Ulster need full masts up against Connacht to steady ship

Ulster have been thrown quite the curve-ball as the Pro12 campaign enters its final four rounds of regulation play.

First up, they worryingly find themselves just outside the top four and struggling for form, with the notion being floated that not only are they looking on course to miss out on the league's playoffs for the first time since 2012 but they could even struggle to make the top-six finish needed to ensure a place in next season's European Champions Cup.

And to top all that, the Connacht juggernaut comes to the Kingspan on Friday evening with Pat Lam's table-topping squad on a roll and ready to further push their powerful claims for a top-two finish, as well as looking in a good place to finally bag a win in Belfast for the first time since 1960.

Under pressure

With Ulster having lost three of their last four outings – and that one win was over lowly Zebre – while also managing to let go of losing bonus points in two of those defeats, Les Kiss is under pressure to turn things around and fast.

The former Ireland assistant coach can at least call on some of his big-hitters for this critical interprovincial with captain Rory Best, Andrew Trimble and Jared Payne all seemingly ready to return in the province's hour of need.

But Kiss has lost number eight Nick Williams’s destructiveness and secondrow Alan O’Connor’s work-rate for Friday, with the Kiwi having shipped a groin and shoulder injury against Glasgow while O’Connor dislocated his shoulder in the same game.

With Dan Tuohy's season definitely over it might even mean that the recently returned Iain Henderson could be pressed into action to provide cover in the engine room.

‘Powerful players’

"To lose Nick Williams and Alan O'Connor, who are two powerful players for us, is a blow," said Kiss. "But we've got Rory Best back and Andrew Trimble's back in the mix."

Kiss admitted that Trimble was in the process of shaking off illness this week which has also struck a other squad members. “We’ve also got Jared Payne, and though his leg is still tender he’s trained very well.”

As for Tommy Bowe's much-anticipated return from his World Cup knee injury, it looks as if that may be likely for either mid-April's game at Zebre, or in Ulster's penultimate regulation season outing when they host Leinster.

“It would be nice just to get a couple of results to give that confidence to the group overall and allow us stay on track and stay believing in the things we’re doing,” said Kiss.

“The important thing is not to get hijacked by ‘what ifs’, the important things is what we need to do in the here and now.”

Kiss also made it known that he is taking some solace from Ulster being the only side to have beaten Connacht at their Sportsground fortress this season when they came away as 10-3 winners on St Stephen’s Day.

How he now needs a repeat performance to steady Ulster’s creaking ship.