Carty became Connacht's record point-scorer this season and also enjoyed a breakthrough year at international level.

It was the deadest of dead rubbers, but the joy Ulster took from beating Leinster on Saturday suggested it meant something beyond a meaningless four PRO14 points to those at Kingspan Stadium.

Both Leinster and Ulster have named their teams ahead of their clash tomorrow at the Kingspan stadium.

Darren Cave will captain Ulster in Saturday’s PRO14 against Leinster to mark his retirement from the game.

Ireland women’s captain Ciara Griffin and Sevens star Louise Galvin have welcomed their appointments to the board of Rugby Players Ireland following the representative body’s expansion of its executive committee to reflect its growing remit in the Irish professional rugby.

Ulster wing Craig Gilroy has revealed the back injury that wrecked his season was so debilitating a few months ago he was struggling to put his socks on.

Ulster centre Darren Cave has announced his decision to retire at the end of the season.

Jonathan Sexton’s mood was one of the talking points in a disappointing Six Nations campaign for Ireland and it’s unlikely that his humour has improved given his absence from today’s Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final between Leinster and Ulster.

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

They have led the Irish team to greatness and back again and together will carry a nation’s World Cup hopes to Japan, but right now Rory Best is seeing one advantage in going up against Johnny Sexton.

Ulster may have achieved their goal in leapfrogging Benetton in the chase for a Guinness PRO14 knock-out place, but there was mixed news in the aftermath of Saturday’s win over Southern Kings for coach Dan McFarland ahead of next week’s Champions Cup quarter-final with Leinster.

The Ireland U20s were not long celebrating their remarkable Six Nations Grand Slam before the demands of the rest of the season kicked back in and they had gone their separate ways.

Voice of experience Cave nears end of line

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

Ulster have been given a boost ahead of their PRO14 encounter against Ospreys with the return of Iain Henderson from injury.

Connacht have only managed to do the double over an Irish province on one occasion, but victory at the Sportsground this evening (7.35pm) against Ulster would help soften the blow of not putting Leinster away last weekend.

Munster 64 Ulster 7

Munster overwhelmed an under-strength Ulster as they ran in nine tries in a record-breaking 64-7 Guinness PRO14 derby victory at Thomond Park.

Ulster Rugby confirmed yesterday that Daniel Soper will join Dan McFarland’s coaching ticket next season in the position of skills coach.

Ulster start rookie tight-head Ross Kane against a fired-up Ospreys at the Kingspan Stadium this evening.

Goosen played his last game in December 2016, when he controversially announced his retirement from playing, aged 24, to become a "commercial director".

Callum Black would love nothing more than to leave Ulster in the same shape he found them back in 2012. And he aims to help move things in that direction tomorrow evening in a vital Guinness PRO14 game at the Kingspan Stadium against a revitalised Ospreys side.

If there had been any misgivings in the Irish management think tank about Chris Farrell taking the next big step in his Test career, the Munster centre’s first few minutes of his Six Nations debut will have dispelled them.

Wasps 26 - Ulster 7: Wasps ended their European Champions Cup group campaign on a winning note with a convincing 26-7 victory over Ulster at the Ricoh Arena.

Christian Lealiifano hopes to end his emotional rollercoaster spell in Belfast with a victory over Wasps that will send Ulster into the Champions Cup quarter-finals.

While Ulster’s players and management insist that the focus is entirely on Saturday’s lunchtime clash with Pool 1 leaders La Rochelle, it’s become clearer who will be replacing Christian Leali’ifano when the Wallaby’s short-term contract ends this month.

It’s a fixture which Connacht have only won four times in 29 meetings but coach Kieran Keane is hoping that Tiernan O’Halloran’s decision to remain at the Sportsground will be the start of a great festive period.

Tommy Bowe, injured in Sunday’s Champions Cup win at Harlequins, is out of Friday’s return leg with the Premiership side in Belfast.

Saturday’s European Champions Cup semi-final against holders Saracens should mark the most important day in Duncan Williams’ professional rugby career.

Ulster ended their four-game losing run in all competitions in resounding style by racking up a 24-18 bonus-point victory over Edinburgh in the Guinness PRO12 at the Kingspan Stadium.

Ulster finished their disappointing European Champions Cup season in downbeat fashion as Bordeaux-Begles secured a hard-earned but deserved 26-22 victory at the Kingspan Stadium.

Ireland and Lions winger Tommy Bowe will return to the Ulster squad this Saturday when Bordeaux-Begles fly into town for what is a Champions Cup dead rubber. Bowe, who was omitted from last week’s disappointing defeat in Exeter, watched Ulster’s feeble attempt to qualify out of Pool 5 as one of the best runners-up.

“You watch Clermont as we have and you’ve just got to be impressed by what’s on offer, admiring too, and otherwise it might put the fear of God in you.” Ulster’s Director of Rugby Les Kiss was certainly not underestimating the task facing his side when the French Championship leaders come to Kingspan Stadium on Saturday for the third pool game in the Champions Cup.

An inspired Ruan Pienaar led Ulster to a 35-22 Guinness PRO12 victory over Cardiff Blues at the Arms Park.

Ireland international winger Andrew Trimble has been summoned to make his first start of the season when Ulster travel to take on Bordeaux-Begles in their own backyard this Sunday.

Ulster are hoping to field their best available team when they travel to France for the Pool 5 Champions Cup opener against Bordeaux-Begles.