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.

Twice-capped lock Dan Tuohy wants another bit of action in New Zealand during the summer and hopes playing with a confident Ulster side will give him the opportunity to give Declan Kidney a nudge in the right direction.

Ulster kept themselves in the race for the RaboDirect Pro12 play-offs by chalking up their fifth win from their last six league games against an under-strength Edinburgh outfit.

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.

Dan Parks was the hero as Cardiff Blues continued their winning return to the Arms Park with a RaboDirect PRO12 victory over Ulster.

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 produced a workmanlike performance studded with occasional flashes of brilliance to take all five RaboDirect Pro12 points against a below-par Edinburgh at windswept Murrayfield.

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).

MUNSTER will ring the changes for tonight’s clash with Ulster, with only skipper Mick O’Driscoll, fly-half Ian Keatley and right-wing Luke O’Dea remaining from the side which defeated Connacht.

GLASGOW maintained their impressive recent form with a hard-fought win over Ulster in the RaboDirect Pro12 at Firhill Arena last night.

DARREN CAVE looked like a man who had been hit by a steamroller after Ulster finally broke their four-game losing sequence thanks to a hard-earned, but thoroughly deserved victory over derby rivals Connacht at Ravenhill.

ULSTER’S All Black World Cup winner John Afoa is relishing his provincial debut in today’s RaboDirect Pro 12 derby clash with Connacht at Ravenhill.

John Afoa will go straight into the starting line up for Ulster's game against Connacht at Ravenhill on Saturday (5.35pm).

ULSTER coach Brian McLaughlin conceded his side have plenty to work on following their 24-17 loss to Scarlets on Saturday.

THE Ospreys ended Ulster’s unbeaten run as they continued their own with a workmanlike triumph at Liberty Stadium yesterday afternoon.

Luke Fitzgerald hasn’t recovered from the knee injury sustained last weekend against the Ospreys in time to make Leinster’s match day 23 for their home encounter with the Dragons tomorrow night (KO 7.35pm).

EUROPEAN kings Leinster made a nightmare start to the RaboDirect Pro12 after being blown away by the Ospreys in Swansea last night.

LUKE FITZGERALD will seek to put his World Cup disappointment behind him tonight when he takes his place in an unfamiliar and inexperienced Leinster side which begins its RaboDirect Pro12 campaign away to the Ospreys (7.05pm).

BJ BOTHA and Ian Humphreys could not have staged a more appropriate return to the Ulster starting lineout when they face the Scarlets at Ravenhill tonight.

RUAN PIENAAR was the hero for Ulster at Firhill, his man-of-the-match haul of all 22 points ensuring his side snatched a last-gasp victory against a typically dogged Glasgow side to climb to second in the Magners League.

ULSTER struggled to put away Italian visitors Aironi at Ravenhill last night despite racing into a 15-point lead in as many minutes.

ULSTER left it late to rekindle their hopes of reaching the Magners League play-offs, with Ruan Pienaar kicking an injury-time winner in Wales.

THE Ospreys held on to win a nip-and-tuck Magners League contest with outside-half Dan Biggar converting five penalty goals at the Liberty Stadium.

ANDREW TRIMBLE has not been released by Ireland for Ulster’s Magners League trip to face the Ospreys at Swansea tomorrow (5.10 pm).

FINALLY their wait is over. On Saturday, before a small crowd in a remote village in northern Italy, Ulster claimed a place in the Heineken Cup knockout stages for the first time in 12 years with a 43-6 win over Aironi.

CARDIFF BLUES boss Dai Young is expecting a stern test from Ulster in tomorrow’s Magners League clash at Cardiff City Stadium (3.45pm).

Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin has made seven changes to his side to play Munster in the Magner’s League at Ravenhill on Friday.

Ulster’s unbeaten record in the Magners League came to an end at rain-soaked Murrayfield as David Blair’s drop goal put the seal on Edinburgh’s win.

BIARRITZ maintained their unbeaten start in Pool Four of the Heineken Cup with an emphatic bonus-point home victory over Ulster.

Full-back David McIlwaine will make his Heineken Cup debut for Ulster against Biarritz Olympique in France on Sunday.

Blackrock College will be able to call on the strike power of their Ireland U20s Andrew Conway and Brendan Macken in Division 1A against a Dolphin disrupted without their regular number eight James Coughlan, who has been called up by Munster.

IN a derby fixture in which no side forged ahead by more than three points, a 15-15 draw appeared a satisfactory result.

ULSTER coach Brian McLaughlin put down his team’s success in Italy on Saturday night to sheer doggedness.

Ulster 41 Connacht 10

ULSTER got their first Magners League win of the season over a Scottish side and in the process took five points to make sure that they will stay ahead of Connacht and earn a Heineken Cup place next season.

Glasgow 25 Ulster 18

FRUSTRATED Ulster skipper Chris Henry is determined to lift his side following a flat performance last week when they lost to the Cardiff Blues.

Scarlets 25 Ulster 8

IRELAND prop Tom Court and Scottland winger Simon Danielli have agreed new two-year deals with Ulster.

ULSTER came out of cold storage to strangle the life out of Edinburgh and take their outside chances of reaching the knockout stages a step further.

STADE FRANCAIS seized the initiative in Heineken Cup Pool Four with victory over Ulster at Stade Jean Bouin.

STADE FRANCAIS could face the wrath of the citing commissioner following a controversial finish to Saturday’s Heineken Cup Pool Four classic against Ulster at Ravenhill.