’s side, who are searching for their first home win of the season, welcome Lansdowne to the Palace Grounds as they try to close the gap on the top four.

“That is exactly the monkey we need off our backs,” said Parker. “It has been spoken about that we just can’t keep winning away and not be able to produce the goods at home or be happy with narrow defeats at home.

“This week we very much need to get that monkey off our back and try to get a home victory. Every week you are looking up above you and we are still within touching distance of fourth is the way are looking at it and Young Munster and Con aren’t that far ahead of us.

“We are definitely not looking behind us – we’re looking up. If we could get four points at the weekend it would certainly keep pushing us in the right direction.”

Parker was delighted with the victory at Young Munster last time out.

“Fantastic result,” he added. “We probably made life a bit difficult for ourselves at the end – we could have been more comfortable.

“It was a fantastic performance on the road and I thought the boys really pitched up and delivered on what we had asked them to...we can take a lot of confidence from it.

“There is an obvious trend from the Young Munster and Terenure games where we have given away very few penalties at times. In those periods when we haven’t given away many penalties, we have profited massively and in those periods where we have given away a lot of penalties we have struggled and haven’t had much ball or possession.

“We have tried to emphasis to the boys if we can keep our penalty count down and look after the ball we’ll profit.

“The big focus is to try and keep good at the stuff we have been good at around keeping our penalty count down and when we get the ball try to look after it in the right areas of the park.”

It is the last home game of the calendar year for Armagh.

“It would be great to finish on a high and nice to get that off the backs with a home win and keep pushing towards the final game of this block and the new year with another victory under the belt,” said Parker. “Lansdowne are a class act and they have been able to attract players from all over the country.

"They have a lot of strength and depth there and it is not going to be an easy ask.”

Cameron Doak starts in the front row while Nigel Simpson returns to the pack.

It is the proverbial eight-pointer at the bottom of Division 1B as Queen’s travel to Highfield.

The Belfast students are ninth, four points ahead of their Cork hosts, who prop up the table.

Both Queen’s wins this season have come at home while Highfield have only one victory from seven games.

Ulster lock Charlie Irvine returns for Queen’s after missing the defeat by Old Belvedere and is joined in the second row by Joe Hopes.

Prop Bryan O’Connor is also back from injury, Henry Walker starts at hooker with Zac Soloman switching to a back row that contains Lorcan McLoughlin and Tom Brigg.

Behind the pack, Michael McDonald and Jack Murphy continue at half-back while Ben McFarlane is back on the wing.