Benetton Treviso v Ulster, Stadio di Monigo, Saturday, 5.05 Irish time (BBC Two NI)
Treviso showed clear signs of a relative revival under Kieran Crowley in the RDS last week, as well as the galvanising effect of Conor O’Shea’s arrival as Italian head coach, and they have always been trickier opponents at home.
Even so, the early season fixture list appears to have dealt Ulster a favourable hand.
After last week’s bonus point win at home to the Dragons, Les Kiss has also shuffled his deck.
Such are the rich reserves of attacking talent that after scoring a brace of tries off the bench last week, 19-year-old winger Robert Lyttle is promoted to the starting line-up.
Louis Ludik returns at fullback, and Luke Marshall returns for his seasonal reappearance, with Stuart Olding shifting to inside centre in a reprise of their midfield partnership in the third Test in South Africa.
Kyle McCall and former Connacht prop Rodney Ah You start in the frontrow, and another new signing Kieran Treadwell will make his first competitive start for Ulster in the secondrow.
By contrast, Crowley has opted for a very settled approach, with only one enforced change as Marco Barbini replaces captain Alessandro Zanni, who was forced off in the early exchanges at the RDS with a knee injury.
Captaincy
The vastly experienced Luke McLean assumes the captaincy.
Treviso have not beaten Ulster since their win in Belfast in October 2011 and Ulster remain as the only Irish province that Treviso have not beaten at home in the history of the Pro12.
BENETTON TREVISO: Jayden Hayward; Angelo Esposito, Tommaso Benvenuti, Luke McLean (capt), Andrea Buondonno; Tommaso Allan, Giorgio Bronzini; Nicola Quaglio, Ornel Gega, Simone Ferrari, Marco Fuser, Filo Paulo, Francesco Minto, Marco Lazzaroni, Marco Barbini.
Replacements: Roberto Santamaria, Alberto de Marchi, Titian Pasquali, Filippo Gerosa, Dean Budd, Edoardo Gori, Ian McKinley, David Odiete.
ULSTER: Louis Ludik; Robert Lyttle, Luke Marshall, Stuart Olding, Jacob Stockdale; Brett Herron, Ruan Pienaar; Kyle McCall, Rob Herring (capt), Rodney Ah You, Kieran Treadwell, Franco van der Merwe, Clive Ross, Sean Reidy, Roger Wilson.
Replacements: John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Ross Kane, Peter Browne, Robbie Diack, Angus Lloyd, Stuart McCloskey, Darren Cave.
Referee: Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Forecast: Ulster to win.
