It's an instant response from the visitors.

Jack Aungier pinged for not releasing 40 metres out from the Connacht posts.

Flannery shows expert radar with the boot and easily splits the uprights, all square.

Jack Carty makes no mistake, and it's no more than Connacht deserve.

First kickable penalty of the night.

David McCann with hands on the ground attempting the jackal. Jack Carty points to the posts.

Cian Prendergast is in like a limpet.

John Andrew without adequate support on the halfway line and pays the price as Prendergast forces the turnover.

Reuben Crothers is not coming back on after an earlier head injury. Shocking luck for the Ireland U-20 skipper on his debut.

The western province really looking to add width to their game, spreading the ball from left to right.

However, they just can't seem to break the Ulster defensive resolve.

Scrum to Connacht outside the Ulster 22.

Connacht looking dangerous.

Tiernan O'Halloran with a scintillating break from inside his own half.

But once again Ulster with the turnover five yards out from their own line and clear to touch, excellent poaching from Nick Timoney.

Hooker John Andrew throws over the top from a lineout when inside the Connacht 22 and the home side attack with menace downfield.

New man Reuben Crothers involved in a nasty head clash with Shamus Hurley-Langton whilst running with the ball in the Connacht half.

The back-row is off for a HIA and David McCann takes the field.

Straight away Connacht concede a penalty outside the Ulster 22 and Ethan McIlroy has the chance to clear his lines.

South African referee Morne Ferreira blows his whistle and we're off at the Sportsground.

Jack Carty punts long into the Ulster half

It's only Ferreira's fifth league game in charge. Let's see if it's an eventful one.

Late change for the visitors. Will Addison has pulled up.

Ethan McIlroy to full-back and Ben Moxham promoted to the wing.

Image source, Inpho

Back row Nick Timoney says Ulster have been using the disappointment of last season to motivate their new campaign.

Ulster travel to Connacht on Friday in a bid to make in three wins from three in the United Rugby Championship.

Connacht, who are also unbeaten, ended Ulster's 2022-23 season in May with a 15-10 win in Belfast in the URC quarter-finals.

"In general, the disappointment of last season has been a motivating factor for all of us," Timoney said.

"I think there was loads of frustrations and probably regrets and bitter feelings about the whole season last year.

"We've been pretty keen to get stuck into this season and change those tones. It will be a great opportunity against the team that kind of ended our season last year to show we are on the up."

Image source, Inpho

Ireland prop Tom O'Toole will have surgery on a "chronic" groin injury and is expected to be out of action for a month, his club Ulster have said.

The 25-year-old played the full 80 minutes in Ulster's 26-19 win over the Bulls on Sunday as Dan McFarland's side made it two wins from two in the United Rugby Championship.

O'Toole returned to his club two weeks ago following a World Cup quarter-final exit with Ireland.

His surgery will take place this week.

Ulster are already without prop Marty Moore, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since New Year's Day.

Ulster have confirmed they will also be without lock Kieran Treadwell for their game away to Connacht on Saturday after he injured his hip in training.

Image source, Inpho

Ulster fly-half Billy Burns says the "gut-wrenching" pain of last season's United Rugby Championship quarter-final loss to Connacht is driving the squad on as they prepare to renew their inter-provincial rivalry in Galway.

Ulster's 2022-23 season ended in despair as Connacht claimed a 15-10 win in Belfast.

Burns, who made his professional debut for Gloucester 11 years ago and joined Ulster in 2018, said the province's dressing room that night was the worst he has ever been in.

"And rightly so. We let a lot of people down and let ourselves down, but if we can use that to drive us forward this year, we'll be in a pretty good place I think," the 29-year-old said before Ulster's trip to Galway on Saturday.

"It was gut-wrenching to go out the way we did at the back end of last season.

"You spend a lot of time thinking about things you could have done differently. We've learned from games like that over the past few years. It's enabled us to narrow our focus on certain areas of our game where we need to get better.

"The way the weeks have been structured in pre-season, it's felt like we've taken our learnings from games like that and hopefully we'll see the benefits of that when we come into tight games in the future, or knockout games."

Ulster head coach Dan McFarland has made 11 changes for Saturday's United Rugby Championship trip to inter-provincial rivals Connacht.

Aaron Sexton and Ethan McIlroy start on the wings with Jacob Stockdale and Rob Baloucoune ruled out through injury.

Dave Shanahan and Jake Flannery are in at nine and 10, with Nathan Doak and Billy Burns dropping to the bench.

Will Addison, James Hume, Nick Timoney and Alan O'Connor are the four players retained from the win over the Bulls.

It is a changed front row of Eric O'Sullivan, John Andrew and James French, with the latter making his first start since joining the club in the summer.

There is a senior debut for flanker Reuben Crothers, who captained Ireland to the Under-20 Six Nations Grand Slam in 2022. He is joined in the back row by Timoney and Matty Rea.

Connacht make three changes for Saturday's match with former Ireland fly-half Jack Carty starting for the first time this season, replacing the injured JJ Hanrahan. Oisin Dowling replaces Niall Murray at lock while Conor Oliver is in for Jarrad Butler in the back row.

Connacht: Tiernan O'Halloran; Byron Ralston, Tom Farrell, Cathal Forde, Diarmuid Kilgallen; Jack Carty, Caolin Blade; Denis Buckley, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Jack Aungier; Oisin Dowling, Joe Joyce; Shamus Hurley-Langton, Conor Oliver, Cian Prendergast.

Replacements: Tadgh McElroy, Jordan Duggan, Dominic Robertson-McCoy, Niall Murray, Jarrad Butler, Colm Reilly, David Hawkshaw, Andrew Smith.

Ulster: Will Addison; Aaron Sexton, James Hume, Stewart Moore, Ethan McIlroy, Jake Flannery, Dave Shanahan; Eric O'Sullivan, John Andrew, James French; Alan O'Connor (capt), Harry Sheridan; Matty Rea, Reuben Crothers, Nick Timoney.

Replacements:Tom Stewart, Andy Warwick, Greg McGrath, Joe Hopes, David McCann, Nathan Doak, Billy Burns, Ben Moxham.

The United Rugby Championship season is in full flow and we're set for a tasty inter-provincial derby this evening.

Ulster make the trip west to Galway to face Connacht and these two have history.

Both teams are unbeaten, so something has to give. We'll have all the updates here and you can listen on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Foyle and the BBC website. Thanks for joining us.