By Ian Cusack

Ulster flanker Stephen Ferris will put his friendship with Leinster counterpart Sean O’Brien on the backburner as they prepare to face off in a mouthwatering back-row confrontation at the Heineken Cup final.

Ulster’s Tom Court returns to Twickenham for the first time tomorrow since his traumatic appearance against England last March — but Mike Ross believes the Ulster prop has already exorcised his St Patrick’s Day demons.

Pedrie Wannenburg is aiming for a dream end to his Ulster career after his try-scoring performance helped secure a 22-19 victory over Edinburgh and a place in the Heineken Cup final.

Ulster 22 Edinburgh 19

Forget the heroics of 1999, in picking Paddy Jackson to start at fly-half in today’s Heineken Cup semi-final with Edinburgh (5.45pm), Brian McLaughlin could not have sent out a clearer message to the Ulster faithful that his team is ready to write a new chapter in their history.

The Ulster medical and management staff will be keeping a close eye on the progress of a number of injured players ahead of Saturday’s Heineken Cup semi-final against Edinburgh in the Aviva Stadium (5.45pm).

Ulster may not have any further interest in the RaboDirect Pro 12 play-offs after Leinster won a tepid affair game at Ravenhill last night, but more worrying was the injuries to Paddy Wallace, Chris Henry and Pedrie Wannenburg ahead of next week’s Heineken Cup semi-final against Edinburgh at the Aviva.

Ulster 8 Leinster 16

Ulster still have an amount of considerably important business to see to this season but the annual round of farewells that is a part of life at all clubs begins tonight with Leinster’s visit to Ravenhill.

Ulster Rugby today confirmed that back-row forward Pedrie Wannenburg will leave the club at the end of this season.

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 15 Ospreys 14

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 have named a 28-man provisional squad ahead of the visit of the Dragons to Ravenhill on Friday night (7.05pm).

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.

By Ian Cusack

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).

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.

ULSTER’S victory in the Milanese suburb was not as convincing as the score suggests, but the only thing that mattered for the visitors was the attainment of a winning bonus point, according to Pedrie Wannenburg.

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

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.

Ulster 12 Treviso 23

NEW South African signing Tonderai Chavhanga gave the Newport Gwent Dragons plenty to cheer about in their RaboDirect Pro 12 clash with Ulster at Rodney Parade.

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

A FIRST-HALF double by centre Darren Cave sent Ulster top of the RaboDirect Pro12 League with a deserved win over previous leaders Cardiff Blues at Ravenhill last night.

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.

Leinster 18 Ulster 3

Leinster 34 Ulster 26

ROD KAFER and Doug Howlett are the only members of the elite north-south double winners club — but now Pedrie Wannenburg, Scott Hamilton, George Smith and Campbell Johnstone are in with the chance of adding their names to that shortest of short honours boards.

ULSTER temporarily moved second in the Magners League with a gritty but unconvincing victory over the Scarlets at Ravenhill.

Brian McLaughlin has continued his rotation policy by bringing in six new faces for Friday’s Magners League match trip with Glasgow, kick-off 8.05pm.

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

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.

Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin hailed his team’s qualification for the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup as a “fantastic achievement” after this afternoon’s 43-6 victory at Aironi.

Aironi 6 Ulster 43

ULSTER head coach Brian McLaughlin has warned his side must not lose focus ahead of their Pool Four showdown with Biarritz next month after their epic 26-22 Heineken Cup weekend victory at Bath.

ULSTER Rugby chiefs are confident Saturday’s Heineken Cup tie with Bath at Ravenhill will go ahead as planned.

ULSTER scored 15 points in a four-minute spell midway through the second half to end a run of seven straight defeats at the hands of Cardiff Blues.

Ulster 6 Munster 16

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.

Ian Humphreys will make his first competitive start of the season for Ulster in their Heineken Cup match with Aironi on Friday night at Ravenhill (kick off: 7:30pm).