Hooker Scott Otten crossed for two tries as Ospreys celebrated only their second Guinness Pro14 victory of the season as they edged out Ulster 26-24 at a rain-swept Liberty Stadium.

Ulster head coach Dan McFarland accepts it “won’t be the end of the world” if his team slip up and lose a game over the next few weeks.

Chris Farrell and Jack O’Donoghue return to Munster.

Meanwhile, uncapped Leinster back-row Will Connors has been drafted into Andy Farrell's squad.

DAN McFarland was looking forward to a day of watching rugby on the couch yesterday as the extent of the challenge awaiting Ulster in the spring slowly unfolded in front of his eyes.

Ulster secured the home win they needed against Bath to qualify for the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals for a second consecutive season.

Nash has been named to start on the wing as Keith Earls misses out due to a minor knee injury in one of two changes to Johann van Graan's side.

Andy Farrell's first squad was not one named for shock value, though the omissions are as notable as the new additions.

The coaching group have also named four development players who will train with the squad.

Joey Carbery has been left gutted to face a return to the treatment table so soon after completing his comeback from injury.

On a night when personal rivalries were under scrutiny, Ulster won the individual and collective battles against Munster to stretch their unbeaten home record at Kingspan Stadium to 19 games.

Joey Carbery makes his first start of the season at out-half.

There's no room for Rob Kearney, Seán Cronin, Jordi Murphy, Jack Carty, John Ryan or Kieran Marmion – with newly eligible Jamison Gibson-Park jumping ahead of the Connacht man at scrum-half.

With the Six Nations kicking off in less than two months, it is the first squad meet-up since the national team returned from Japan.

Ulster head coach Dan McFarland has made two changes to his side for tomorrow's Heineken Champions Cup trip to Harlequins.

Sean Reidy has admitted Ulster underestimated Harlequins last weekend and will be a more switched on side when they hit the Stoop tomorrow night.

After a year when everything he touched turned to gold, 2019 has not been the follow-up act that Jacob Stockdale had hoped for, but it is one he was prepared for.

The four Irish provinces have named their teams for this weekend's Champions Cup clashes.

This time last year Ulster used the back-to-back Champions Cup games against the Scarlets as the launchpad for the rest of the season.

"Since joining Ulster last summer, I’ve made it my home and have really enjoyed my time here."

Stuart McCloskey says Ulster must “have a bit of fear” to extract the optimum performance from themselves in today’s Champions Cup opener at The Rec.

Keith Earls will make his first Munster appearance of the season in tomorrow's Champions Cup opener against the Ospreys.

The text message came through on Billy Burns’ phone seconds after the draw was made.

The improvement in Ulster’s away form in Europe last season under Dan McFarland is something the head coach wants to see maintained and, if possible, bettered as they head into the unknown.

Those newcomers are among five changes by Johann van Graan to the side which lost their last Pro14 game 40-16 to the Cheetahs.

The 22-year-old Tipperary-native, who scored 29 points in 12 Munster appearances, replaces Billy Burns.

The home side also claimed tries from back-rower Greg Jones and full-back Matt Faddes, the new signing from New Zealand who crossed on his competitive debut for the Irish province.

Ulster's chances of reaching the Guinness Pro14 final have been boosted by the return to fitness of Jacob Stockdale.

A 78th-minute try from Marcell Coetzee helped Ulster book a place in the PRO14 semi-final after beating Irish rivals Connacht 21-13 in a closely-fought encounter at the Kingspan Stadium.

The northern province's take on Connacht tomorrow with Rory Best and Darren Cave looking to exit on a high with a spot in the PRO14 semi-finals up for grabs.

Dan McFarland has made three changes as Ulster bid to get back to winning ways away to Edinburgh.

Ulster have announced their starting XV to take on Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium.

Rhys Ruddock will captain the Leinster Rugby team taking on Ulster tomorrow, while Johnny Sexton has been ruled out following an injury.

Two Irish European Cup-winning fly-halves past and present are casting a long shadow over Billy Burns as he prepares for the biggest game of his career.

Ulster moved third in PRO14 Conference B following a 28-15 bonus-point victory over bottom side Dragons in Newport.

Jim Stokes Auckland-born Sean Reidy makes his 100th appearance for Ulster tomorrow against the Dragons at Rodney Parade - the same opponents he faced when making his debut five years ago.

It was a performance riddled with mistakes, so many of them elementary, but the side's reaction to adversity in the second-half, when coming from 13-0 down to claim the lead and hold out in the face of considerable pressure, was impressive.

Ulster are still awaiting definitive news on the prospect of travelling to Leicester’s Welford Road tomorrow afternoon without their key half-back partnership of Billy Burns and John Cooney. Ulster are chasing a place in the Heineken Champions Cup knock-out stages and the loss of the pair could be devastating.

Ireland skipper Rory Best returns to the fray this afternoon hopeful of leading Ulster nearer the Heineken Cup quarter-final stages, something the province hasn’t achieved for five years.

Johnny Sexton may be Ireland’s best place kicker, but the statistics suggest Connacht out-half Jack Carty is leading the chasing pack when it comes to success from the tee.

Iain Henderson bustled and hustled his way to a try in each half as Ulster barnstormed to a bonus-point victory over Scarlets to keep their Heineken Champions Cup qualifying hopes very much alive.

Fly-half Billy Burns has come through HIA protocols and will take his place alongside 11 internationals for Ulster’s Pool 4 trip to Scarlets this evening.

Leicester boss Geordan Murphy has described Irish rugby’s provincial set-up as brilliant saying there is a “conveyor belt” of talent to choose from.

Munster 64 Ulster 7