Ulster gain possession inside their own half but are struggling a little to break the Welsh side's defensive line. However, it's hands on the deck from a man in blue at a ruck and Ulster will now get a chance to clear towards halfway with a penalty.

Early penalty given away from James Hume inside the Cardiff half.

early tackle in the air, Cardiff lick to touch just inside Ulster's half. Lucky no early card there.

We are underway at the Kingspan Stadium

Can Cardiff get their first win of 2024, or will Richie Murphy pick up a win in his first home game in charge of Ulster? Let's find out.

Jacob Stockdale makes his first appearance since the Six Nations as part of a much-changed Ulster team to face Cardiff in Friday's United Rugby Championship game in Belfast.

Stockdale, who last played against the Dragons on 2 March, starts on the left wing with Mike Lowry moving to the right.

Jake Flannery is given the nod at fly-half with Nathan Doak moving to scrum-half.

Earlier this week, Iain Henderson, Steven Kitshoff, Rob Herring, Nick Timoney and Stewart Moore were ruled out of Friday's game.

With Kitshoff and Herring out, interim head coach Richie Murphy picks a changed front row with Eric O'Sullivan, Tom Stewart and Scott Wilson named to start.

For Cardiff, fit-again Wales and British and Irish Lions number eight Taulupe Faletau is named in the line-up for the first time this season.

The 33-year-old has been named in the Blue and Blacks' starting line-up for the first time this season.

Faletau returns from a broken arm he sustained for Wales against Georgia in the Rugby World Cup in October 2023.

Ulster: Will Addison; Mike Lowry, James Hume, Jude Postlethwaite, Jacob Stockdale; Jake Flannery, Nathan Doak; Eric O’Sullivan, Tom Stewart, Scott Wilson; Harry Sheridan, Alan O’Connor (capt); Dave Ewers, Marcus Rea, Dave McCann.

Replacements: John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Tom O’Toole, Cormac Izuchukwu, Greg Jones, John Cooney, Billy Burns, Ethan McIlroy.

Cardiff: Cam Winnett; Josh Adams, Mason Grady, Ben Thomas, Theo Cabango; Tinus de Beer, Ellis Bevan; Corey Domachowski, Liam Belcher (capt), Keiron Assiratti, Ben Donnell, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Thomas Young, Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: Rhys Carre, Evan Lloyd, Ciaran Parker, Rory Thornton, Ellis Jenkins, Gonzalo Bertranou, Jacob Beetham, Mackenzie Martin.

Image source, Getty Images

Ulster's Mike Lowry says the province are well aware of the importance of Friday night's return to URC action against Cardiff at Kingspan Stadium.

The side are left to fight on only one front for the remainder of this season after last weekend's 53-14 defeat to Clermont in the European Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

But three losses in their last four league fixtures - a run dating back to Dan McFarland's last game in charge against Ospreys in February - has dropped the side into eighth place in the table and clinging to the final URC's final play-off spot.

With only four rounds of action remaining after this weekend, just five points separate fifth and 11th.

"Every game now to the end of the season is going to be make or break," said Lowry.

"The table is so tight that every point is going to matter."

Read more of what Mike Lowry had to say here.

Image source, Getty Images

Cardiff backs coach Richie Rees will leave at the end of the season to take up a position at Haberdashers' Monmouth School (HMS).

The former Wales scrum-half has spent the past six years at the Arms Park, as an academy, transition and backs coach.

Rees has been appointed as the first director of the HMS Sports Academy.

"I have had a great time at Cardiff and remain grateful for the support and opportunities they have given me," said Rees.

"That is both in my playing days and as a young coach but I feel this is the right time to take on a new challenge."

Image source, Getty Images

Interim head coach Richie Murphy says he remains "very confident" of turning around Ulster's fortunes.

Ireland Under-20s head coach Murphy is in charge until the end of the season after replacing Dan McFarland, who left his role in February.

Ulster have only won one of their four matches under Murphy and face Cardiff in Belfast on Friday.

"How confident am I? I'm very confident and I'm very confident in the team as well," Murphy told BBC Sport NI.

"I'm confident in my own ability as a coach to help point teams in the right direction and drive the standards that are needed in order to be able to play at the very top level.

Read more of the Ulster interim head coach's thoughts here.

Image source, Getty Images

Cardiff prop Rhys Litterick has signed a new "long-term contract" to stay at the Welsh region.

The tight-head prop, who is Welsh-qualified through his father,joined Cardiff from Harlequinslast summer.

Litterick, 25, featured in the first 12 games of the season until a thumb injury suffered against Racing 92 in January ruled him out of action.

"We have been pleased with the impact Rhys has had in his first season," said Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt.

Interim chief executive Hugh McCaughey says Ulster "have to create the best version of ourselves" and cannot imitate Leinster in their bid for success.

McCaughey replaced Jonny Petrie, who departed Kingspan Stadium in March, on a six-month contract.

It has been a turbulent season for Ulster, with head coach Dan McFarland leaving his role and high-profile signing Steven Kitshoff announcing his departure after only one season in Belfast.

"We don't try to compete by being the same as Leinster. We have unique attributes in Ulster Rugby," McCaughey told BBC Sport NI.

"We have to create the best pathways and youth systems from our schools so we continue the flow of players that we have."

Read more of what the interim Ulster CEO had to say here.

Image source, Presseye

Good evening and welcome to our live coverage of the United Rugby Championship game between Ulster and Cardiff at Kingspan Stadium.

Tonight sees Ulster host a match at their Belfast home for the first time since defeating the Dragons on 2 March and it's a key game for the Irish province as they aim to secure a place in the end=of-season play-offs.

Ulster sit eighth in a congested mid-table and will target a return to winning ways in interim head coach Richie Murphy's first game in charge following last week's heavy defeat by Clermont Auvergne on the road in the Challenge Cup.

Cardiff occupy 12th spot in the standings with just three wins from their 13 URC outings to date this campaign - 11 points behind their opponents.

Stay with us for full live streamed coverage of the game on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website, plus live text commentary and in-play clips of all the key moments. Glad to have your company.

Image source, Getty Images