Ireland hooker Tom Stewart is in line for his first appearance of the season after being named on the bench for Ulster’s clash with Leinster at Ravenhill on Friday (kick-off 7.35pm).
The 23-year-old hasn’t played this season due to an ankle injury but has been included in the replacements for the United Rugby Championship inter-provincial derby.
Head coach Richie Murphy has made five changes to the team that lost to Cardiff last time out, four of which are enforced by international call-ups.
With Stuart McCloskey, Tom O’Toole, Iain Henderson and Cormac Izuchukwu on Ireland duty for Saturday’s game against Australia, that means there are starts for Ben Carson, Scott Wilson, Alan O’Connor and James McNabney.
O’Connor captains a side that features just one other change to the side that were beaten at the Arms Park, with Stewart Moore on his return from a sterno-clavicular injury starting at full-back in place of the injured Ethan McIlroy.
Moore is included in a back three alongside Werner Kok and Mike Lowry, with Carson starting at outside centre and Jude Postlethwaite shifting to inside centre to accommodate him, while Nathan Doak and Aidan Morgan continue their half-back pairing.
Despite Stewart’s return, James McCormick holds onto his position at hooker with Eric O’Sullivan and Wilson packing down at prop either side of him, with O’Connor joined in the second row by Kieran Treadwell.
Openside flanker Nick Timoney is released from Ireland camp to start in the back row, with the starting line-up rounded off by McNabney and David McCann.
Stewart is one of three front row replacements, with Andrew Warwick and Corrie Barrett also included, while Harry Sheridan and Marcus Rea are the other forwards replacements. John Cooney, James Humphreys and Ben Moxham round out the backs.
Ulster: (15-9) S Moore; W Kok, B Carson, J Postlethwaite, M Lowry; A Morgan, N Doak; (1-8) E O’Sullivan, J McCormick, S Wilson; A O’Connor (captain), K Treadwell; J McNabney, N Timoney, D McCann.
Replacements: T Stewart, A Warwick, C Barrett, H Sheridan, Marcus Rea, J Cooney, J Humphreys, B Moxham.
Leinster: (15-9) J O’Brien; J Larmour, L Turner, C Tector, A Osborne; R Byrne, L McGrath; (1-8) J Boyle, J McKee, R Slimani; D Mangan, B Deeny; M Deegan, W Connors, J Conan (captain).
Replacements: L Barron, M Milne, R McGuire, RG Snyman, J Culhane, F Gunne, H Byrne, S Penny.