Former Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris has hit out at the hardline stance taken by Joe Schmidt and the IRFU which has resulted in both Simon Zebo and Tadhg Beirne being omitted from the coach’s Six Nations squad.

Ulster 17 Leinster 13: Thankfully it wasn’t all about the game itself on a bright summer’s day at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday. At least two stand-out moments came from the two Ulster players who were bidding farewell to a venue they had graced on numerous occasions.

Leinster were denied top spot in the Guinness PRO12 after suffering their first league defeat since December at Irish rivals Ulster.

The final round of Pro 12 games brought plenty of drama today.

World Cup winner Ruan Pienaar will get to say his farewells in front of a full house at the Kingspan Stadium this evening when Ulster take on top dogs Leinster in a Guinness PRO12 dead rubber derby.

Ireland skipper Rory Best will lead Ulster for the first time this season when they face a strong Cardiff outfit at the Kingspan Stadium this evening (kick-off 7.35pm).

Ulster have the luxury of rolling out some serious power for the Guinness Pro12 visit of Treviso this evening (kick-off 7.35pm).

Pat Lam will bid to get rid of one of Connacht’s remaining hoodoos when he hopes to lead them to a first win in Belfast since 1960 this evening.

“We are going into a very noisy stadium, a real cauldron, and we have to be ready for the welcome we’ll undoubtedly get, but we are looking forward to the return game, and go to France determined to get the win we need to keep our quarter-final hopes alive.”

Ulster will roll out their strongest available line-out when they visit 2015 Guinness Pro12 winners Glasgow tonight.

Tommy Bowe gets his first start of the season for Ulster when they travel to Zebre in the chase for a bonus-point win in the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi this afternoon.

Roger Wilson will make his 200th appearance for Ulster when the Guinness Pro12 table-toppers welcome Scarlets to Kingspan Stadium tomorrow afternoon.

Ulster are delicately managing their players through a potentially difficult season, as Director of Rugby Les Kiss starts with Rob Herring at hooker and captain in place of Rory Best for this evening’s crucial Guinness Pro12 clash with an in-form Edinburgh side at the Kingspan Stadium.

South Africa’s World Cup scrum-half Ruan Pienaar will make his 100th appearance for Ulster when they face provincial rivals Leinster at the RDS this evening in an important Guinness PRO12 clash.

Ireland winger Andrew Trimble can push aside the disappointment of not being on World Cup duty when he becomes Ulster’s most-capped player this evening when Guinness Pro12 rivals Benetton Treviso visit the Kingspan Stadium.

Discarded Ireland wing Andrew Trimble gets a chance to show what he is made off as Ulster’s quest for Guinness Pro12 success begins in earnest at the Kingspan Stadium this evening when Ospreys are the visitors.

International centre Luke Marshall is likely to start as an emergency fly-half when Ulster play the Ospreys in the Guinness Pro12 opener at the Kingspan Stadium tomorrow night.

Ulster signalled its serious intent for tonight’s Guinness Pro12 semi-final at Glasgow Warriors by naming its strongest possible side.

Ulster head coach Neil Doak has decided that though a win in Glasgow this afternoon is both possible and rich with reward, he’ll put the Top Four play-offs at the top of his list of priorities.

A Pro 12 title and a top six qualification are on the line in today’s meeting of Ulster and Connacht in the Galway Sportsground (2.40pm).

Wallace High School is not a name which has yet been engraved as winning rugby’s second oldest trophy.

Gwent Dragons v Ulster

If ever there was a week to symbolise exactly how far Ireland’s national team has come, this is it. 

Ireland rugby coach Joe Schmidt has brought in Ulster's Roger Wilson and Munster's Billy Holland to the Ireland squad ahead of Sunday’s Six Nations clash with England at the Aviva.

Craig Gilroy will become the youngest player to win 100 caps for Ulster when he lines out against Benetton Treviso at Kingspan Stadium tomorrow night, kick off 7.35pm.

Leicester’s already remote hopes of making the European Champions Cup quarter-finals were finally extinguished as Ulster ended their own disappointing campaign with a 26-7 bonus point win in Belfast.

European Champions Cup Pool 3

Ulster number eight Roger Wilson admits they struggled to get to grips with a rampant Toulon side in record 60-22 European defeat.

European Champions Cup Pool 3

Ulster have made four personnel changes and Leinster five for the PRO12 meeting between the two sides in the RDS tomorrow afternoon.

Scarlets 22 Ulster 13

Ireland centre Luke Marshall returns to the midfield role as Ulster are forced to make three changes for their return visit to the Scarlets tomorrow.

Luke Marshall returns to the Ulster starting 15 for the first time since his knee injury in October as one of the three changes to the side for their Champions Cup match against Scarlets on Sunday.

IRELAND flanker Robbie Diack is itching to prove that Ulster are not yet out of Europe, despite the fact that they have only accrued one point from their two opening games in Pool 3.

Roger Wilson has signed a new two-year contract with Ulster that will see him stay at Kingspan Stadium until the summer of 2017.

Rory Best will start for Ulster against Munster in tomorrow's match at Thomond Park while Munster coach Anthony Foley has named a strong squad bolstered by a number of returning internationals.

Internationals Stuart Olding, Craig Gilroy and Darren Cave have been released by Ireland and will boost Ulster’s hopes of dethroning Pro12 table-toppers Ospreys at the Kingspan Stadium this evening.

Darren Cave, Stuart Olding and Craig Gilroy have returned to Ulster from Ireland duty and all three start tomorrow night in Kingspan stadium for the PRO12 clash with the Ospreys.