Magners League news: Irish internationals Paddy Wallace and Rory Best have been named in Ulster's 26-man squad for Sunday's clash against Edinburgh at Murrayfield.
Lock Neil McComb also receives a call up, with forwards Declan Fitzpatrick and Nigel Brady dropping out of the senior squad. Backs Jonny Shiells and Tommy Seymour also miss out.
With Connacht having drawn level on points in the race for the last Heineken Cup slot, Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin has called on his side to keep up their concentration for the full 80 minutes after some poor results recently.
“Our main problem has been that we have not been able to hold on for the victory in games we should have won. So we have focused on fitness levels and our set pieces.
“We are all very positive heading to face Edinburgh. We have played them quite a few times this season; the last time was at Ravenhill in Europe, where we gained the victory. We will be going to Murrayfield with the belief that we can win.”
Meanwhile, captain Mike Blair has been controversially omitted from the Edinburgh side for Sunday’s clash.
Scotland co-captain Blair, who will start on the bench, was replaced at scrumhalf by Greig Laidlaw in one of three changes to the team beaten heavily at Newport-Gwent Dragons last weekend.
Blair’s omission continued head coach Rob Moffat’s trend of rotating his squad since succeeding Andy Robinson last season.
But it will raise eyebrows, with Edinburgh likely to need victories in their final two games of the regular season to have a realistic chance of making the play-offs.
Flanker Roddy Grant will wear the captain’s armband this weekend after being recalled following an injury to Ross Rennie (hamstring).
Scotland centre Nick De Luca will make his first appearance since the Six Nations after recovering from a groin injury, with wing Simon Webster ruled out due to an Achilles problem.
Ben Cairns switches to fullback and Jim Thompson drops to the bench.
Michael Bradley has made eight changes to his squad that defeated Leinster for Sunday’s away trip to take on the Llanelli Scarlets.
Backs Gavin Duffy and Fionn Carr miss the trip to Wales, while Bradley has also left out forwards Sean Cronin, Michael Swift, Mike McCarthy, John Muldoon, George Naoupu and Brett Wilkinson.
In come Liam Bibo, Tiernan O'Halloran, Eoin Griffin, Ray Ofisa, David Nolan, Dermot Murphy, Conor Higgins and Eoin McKeown.
ULSTER (Squad v Edinburgh) – Backs:Jamie Smith, Paul Marshall, Simon Danielli, Darren Cave, Ian Whitten, Nevin Spence, Ian Humphreys, Niall O'Connor, Isaac Boss, Willie Faloon, Andrew Trimble, Paddy Wallace.
Forwards:Rory Best, Bryan Young, BJ Botha, Neil McComb, Andy Kyriacou, Ed O'Donoghue, Dan Tuohy, Ryan Caldwell, Chris Henry, Tom Court, Stephen Ferris, Robbie Diack, TJ Anderson, David Pollock
EDINBURGH:Ben Cairns; Tim Visser, Nick De Luca, John Houston, Mark Robertson; Phil Godman, Greig Laidlaw; Allan Jacobsen, Ross Ford, Geoff Cross, Scott MacLeod, Jim Hamilton, Alan MacDonald, Roddy Grant (capt), Dave Callam. Replacements:Andrew Kelly, Kyle Traynor, Fraser McKenzie, Scott Newlands, Mike Blair, Andrew Turnbull, Jim Thompson
CONNACHT (Squad v Llanelli) – Backs:Liam Bibo, Kieran Campbell, Eoin Griffin, Ian Keatley, Troy Nathan, Miah Nikora, Tiernan O'Halloran, Conor O'Loughlin, Brian Tuohy, Aidan Wynne. Forwards:Andrew Browne, Adrian Flavin, Conor Higgins, Ronan Loughney, Mike McComish, Eoin McKeown, Robbie Morris, Dermot Murphy, Dave Nolan, Johnny O'Connor, Ray Ofisa, Bernie Upton.