Pienaar expected to play pivotal role

Ulster V Glasgow:NEVER MIND this season's unbeaten run, Ulster have not lost a Magners League match since they visited tonight's opposition in April of last season, a stark contrast to the Scottish side, who have slipped to three straight Magners League defeats, and have won just once on the road in the competition since January.

Rory Best will lead Ulster out for his 100th competitive appearance tonight, his side fully expecting to remain at the top end of the table. However, it is scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar, Ulster’s big summer signing, who is likely to turn most heads in Belfast. A lot is expected from the Springbok, who is also a world -class kicker.

Ulster emptied the bank for his name and, having watched from the sidelines for the past few weeks nursing a shoulder injury, Pienaar, who hopes to be part of Peter De Villiers’s South African team at next year’s World Cup, is expected to play a pivotal role in his first run out.

Paddy Wallace is restored to the inside centre position, having played at outhalf against Connacht last weekend, while the more combative Andrew Trimble reverts to the wing from the centre.

Scottish international Simon Danielli also returns following shoulder surgery in the summer, with Niall O’Connor at outhalf partnering Pienaar.

The forwards are also realigned, with rested Johann Muller returning to the secondrow with Dan Tuohy. Ulster, though, will badly miss the injured Stephen Ferris in the backrow, with Pedrie

Glasgow’s coach, Sean Lineen, has told his side to hold on to their belief. They beat Leinster at the start of the season but since then have not gelled at all, although they have won three times in their last four visits to Ravenhill.

Lineen also recognises Ulster have stepped up their physical game and recruited sensibly since last season.

“It would be difficult if we couldn’t pinpoint what wasn’t going up to speed,” said Lineen. “We can’t fault the players’ effort at all, it’s just decisions and some skills at key times just not coming off. It’s a very young forward pack. We’re making errors and we’re getting punished for them, and you’d expect that. But as long as we’re learning, that’s the key.”

ULSTER:J Smith; A Trimble, D Cave, P Wallace, S Danielli; N O'Connor, R Pienaar; B Young, R Best (capt), T Court, J Muller, D Tuohy, P Wannenburg, C Henry, R Diack. Replacements: N Brady, P McAllister, A Whitten, T Barker, W Faloon, P Marshall, I Whitten.

GLASGOW:B Stortoni; DTH van der Merwe, M Evans, G Morrison, F Aramburu; D Weir, C Gregor; J Welsh, F Thompson, M Low, T Ryder, R Gray, R Harley, J Barclay capt, R Vernon. Replacements: P MacArthur, R Grant, E Kalman, A Muldowney, C Forrester, H Pyrgos, R Jackson, R Dewey.

Verdict:Ulster win.

Betting:Ulster 1/5; Draw 25/1; Glasgow 10/3.

Past meetings:(2009-10) Ulster 13 Glasgow 25, Glasgow 25 Ulster 18; (2008-09) Ulster 12 Glasgow 0, Glasgow 19 Ulster 20; (2007-08) Glasgow 25 Ulster 6, Ulster 24 Glasgow 25.

Referee:S Penne (FIR).