Ulster re-claim possession inside their own 22 and break with intent through the middle of the pitch.

They start to spread the ball left in threatening fashion but Rob Baloucoune's hands let him down and it is a knock-on scrum to Benetton.

Early lineout for Benetton just inside the Ulster half

Jacob Umaga of Benetton gets us under way at a windswept Affidea Stadium

There's a light show in Belfast as the teams come out on the pitch.

Not long until kick-off now.

Benetton's previous three visits to Belfast have ended in defeat.

Image source, BBC Sport

There wasn't much Rory Best didn't encounter during an illustrious rugby career in which he attained 124 Ireland caps, four Six Nations titles and legendary status at Ulster.

But as he returns to Ulster - six years after retiring - as the province's new general manager, he encounters no shortage of heady questions around the direction of Irish rugby and the state of the professional game in general.

Best spoke to BBC Sport NI's Mark Sidebottom just two days after his former Ulster and Ireland team-mate Stephen Ferris offered a withering assessment of rugby's health.

Ferris said he felt the game was "broken" while sitting through Ireland's defeat by South Africa on Saturday which, stoppages included, ran for 132 minutes.

When Ferris' comments are put to Best, the two-time British and Irish Lion was not compelled to make any grim proclamations about the game he started playing professionally 21 years ago.

"If I believed rugby was broken, I wouldn't be here," said the 43-year-old, who was confirmed as Bryn Cunningham's successor last month.

"Rugby is a sport I played. Do we need to keep evolving? Of course we do. Every sport needs to. You need to keep up with, ultimately, the supporters and sponsors. They put the money in that allows us to pay our players and allows our players to train."

Image source, Inpho

There's a late change for Ulster as Ian Henderson has withdrawn in the warm-up and Matthew Dalton comes into the team.

Nick Timoney will now captain the hosts, and Charlie Irvine comes onto the bench.

Ulster's next five fixtures: Benetton (H), Racing 92 (H, Challenge Cup), Cardiff (A, Challenge Cup), Leinster (A), Connacht (A)

Having opened their season with three straight wins, Ulster's bubble was burst before the break by the Lions, who won 49-31 at Ellis Park to give Richie Murphy plenty to ponder during November.

Ulster return to action against Benetton on Friday (19:45 GMT) - their first home game since 11 October - with a lengthy injury list.

Ireland centre Stuart McCloskey is out with a groin injury, joining Lorcan McLoughlin (elbow), Sean Reffell (shoulder), Ben Moxham (knee), Ethan McIlroy (knee), Eric O'Sullivan (hamstring) and James McNabney (knee) on the sidelines.

Ben Carson and in-form full-back Michael Lowry will also miss the match against Benetton, who beat Ulster 34-19 in Treviso last season.

Like Leinster, Ulster are hoping to be boosted by a high-profile southern hemisphere arrival in the form of Angus Bell.

The Australia prop - who Ulster have signed until the end of the season - will link up with the squad next week.

While the Wallabies struggled in November, Bell was one of their standout performers, scoring tries against Italy and France.

A victory over Benetton would keep Ulster in the upper echelons of the URC standings and give them a well-timed spring in their step before a mouthwatering Challenge Cup opener against Racing, who lost 31-15 on their last visit to Belfast in December 2023.

Image source, Getty Images

Connacht's next five fixtures: Sharks (H), Ospreys (A, Challenge Cup), Black Lion (H, Challenge Cup), Dragons (A), Ulster (A)

It has been a difficult start to life in Galway for former England boss Stuart Lancaster, who replaced Pete Wilkins as Connacht head coach in the summer.

After an opening win over Benetton was followed by the Storm Amy-enforced postponement of their Scarlets game, the western province lost to Cardiff, Bulls and Munster before the international break.

The 28-27 loss to the Bulls in Galway and 17-15 reverse to Munster in Limerick were tough pills to swallow, but Lancaster has had a solid month to devise a plan for breathing new life into Connacht's season.

It starts with the visit of the Sharks to Dexcom Stadium on Saturday (19:45 GMT).

After three defeats in their first four games, the South African side signed off before the November break with a 29-19 win over Scarlets.

The Sharks will be without most of their Springboks, including Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Bongi Mbonambi, Ethan Hooker and Andre Esterhuizen.

For the hosts, Ireland internationals Bundee Aki, Cian Prendergast and Finlay Bealham are available for selection, but Mack Hansen has been ruled out.

Hansen, who starred at full-back in Ireland's win over Australia earlier this month, is nursing hand and foot injuries with Connacht unsure on a timeline for the 27-year-old's return.

After facing the Sharks, Lancaster will lead Connacht into European action for the first time as the Challenge Cup returns with a trip to Ospreys followed by a home game against Georgian side Black Lion.

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Munster's next five fixtures: Stormers (H), Bath (A, Champions Cup), Gloucester (H, Champions Cup), Ospreys (A), Leinster (H)

The international break came at a bad time for Clayton McMillan. Having started his reign with five wins - highlighted by an impressive dismantling of Leinster at Croke Park - the New Zealander must now ensure his side's early-season momentum has not been disrupted by the Test window.

Across five URC wins and a victory over Argentina XV, McMillan has used 47 players, and his hand has been strengthened this week, with Thaakir Abrahams, Diarmuid Barron, Conor Bartley, Mike Haley, John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen and Niall Scannell all returning to training.

Highly-rated second row Edwin Edogbo is also nearing a return from a head injury, while former Leinster prop Michael Ala'alatoa will join from Clermont in December until the end of the season.

Munster will aim to make it six from six when they host pacesetters Stormers at Thomond Park in a top-two encounter on Saturday (17:30 GMT) before beginning their Champions Cup campaign away to Bath on 6 December.

While the Stormers will be without their South Africa internationals - including Damian Willemse and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu - a win against a side who already have a points difference of +118 would be another eye-catching statement of intent from Munster.

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Leinster's next five fixtures: Dragons (A), Harlequins (H, Champions Cup), Leicester (A, Champions Cup), Ulster (H), Munster (A)

Perhaps the big Leinster push is upon us.

After a stuttering start to the season that yielded defeats by the Stormers, Bulls and Munster, the URC holders are tasked with reversing their fortunes with another Investec Champions Cup campaign beckoning. And a growing injury list is not what Leo Cullen needed before Friday's contest with the Dragons at Rodney Parade (19:45 GMT).

Already without scrum-half Cormac Foley and Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan, Leinster confirmed long-term injuries for Ryan Baird and Jamie Osborne earlier this week, both of whom are doubts for the start of the Six Nations.

James Culhane is also out "for the next few months" with a knee issue while Will Connors is recovering from an arm injury, while Tommy O'Brien and Robbie Henshaw are also currently out.

Joe McCarthy looks set to be fit next week's Champions Cup opener against Harlequins, which will be the lock's first action of the season.

And there is naturally a great deal of intrigue over Rieko Ioane's arrival. The hugely experienced All Blacks star has joined the province until the end of the season and hopes to replicate his fellow countryman Jordie Barrett's impact for the Blues during the 2024-25 campaign.

It is an unexpected new chapter for Ioane, who cemented himself as one of the most unpopular figures in Irish rugby after clashing with Johnny Sexton.

If he can go one better than Barrett and propel Leinster to their first Champions Cup title since 2018, it would complete a remarkable turnaround for the two-time World Rugby Player of the Year nominee.

Image source, Getty Images

As the United Rugby Championship returns this weekend, let's look at the state of play of the four Irish provinces.

Three of Ulster's Ireland internationals have been named to start Friday's United Rugby Championship encounter against Benetton in Belfast (19:45 GMT).

While centre Stuart McCloskey is ruled out with a groin injury, Iain Henderson returns to captain Ulster from the second row, with Nick Timoney and Jacob Stockdale also recalled.

Having been deployed on the left wing on his last appearance for Ulster, Stockdale reverts to full-back, where he played in the win over the Bulls last month.

Fit-again Juarno Augustus starts at number eight after recovering from an arm injury, but Cormac Izuchukwu has not been included despite returning to training following a foot issue.

Tom Stewart, who captained Ireland XV to a win over Spain earlier this month, starts at hooker with Sam Crean and Scott Wilson completing the front row.

Jack Murphy and Nathan Doak are again paired at half-back, with replacement scrum-half Dave Shanahan set to make his 100th appearance for the province off the bench.

An experienced bench also includes Rob Herring, Tom O'Toole and Stewart Moore, who was recalled from his loan at Newcastle Red Bulls earlier this week.

Back row Bryn Ward, who made his debut against the Lions in Johannesburg last month, is also among the replacements, but there is no place in the squad for his older brother Zac, who has started three URC games this season.

Ulster boss Richie Murphy is currently without Ben Carson, Michael Lowry, Lorcan McLoughlin (elbow), Sean Reffell (shoulder), Ben Moxham (knee), Ethan McIlroy (knee), Eric O'Sullivan (hamstring) and James McNabney (knee).

Australia prop Angus Bell, who has joined until the end of the season, was not considered for selection this week.

Fifth-placed Ulster have three wins and a defeat from four games this season. Benetton sit 10th with two wins and three defeats. The Italian side won last season's meeting 34-19 in Treviso.

Image source, Inpho

Welcome back!

Following the autumn internationals, the United Rugby Championship is back and it's a long-awaited return to home comforts for Ulster this evening as they host Benetton.

Richie Murphy's side made a great start to the new season, winning their first three games including a stirring 34-26 win over the Sharks in Durban, but would taste defeat in the second game of the tour to South Africa against the Lions.

They have had five weeks to stew on that result, but enter the second phase of the campaign in a very healthy fifth place with a Storm Amy-induced game in hand.

Benetton are are the first visitors to the Affidea Stadium since Ulster's win over the Bulls on 11 October and the Italian club arrive following an up and down start to the campaign.

Following an opening day defeat in Connacht, they scored victories over Glasgow and the lions, but lost their last two against Edinburgh and the Stormers.

Therefore, both sides have a point to prove this evening and you can follow all the action here, with report and reaction to follow on the BBC Sport NI website and app.

So, sit back and enjoy.

Image source, Getty Images