Coach Alan Solomons has announced an unchanged team for the first time in 14 matches for Friday night's Heineken European Cup match against Northampton at Ravenhill (7.05, live on BBC2).
Ulster
To make the quarter-finals of the tournament, Ulster must win the match while scoring four more tries than their opponents. A surplus of three tries will be enough if they win by 26 points or more.
Solomons has decided to keep faith in prop Simon Best, who proved an able deputy for the suspended Justin Fitzpatrick in the victory over Cardiff last weekend. Fitzpatrick must content himself with a place on the bench, where he takes over from Clem Boyd.
Solomons has stressed the need for Ulster to focus on winning the match and not being sidetracked by a try chase from the kick-off.
ULSTER: B Cunningham; J Topping, R Constable, S Stewart, S Coulter; David Humphreys, N Doak; R Kempson, M Sexton, S Best; G Longwell, J Davidson; A Ward (capt), T McWhirter, N McMillan. Replacements: J Fitzpatrick, P Shields, M Blair, R Nelson, K Campbell, J Cunningham, S Young.
Munster
Alan Gaffney's concerns following the defeat by Perpignan appear to have eased with the suggestion that Ronan O'Gara, Mick O'Driscoll and Jeremy Staunton will all be fit to play in Saturday's crucial match against Gloucester at Thomond Park (2.45, live on BBC1 and Network 2).
O'Gara took part in training yesterday, and while Staunton sat out part of the session with a leg injury it was not deemed serious. O'Driscoll has a damaged toe but he too is expected to play.
The same 22 who travelled to Perpignan are likely to be on duty again.
Number eight Anthony Foley will be hoping to celebrate his 50th European Cup match with a victory over Gloucester and the proud defence of the province's unbeaten record at the venue.
"I have been very fortunate with injuries over the years and that is probably why I have managed to miss only one of our 50 Heineken Cup games,2 he said. "I am very proud to become the first player to reach 50 matches in the tournament and I hope there are more to come.
"It (the competition) has given us the chance to pitch ourselves against them and show exactly what we can do. If you had told us five years ago that winning the Heineken Cup was a realistic goal for Munster then I don't think many of us would have believed you. But we have lost out by just one score in two finals in three seasons and it is now the ambition of every rugby player in Munster to one day win the cup.
"Both those finals, at Twickenham and the Millennium Stadium, are bitter-sweet memories for me. They were incredible occasions for Munster rugby and I hope one day to make it third time lucky for both myself and our fantastic fans.
"Other highlights were our semi-final victory over Toulouse in Bordeaux, beating Stade Français in last season's quarter-final and seeing Ronan O'Gara kick a last-minute touchline conversion to beat Saracens at Thomond Park."
Munster will confirm their team today. Tickets for the match have been sold out for some time, with Gloucester expected to bring 3,000 supporters.
Leinster
Matt Williams' main concern ahead of Sunday's game against Bristol at the Memorial Stadium (1.45) is second row Leo Cullen. The Blackrock forward is considered extremely doubtful after picking up a calf tear in training prior to the province's win over Swansea.
Girvan Dempsey, who also missed that match, has been cleared to play against Bristol and should be included in the team when it is announced on Friday.
The English club are expected to have international wing Phil Christophers back but will give late fitness tests to Scott Morgan and Australian Shane Drahm.
