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

Edging tight games has become a hallmark of Ulster’s Champions Cup campaign, with a combined winning margin of seven points across the three pool matches.

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.

Ulster squeezed out a vital 17-16 victory at Bath in their opening match in Pool Three of the European Champions Cup.

Head Coaches Johann van Graan and Dan McFarland has named his side for Satuday's Guinness PRO14 Interpro derby this Saturday at Thomand Park.

Rob Herring will return from Ireland duty to captain Ulster in tomorrow's Pro14 clash against Zebre.

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 Irish province ran in five tries in the opening 31 minutes to effectively put the game to bed, although Tertius Kruger and Aston Fortuin responded for the hosts.

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

He could not have timed his Ulster return any better, but even Luke Marshall is pleasantly surprised by how well he’s played since returning from long-term injury.

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

Dan McFarland says it would be dangerous for Ulster to give tomorrow’s PRO14 semi-final against Glasgow the status of a ‘free hit’.

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.

Leo Cullen saw this coming.

By their very nature, European semi-finals should be difficult to reach, something Munster and Leinster would surely attest to after both were stretched to the absolute limit to secure a passage through to the last four once again.

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

It’s somewhat ironic that at a time when rugby is enjoying an unprecedented level of popularity in this country, with the national team ranked in the top two sides in the world, the game itself faces massive challenges.

Ulster 35 Ospreys 17: So after a season where more headlines were made off the pitch rather than on it, Ulster, the 1999 Heineken Cup kingpins and forerunners of Ireland’s glorious history in the competition, will still have a place at the top table of European rugby next season.

Munster 24 Ulster 24: Munster will head back to knockout rugby this weekend, their objective to get back on the bike after European disappointment accomplished but this draw reminding everyone in the province there is still plenty of road left to travel if they are to contend for the Guinness PRO14 title next month.

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.

Joe Schmidt will head into his fifth Six Nations championship as Ireland head coach admitting he has not looked past Saturday’s opening showdown in Paris.

Joe Schmidt was true to his word that the Six Nations is no place for experimentation as he named an experienced squad for next month’s opening games of the championship, although there was one notable and welcome exception.

Whatever the demands in Munster for a return to winning ways after a chastening home defeat to Leinster, it is up in Ulster where the need for atonement is felt much deeper ahead of this evening’s sold-out PRO14 derby clash in Belfast, writes Simon Lewis

“You always feel pressure, and that noise has been out there for a while, but there’s a weird nature in us beasts in that you almost revel in criticism and stand up and fight against it.”

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

A stunning second-half try by in-form winger Jacob Stockdale saw Ulster win a closely fought Guinness PRO14 Irish derby with Connacht.

Ireland’s summer debutant John Cooney will start his third successive game when Ulster tackle a star-studded Scarlets outfit on an emotional night at Ravenhilll (kick-off, 7.35pm).

Ulster Director of Rugby Les Kiss has named his 23-man squad for Friday's Guinness PRO14 clash against Scarlets at Kingspan Stadium.

Benetton Treviso 14 - Ulster 21: Andrew Trimble scored two first-half tries as Ulster held on to beat Benetton Treviso 21-14 at the Stadio Monigo for their second straight Guinness PRO14 win.

Joe Schmidt said that the five uncapped players who have made it into the squad for the first game of the summer tour against the USA on Saturday evening deserve their chance.

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).

Brian O’Driscoll was on the scene in Edinburgh four years ago when Paddy Jackson’s Ireland debut veered off script but the retired centre believes the Ulster man’s progress has been such there is no reason for Ireland to panic in Jonathan Sexton’s absence this Saturday.

A controversial penalty try helped Scarlets to a narrow 16-13 Guinness PRO12 victory over Ulster at a rain-drenched Parc y Scarlets.

Ireland centre Luke Marshall is determined to right recent wrongs this evening when a struggling Ulster side travel to Llanelli to face the Guinness PRO12’s in-form side unbeaten in eight games at Parc y Scarlets (7.35pm).

Ulster 39 Clermont 32: Ulster has enjoyed some spectacular victories in Europe but, surely, none can have matched this lunchtime encounter for excitement, unpredictability and high-class rugby.

Make or break, must win, season-defining – all terms which have been used to describe Ulster’s Champions Cup tie with French giants Clermont Auvergne in Belfast this afternoon.