Ulster in real need of a morale-boosting victory

Talk of a crisis is a tad premature so soon into the Les Kiss reign, but back in the comforts of home rarely have Ulster so acutely needed a restorative win this early in the season.

Successive defeats in Europe and the Pro12 have left them looking a little dazed and, early days though they are, this fixture finds them uncomfortably placed just behind tonight's opponents on points' difference and thus just outside the top six automatic qualifying places for the European Champions Cup.

Kiss has made seven changes to Ulster’s starting line-up.

The 22-year-old winger Rory Scholes replaces the rested Craig Gilroy – Ulster’s leading try scorer this season – with Luke Marshall restored in place of Stuart McCloskey (one of their better performers last week).

Rob Herring takes over from Rory Best as hooker and captain, with Ricky Lutton, making his first start of the campaign, while Franco van der Merwe, Chris Henry and Roger Wilson are all restored as Iain Henderson reverts to the backrow.

There is still some undoubted quality there, notably in the middle five of Henderson, Henry, Wilson, Ruan Pienaar and Paddy Jackson. But compared to, say, three or four seasons ago, they are lacking the tight five ballast which the likes of John Afoa and Johann Muller gave them, not to mention the sorely felt absence of Jared Payne and Tommy Bowe.

Their former coach Alan Solomons has made four changes from the Edinburgh side which recorded last week’s only attacking bonus point in the win over the Dragons. The hamstrung Greig Tonks is replaced at fullback by Jack Cuthbert with Dougie Fife returning from injury on the wing.

Sean Kennedy replaces the injured Sam Hidalgo-Clyne at scrum-half while Anton Bresler returns in the second-row.

Losing away

Ulster are unbeaten at home in the tournament in 14 matches since losing to Leinster in May 2014, while Edinburgh have not won in Belfast since September 2009.

Edinburgh have played each of the four Irish provinces already, beating Leinster and Ulster at home before losing away to Connacht and at home to Munster. Given they've played five home games whereas Ulster have played just three of eight games to date at the Kingspan, the teams may each be in a slightly false place in the formative table. That's something Ulster can begin rectifying here.