Needing victory over Glasgow by a minimum of 18 points and a Wasps win over Swansea (the two winning margins coming to a minimum of 89 points) the Ulster coach Davy Haslett accepts that his team requires "a mathematical freak" to snatch second place in the group and so qualify for the play-offs.

"It's not going to happen but what is important is actually winning the game for a couple of reasons. Firstly, having lost the first game when we shot ourselves in the foot by conceding two soft tries, and secondly it's important to register a win from an Ulster viewpoint and an Irish viewpoint. We need to register as many Irish wins as we can to reduce the finger pointing at the Irish provinces."

A lively Ulster side played some good rugby against Glasgow in the first meeting, dominating the game territorially and creating far more chances, but a tendency for the ball carrier to go to ground too quickly, panicky decision-making in the opposition 22 and two largely self-inflicted tries undid them. Instead, buoyed by that win, Glasgow have gone on to perform credibly thanks to a sound defence, the prodigious boot of Cook Island out-half Tommy Hayes and the opportunism of left-winger James Craig - son of Celtic's Lisbon lion.

Ulster are unchanged while Glasgow welcome back Murray Wallace and Malcolm Norval up front.

Glasgow: C Sangster; D Stark, C Simmers, M McGrandles, J Craig; T Hayes, F Stott; G McIlwham, G Bulloch (capt), A Kittle, M Norval, G Perrett, F Wallace, M Wallace, I Sinclair.

Ulster: S McDowell; J Topping, M Jackson, M Field, J Cunningham; S Laing, A Matchett; G Leslie, S Ritchie, R Irwin, T McWhirter, G Longwell, S McKinty (capt), K Gallick, A Ward.

Formguide: Glasgow - W L W L L. Ulster - L L L W L.

Previous meetings: Ulster 12 Glasgow 18.

Leading points scorers: Glasgow - Tommy Hayes 55 pts. Ulster - Stuart laing - 52 pts.

Leading try scorers: Glasgow - James Craig 3. Ulster - Jan Cunningham 2.

Referee: G Simmonds (Wales).