Exeter Chiefs 20 Leinster 29

Leinster 9 Exeter Chiefs 6

Connacht coach Eric Elwood has promised to give more young players a chance next weekend after his experimental side beat Exeter at Sandy Park on Saturday.

No one would benefit more from Brian O’Driscoll’s absenceat Twickenham on Saturday than Brian McLaughlin — but the Ulster coach is keeping his fingers crossed that the Irish centre is fit to play in the Heineken Cup final.

On a night when injuries and handling errors threatened to overshadow a promising display, Munster appear to have found another youngster with the potential to make a long-term impact.

Fears that an injury to Keith Earls would be another long-term problem for Munster and Ireland were eased yesterday when he was given a place on the bench for his province at Thomond Park tonight.

Brian McLaughlin has made 10 changes to the Ulster XV for Saturday’s RaboDirect PRO12 clash with Munster at Thomond Park (kick off 7.30pm).

Connacht grabbed their first interprovincial win over Ulster since 2005, but Brian McLaughlin is not giving up hope just yet for a RaboDirect Pro12 top-four place.

Ulster flanker Willie Faloon has a two-fold goal ahead of today’s RaboDirect Pro 12 derby clash against Connacht at the Sportsground.

Andrew Trimble and his Ireland buddies Rory Best and Stephen Ferris are champing at the bit to get a piece of RaboDirect Pro 12 action tonight when Italian minnows Aironi arrive at a bone-dry Ravenhill.

Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin has once again made several changes to his starting XV for their RaboDirect PRO12 fixture against Aironi at Ravenhill (kick off 7.05pm).

Brian McLaughlin praised the fighting spirit of his team after Ian Whitten’s late try rescued Ulster against Treviso on Saturday.

Ulster head coach Brian McLaughlin has made five personnel changes and one positional switch to his starting team for the away fixture against Treviso on Saturday (3.15pm).

Brian McLaughlin has been forced into making some changes to his starting XV for the visit of Edinburgh to Ravenhill on Friday night (kick off 7.05pm).

Ulster laboured to an unconvincing victory over the Ospreys at Ravenhill last night to move back to sixth place in the RaboDirect Pro 12 League.

Brian McLaughlin has named Paul Marshall and Pedrie Wannenburg in the starting line up for Ulster's RaboDirect PRO12 clash with the Ospreys at Ravenhill tomorrow (7.05pm).

Ulster’s Nevin Spence hopes to avoid the blues when he runs-up against Gavin Henson in Cardiff’s traditional Arms Park home tonight.

Ulster will have all their peripheral Ireland players available for Friday’s RaboDirect Pro 12 League clash against the Blues at the Arms Park.

Ulster jumped up to fifth place in the RaboDirect Pro12 League after treating themselves to a bonus-point success over the Dragons at Ravenhill last night.

Ulster have been rocked by the loss of influential skipper Johann Muller ahead of tonight’s RaboDirect Pro12 League clash against the Dragons at Ravenhill.

Ulster have named Paddy Wallace and Dan Tuohy in their team to face Dragons in the RaboDirect PRO12 at Ravenhill on Friday (7.05pm), in the hope they will be released from the Irish 6 Nations squad.

ULSTER boss Brian McLaughlin was a man of mixed emotions on Saturday.

IT was meant to be tight, it was meant to be edgy. It was nothing of the sort.

Ian Humphreys and Pedrie Wannenburg have won their fitness battles and have been named in Brian McLaughlin's starting XV to face the Leicester Tigers in the sold-out Heineken Cup clash at Ravenhill tomorrow (8pm).

FORMER Springbok Stefan Terblanche will start at full-back for Ulster’s in Edinburgh tonight.

Ulster have been boosted by the return of a number of key players to the match day 23 for Friday's trip to play Edinburgh at Murrayfield in the RaboDirect PRO12 (7.30pm).

Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin has rung the changes for tomorrow's sold out clash against Munster at Ravenhill.

ULSTER skipper Johann Muller says he will not have to say much to psyche up the team ahead of Friday’s RaboDirect Pro12 derby clash with Munster at Ravenhill.

IRELAND hooker Rory Best has demanded maximum points from Ulster’s next two Heineken Cup fixtures with Aironi if the province is to repeat last year’s run to the quarter-finals.

AFTER seven defeats on the bounce, Connacht’s Pro12 fixture with Treviso at the Galway Sporstground tomorrow is a must-win for the home side.

Ulster have been boosted by the return of a number of key players to the match day 23 for Friday’s vital RaboDirect PRO12 game against Scarlets at Ravenhill (7.05pm).

Stephen Ferris, Rory Best, John Afoa, Chris Henry and Craig Gilroy have all been included in Brian McLaughlin’s extended 33 man squad for the crucial RaboDirect PRO12 game against Scarlets at Ravenhill on Friday (7.05pm).

PAUL MARSHALL is looking forward to what could be his last start for Ulster in the RaboDirect Pro 12 League for quite a while.

The Ulster team which will run out against Glasgow Warriors in the RaboDirect PRO12 at Firhill tomorrow (7.35pm) shows four personnel changes and one positional switch from the starting XV that was defeated 20-9 by Leicester in the Heineken Cup last weekend.

EASY to forget now after their blazing finish to the season but there was a point early in the last campaign when Leinster were pinned on the ropes.

ULSTER coach Brian McLaughlin wants a helping of the same intensity and physicality from his pack when they head to the Leicester Tigers liar at Welford Road on Saturday for the second instalment of their Heineken Cup campaign.

ULSTER are still hoping to include 37-times capped Springbok utility back Stefan Terblanche in their match-day squad for Saturday’s Heineken Cup opener at Ravenhill against French giants Clermont Auvergne.

Brian McLaughlin has today named a strong preliminary squad ahead of Saturday's Heineken Cup Pool 4 clash against ASM Clermont Auvergne (Ravenhill, kick-off 3.40pm).

ULSTER hope to include Ireland’s Rory Best and World Cup winner John Afoa in their starting line-up for Saturday’s RaboDirect Pro12 derby against Connacht at Ravenhill.

Six World Cup players will make a welcome return to the Ulster squad ahead of their RaboDirect PRO12 match against the Scarlets on Saturday (kick-off 3pm) while Rory Best and Stephen Ferris are rested as part of a player management programme implemented post-World Cup.

ULSTER crashed to their first defeat in any competition to an Italian team and third in succession when they were outplayed by Benetton Treviso at Ravenhill last night.

Ulster have been boosted by the inclusion of Ian Humphreys, Darren Cave and Jared Payne in the starting XV for Friday's RaboDirect PRO12 game against Treviso at Ravenhill (7.05pm).

The Leinster medical team have reported no fresh injury concerns ahead of Saturday’s RaboDirect PRO 12 clash with Connacht at the RDS (5pm).

Eric Elwood has made three changes to his Connacht pack for their trip to the Liberty Stadium to face the Ospreys tomorrow night (7.30pm).