Ulster coach Mark McCall has largely kept faith with the side that landed them their round one Heineken European Cup win last week against Benneto Treviso in Ravenhill Road.
McCall makes only one change to his side to face last season's French Championship winners Biarritz in the Parc des Sports Aguilera on Saturday.
Bitten by their shock away defeat to Saracens last week, the French side need to win this match to hold out hope of advancing to the knock-out stages of the tournament.
Scrumhalf Kieran Campbell is the only change to the starting line-up as he returns from a calf injury. Campbell was injured two weeks ago in Ulster's game against the Borders, but a scan at the end of last week revealed no serious damage.
It was a timely return by Campbell for two reasons. Firstly, he was named this week on Eddie O'Sullivan's Irish squad along with six other Ulster players and secondly, his return coincides with the departure of his replacement,Isaac Boss. The Kiwi left the pitch before half-time in last week's match against the Italian side with a calf muscle injury.
Paul Steinmetz may also take part against Biarritz, having been out of the game for several weeks with a broken jaw. He returns to the bench with Andrew Trimble partnering Kevin Maggs in the centre positions. Trimble's form should also please McCall, as it has O'Sullivan. The young attacking player has been one of Ulster's outstanding players this season and keeping the experienced former All Black Steinmetz to the bench is testament to just how rich his form has been.
McCall will be keen to improve Ulster's record in France - they have never beaten a French side away in the European Cup.
"Obviously it would be brilliant to break that French duck, we have spent 10 years trying to do that and it has to happen some time," said McCall. "So why not on Saturday? We did not play particularly well against Treviso but it was pleasing to win and pick up five points with a try bonus point."
At international level, Dublin will host the final process for the hosting of the 2011 Rugby World Cup on November 17th at the IRB city centre headquarters on St Stephen's Green. In the morning the three tenders from Japan, New Zealand and South Africa will be presented to the IRB Council and following an interim meeting in the afternoon the council will vote to decide on the venue. The voting process will be independently managed by an external auditor.
The procedure will not be unlike that of the International Olympic Committee's decision-making process for the venue of the Olympic Games every four years. All three unions will enter the first round of voting and the one with the least votes will drop out. The two remaining unions will enter a second round of voting with the country with a majority of the votes earning the right to host the tournament.
ULSTER (v Biarritz): B Cunningham; T Bowe, K Maggs, A Trimble, J Topping; D Humphreys, K Campbell; J Fitzpatrick, R Best, S Best (C); J Harrison, M McCullough, N Best, N McMilla, R Wilson. Replacements: N Brady, B Young, R Caldwell, C Feather, R Spee, P Wallace, P Steinmetz.
