Next stop Glasgow as Ulster go in search of prized play-off spot

RUGBY:HEADY DAYS for Ulster: among the top four on the league table and with five matches to go the play-offs are within their grasp. Add in their Heineken Cup quarter-final against Northampton and these next few weeks could be the most important for the province since they were European champions back in 1999.

The team have not always been pretty in the way they have gone about their business but as Chris Henry said earlier in the week, they have been getting the job done.

Glasgow will probably be one of those games, tight and tetchy, as the stakes rise. Ulster beat them in Ravenhill in October when Springbok Ruan Pienaar scored all 19 points and today Brian McLaughlin redesigns his side, with the ubiquitous Pienaar pulling the strings at outhalf and with a sprinkling of internationals to stiffen up the challenge.

Tom Court, Paddy Wallace and Scotland’s Simon Danielli return from Six Nations Championship duty, while hooker Rory Best takes a place on the bench. Andrew Trimble, who picked up a quad injury, is unavailable.

Paul Marshall is included at scrumhalf after his cameo against the Dragons, while 20-year-old Conor Gaston makes his second appearance on the wing following his debut last week. Danielli will start at fullback and Wallace will play inside centre in place of Luke Marshall, who misses the rest of the season through injury.

The backrow is reshuffled, with number eight Pedrie Wannenburg in for Willie Faloon, Robbie Diack at blindside flanker and Henry the openside. Springbok Johan Muller again captains the side.

Ruaridh Jackson and Richie Vernon are back from Scotland and winger DTH van der Merwe has recovered from a wrist injury, while John Barclay is rested for Glasgow.

A tough match like this will test just how much Ulster have hardened up.

GLASGOW: B Stortoni; DTH van der Merwe, F Aramburu, P Murchie, A Dunbar; R Jackson, C Gregor (capt); J Welsh, F Thompson, M Low, A Muldowney, R Harley, J Eddie, R Wilson, R Vernon. Replacements: P MacArthur, K Tkachuk, R Grant, C Fusaro, J Beattie, H Pyrgos, D Weir, H O’Hare.

ULSTER: S Danielli; C Gaston, N Spence, P Wallace, C Gilroy; R Pienaar, P Marshall; T Court, A Kyriacou, D Fitzpatrick, J Muller (capt), D Tuohy, R Diack, C Henry, P Wannenburg. Replacements: R Best, P McAllister, B Young, T Barker, W Faloon, I Whitten, T Seymour, A D’Arcy.

Referee: D Jones (Wales).