Team News:Mark McCall was forced to plan without Stephen Ferris as the Ulster coach named his starting line-up ahead of the province's opening Heineken Cup Pool game against Gloucester at Ravenhill tomorrow night.
The Ulster XV shows three personnel and one positional change from the side that lost away to Glasgow last weekend. With Ferris sidelined for between four and six weeks with a recurring knee injury there will be a new-look backline on show.
Roger Wilson regains the number eight jersey while Neil Best moves to openside flanker with versatile lock Matt McCullough named on the blindside. Kieron Dawson is named on the bench after his leg injury - sustained in Glasgow last week - is not as serious as first thought.
In the battle of the secondrows, Ryan Caldwell is named on the bench with Italian lock Carlo Del Fava starting alongside former Wallaby Justin Harrison while the front row of Justin Fitzpatrick, Rory Best and Bryan Young remains unchanged.
McCall has named an unchanged backline, but because David Humphreys remains an injury concern, he has also included Paddy Wallace in an either/or combination at outhalf.
Humphreys will undergo a fitness test later today while Academy player Niall O'Connor is on standby as replacement cover should Humphreys be unavailable.
"This game has always been the most important fixture in this part of the season whether we were coming in to the fixture unbeaten in the Magners League or in the position we are now in," said McCall. "It is a huge, high pressure game and the players have been looking forward to it for a long time."
"Gloucester got their season off to a flying start playing some great rugby and chalking up some high scores in the Premiership. They have recruited well over the last few seasons and are a strong side and will certainly provide a stern test for us on Friday night," added the coach of their opponents, who are currently top of the Guinness Premiership.
In the case of Ferris he suffered a recurrance of the knee injury he picked up when playing for Ireland against Argentina on the summer tour.
When the backrow returned an arthroscopy was performed on his knee and he was deemed fit to be included in Eddie O'Sullivan's World Cup squad. However, since returning from France the injury has flared up again and he has been unable to train or play with the province.
He will also miss next week's trip to Bourgoin, but medical staff are hopeful he will back in time for the third or fourth round of matches when they face the Ospreys in back-to-back fixtures.
Ulster Team: B Cunningham; T Bowe, A Trimble, R Dewey, M McCrea; D Humphreys / P Wallace, I Boss; J Fitzpatrick, R Best (Capt), B Young, J Harrison, C Del Fava, M McCullough, N Best, R Wilson
Replacements: N Brady, D Fitzpatrick, R Caldwell, K Dawson, K Campbell, D Humphreys/P Wallace/ N O'Connor, M Bartholomeusz
