Ulster’s all-time appearance record holder, Paddy Wallace, will retire this month.

Ulster's Paddy Wallace has confirmed that he will retire at the end of this season.

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

RABODIRECT PRO12:

Ulster skipper Johann Muller will be back in harness for Saturday’s Heineken Cup clash with Treviso at Ravenhill.

The Irish are muscling in on French rugby conversation again. Ulster walloping Montpellier at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir last Saturday has catapulted Mark Anscombe’s squad into talk about eventual Heineken Cup winners.

20-year-old Ulster back, Stuart Olding, admitted he has found it surreal playing among so many of his boyhood heroes at Ulster this season.

Having gotten back to winning ways against Leinster last weekend, Ulster prop John Afoa can sense the confidence in the squad as they prepare for Saturday’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Saracens in Twickenham (6.30pm).

Ireland’s latest No 10 Paddy Jackson gets an immediate chance to put last Sunday’s nightmare at Murrayfield behind him when he starts for Ulster in Friday’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash against Treviso at Ravenhill — where he will take over all kicking duties from his half-back partner, Ruan Pienaar.

Ulster centre Paddy Wallace’s season may be over after the club confirmed he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in their RaboDirect PRO12 game against Glasgow on Friday evening.

Ireland must start well for so many reasons

Glasgow 20 Ulster 14

The odds of Ulster having Ireland and Lions flanker Stephen Ferris available before their Heineken Cup clash with Saracens in April have lengthened after the latest medical update following surgery on his ankle in December.

Neil Walsh and Conor Joyce will start in an Ulster shirt for the first time after head coach Mark Anscombe included them in a much changed starting XV for tomorrow night’s RaboDirect PRO12 encounter with Glasgow at Scotstoun (7.35pm).

Ulster head coach Mark Anscombe has called academy players Alan O’Connor, James Simpson and Conor Joyce into his provisional squad ahead of Friday’s first versus second RaboDirect PRO12 game against Glasgow at Scotstoun Stadium (7.35pm).

Ireland squad members Chris Henry, Iain Henderson and Declan Fitzpatrick have been added to the provisional Ulster squad ahead of Friday’s RabDirect PRO12 game against Zebre at Ravenhill (7.05pm).

Ulster 12 Ospreys 16

RaboDirect PRO12: Ulster v Ospreys

Richard III’s remains may have been discovered in a car park in Leicester earlier this week but Owen Farrell would do well to pay greater heed to Shakespeare’s Henry IV ahead of England’s visit to Dublin this weekend.

The loss of several key Ulster squad members to Six Nations duty has been softened for head coach Mark Anscombe with influential trio Johann Muller, Luke Marshall and Dan Tuohy returning to the squad ahead of Friday’s PRO12 meeting with the Ospreys at Ravenhill (7.05pm).

Castres 8 Ulster 9

Ulster head coach Mark Anscombe has shuffled his backline for his side’s final Heineken Cup Pool 4 match against Castres Olympique at the Stade Pierre Antoine on Saturday (1.35pm) with Ruan Pienaar favoured over Paddy Jackson at flyhalf.

Despite nursing a groin strain full-back Jared Payne has been included in Ulster’s 26-man squad for the province’s final Heineken Cup pool match against Castres Olympique on Saturday (1.35pm Irish time).

Heineken Cup Pool 4

Ulster head coach Mark Anscombe has had to shuffle his pack for tomorrow evening’s Heineken Cup Pool 4 match against Glasgow Warriors at Ravenhill (8pm) after lock Dan Tuohy failed to recover from the calf strain he sustained against Scarlets.

Injury has forced Ulster head coach Mark Anscombe to omit Luke Marshall (finger) and Adam D’Arcy (ankle) from his provisional 27-man squad for Friday’s Heineken Cup Pool 4 clash against Glasgow at Ravenhill (8pm).

Ulster 47 Scarlets 17

Ulster’s South African scrum-half Ruan Pienaar will make his 50th appearance for the province when they tackle Scarlets at Ravenhill this evening.

Ulster Head Coach, Mark Anscombe, has made eight changes to the team that lost to Munster last Saturday for tomorrow night’s top-of-the-table clash against Llanelli Scarlets at Ravenhill (7.05pm).

Ulster’s exciting young international winger Craig Gilroy is expected to line-out for the top of the table clash with second-placed Scarlets at Ravenhill on Friday night.

Second row Dan Tuohy has recovered from a leg injury in time to feature in Ulster’s extended squad ahead of Friday's RaboDirect PRO12 game with Scarlets at Ravenhill (7.05pm).

It is just over six months since Leinster dealt so ruthlessly with an emerging Ulster side at Twickenham but the shift in the axis of power has been leaning ever further up the M1 this season.

Ulster Head Coach, Mark Anscombe, has made four personnel and two positional changes to the side that lost to Northampton Saints for tomorrow night’s match against Leinster at Ravenhill.

Chris Henry has been named as captain for the second of Ulster’s back-to-back Heineken Cup Pool 4 clashes with Northampton at Ravenhill on Saturday (6.00pm).

In-form Ulster winger Craig Gilroy must be content with a place on the bench as head coach Mark Anscombe made wholesale changes for Friday’s crucial Heineken Cup meeting with Northampton Saints in Franklins Gardens (8pm).

Ulster coach Mark Anscombe has major selection headaches ahead of Friday’s Heineken Cup trip away to Northampton.

Ulster head coach Mark Anscombe has added several senior players to his 27-man preliminary squad for their crucial Heineken Cup Pool 4 clash against Northampton Saints at Franklin's Gardens on Friday (8pm).

Ulster coach Mark Anscombe has made nine changes for the top-of-the-table RaboDirect PRO12 clash against Scarlets in Wales on Sunday (4.00pm).

Johann Muller and Rory Best have been included in Ulster’s 25 man squad ahead of the RaboDirect PRO12 game against Scarlets on Sunday (4.00pm)

Ireland duo Andrew Trimble and Paul Marshall have been included in the Ulster line up to play Treviso at the Stadio Monigo on Friday (6.05pm).

Ulster Rugby management have included young academy back row Conor Joyce in the 24-man provisional squad ahead of Friday’s RaboDirect PRO12 game against Treviso (6.05pm Irish time).

Zebre 25 Ulster 27

Zebre 25 Ulster 27

Half-backs Michael Heaney and Niall O’Connor have been included in the starting line up for Ulster’s RaboDirect PRO12 showdown with Zebre at the Stadio XXV Aprile on Sunday (2pm Irish time).