Celtic League: The top team in the Celtic League, Ulster, against the third-placed side on the table, Connacht, sets the bar quite high this weekend for the home team at Galway's Sportsground.
Connacht seem to have recovered from their flat performance of two weeks ago, having bounced back against Neath-Swansea to win last week's game 22-33 in Wales, which indicates that coach Michael Bradley has shaken his side out of their fleeting slumber.
Ulster, though, have been efficiently grinding out impressive results but without really catching the imagination thus far.
Their 32-7 destruction of Cardiff at Ravenhill last week, however, illustrates that they should always be highly regarded.
The former European Cup winners have won their last six matches in the competition and have weathered a phase where injuries and a small pool of players could have holed their campaign below the water line.
Bryn Cunningham and Andy Ward, with three tries each, are Ulster's top try scorers as Tyrone Howe, with four to his name, is now in Australia and at Eddie O'Sullivan's disposal.
Howe will be missed, although with James Topping on one wing and Scott Young on the other, coach Alan Solomons can hardly complain about lack of cover.
Bradley, staying consistent with his policy of rotation, has made seven changes to the Connacht side that beat Neath-Swansea at St Helen's.
Mark McHugh returns at full back, Darren Yapp comes back from injury to the centre and Matt Mostyn switches to the right wing. Conor McPhillips, joint top try scorer in the league with Cardiff's Lee Abdul with five, is recalled on the left wing.
In the front row, Ray Hogan returns to loosehead with Andrew Farley partnering Mike McCarthy in the second row. Two changes in the back row bring Michael Swift and John O'Sullivan in to join Paul Neville.
From Ulster's point of view, it will be a tough one to win but it is within their range to do so. Connacht's ability to keep going for the entire match has brought them victories before.
It would be a surprise if Connacht upset them, and it is Ulster who will harbour the greatest expectations going into this afternoon's contest.
CONNACHT: M McHugh; M Mostyn, D Yapp, T Allnutt, C McPhillips; E Elwood, M Walls; R Hogan, B Jackman, A Clarke, M McCarthy, A Farley, M Swift, P Neville, J O'Sullivan. Replacements: J Fogarty, F Boiroux, D Browne, T Carter, C O'Loughlin.
ULSTER: B Cunningham; J Topping, R Constable, S Stewart, S Young; A Larkin, K Campbell; B Young, M Sexton, R Moore, M Mustchin, M McCullough, A Ward, N Best, T McWhirter. Replacements: P Shields, R McCormack, R Frost, R Wilson, R Spee, P Steinmetz, S Mallon.
Referee: P Fear (Wales).
