Billed as the make-or-break weekend for so many of the competing teams, such a prognosis certainly isn't a million miles from the truth for Ulster.

The White Knights won't necessarily be kissing goodbye to their interests in the Heineken Cup knock-out stages if they lose to Stade Francais again, nor will they be assured of further progress were they to record a famous win, but, either way, tonight's result will have the biggest bearing on their campaign so far.

It is, unquestionably, Ulster's biggest ask of the season to date. There's little doubt that Stade Francais scaled heights beyond the reach of this Ulster team in last week's meeting when delivering their triple whammy of three tries in 10 first-half minutes.

Nor is there much doubt that the crack French outfit, beaten finalists last year and seemingly even stronger this season with the signing of Fabien Galthie, eased their feet off the accelerator in the second period.

Furthermore, it is a statement of French intent that they make only one change, Cliff Mytton returning for David Venditt in line with a rotation policy in midfield.

Ulster should certainly benefit from the return of their match-winner extraordinaire, David Humphreys, who had scored 95 points in his previous four outings for Ulster prior to missing last weekend's game, and indeed from the return of Gary Longwell, although it's a pity that Ryan Constable is still ruled out.

The Ulster coach, Alan Solomons, admits a win would demand Ulster's best performance of the season by some distance.

"I would imagine so. They are a very, very good side and they beat us well last weekend. It will be a massive challenge and each individual will have to play to the maximum of his ability for us to win."

Collectively, Solomons cites a need for Ulster to improve both their defence and their set-pieces, where he was particularly impressed by Stade last week. "They also have an outstanding pair of half backs who can dictate the game."

Indeed, if Galthie and Diego Dominguez, a partnership second to none in the competition, have time, space and plenty of front-foot ball it could be a long, long night for Ulster.

The key will assuredly be the pressure which the Ulster back row and halves can exert there, but it's big-game nights like these that brings out the big-game hunter in Andy Ward.

That Ulster beat Stade at this ground at the semi-final stage three seasons ago can work both ways. The Ravenhill climate wasn't particularly inhospitable to delicate French travellers that day, indeed, thanks to the demands of French television, it was played at 1 p.m. on a sun-kissed day.

But the sheer momentum Ulster built up that day coupled with Stade's mental brittleness (even the great Dominguez buckled a little under the pressure) could be a salient memory for both teams.

Thus, while Stade should be both forewarned and forearmed, more likely that day three years ago could well haunt them a little and inspire Ulster if the home side get a gallop going.

A filthy wet night probably wouldn't go amiss, for as Solomons simply states, "Our players are used to playing in those conditions." Alas, weather forecasts have left the Ulster coach to expect a dry evening.

In the event of two sides finishing level on points, their final standing will be decided by the results between them, so in order to overtake the French aristocrats Ulster would not only need to win tonight, but also outscore them by four tries given last week's four-tries-to-one victory for Stade.

Nonetheless, a victory by 3-0 or whatever margin, would leave Ulster on six points out of a possible eight, with a trip to Wasps and a home game against Treviso to come.

Thus, even while their chances of overtaking Stade would still be remote, Solomons' men would have every prospect of accumulating 10 points, which would almost certainly propel them into the knock-out stages for the first time since their European Cup-winning year three seasons ago.

"That's exactly the way I see it," agrees Solomons enthusiastically. "From the start I never really expected us to win all six games, but I've felt that if we could win our three home games and nick an away win we would have a chance of making the quarter-finals. But if you could win five from six then you would have a great chance of making the quarter-finals.

"That is why this game is so important. We know it's going to be very difficult, that they are a great side, and that we are going to have to play to the best of our ability."

But if Ulster could rattle their visitors and win, then it would set them up for the rest of the season.

"It's a big night and everybody knows it," says Solomons, who vows: "Our supporters have been magnificent and we'll be trying to give them a night to remember."

ULSTER: B Cunningham; J Topping, P Wallace, J Bell, T Howe; D Humphreys, N Doak; J Fitzpatrick, P Shields, S Best, G Longwell, M Blair, T McWhirter, R Nelson, A Ward. Replacements: M Crick, C Boyd, P Johns, N McMillen, B Free, A Larkin, S Coulter.

STADE FRANCAIS: S Jonnet; C Dominici, F Comba, C Mytton, A Gomes: D Dominguez, F Galthie; S Marconnet, M Blin, P de Villiers, D Auradou, M James, P Tabacco, C Juillet, R Pool-Jones. Replacements: B August, L Emmanuelli, H Chaffardon, P Rabadan, N Raffault, J Berthe, M Lajus.

Referee: N Whitehouse (Wales).

Previous meetings: (1998-99, quarter-finals) Ulster 33 Stade Francais 27. (2001-2) Stade Francais 40 Ulster 11.

Formguide: Ulster - 33-28 v Treviso (a), 42-19 v Wasps (h), 11-40 v Stade Francais (a). Stade Francais - 25-19 v Wasps (a), 42-9 v Treviso (h), 40-11 v Ulster (h).

Leading try scorers: Ulster - David Humphreys 2. Stade Francais - Christophe Dominic 3.

Leading points scorers: Ulster - David Humphreys 60. Stade Francais - Diego Dominguez 53.

Betting (Paddy Powers): Handicap odds (Ulster +6pts) 10/11 Ulster, 16/1 Draw, 10/11 Stade Francais.

Forecast: Ulster to win.