Ulster strip the ball on halfway and Mike Lowry breaks down the left and forces a lineout. However, as the ball is worked from left to right Stuart McCloskey fumbles the ball.

Step up the home scrum to blast through the Ospreys pack and win a penalty against the head. They kick to the corner.

Ulster look up for this one as they hunt Ospreys down in midfield.

However, the home side infringe on the deck outside the visitors' 22 and Dan Edwards clears the penalty to touch on halfway.

Dan Edwards of the Ospreys gets the game started in Belfast.

Can Ulster go as high as third tonight with a bonus-point win, or will the Ospreys end their losing run? we are about to find out.

Ulster boss Richie Murphy has made plenty of changes from last weekend's derby win over Connacht. There's no Iain Henderson after his concussion last time out but a big boost in the return of Stuart McCloskey to the midfield.

Ospreys have 18 players unavailable for their trip to Belfast with two potential debutants, Dan Gemine and Rhys Thomas, named on the bench.

Ulster: Mike Lowry; Werner Kok, Ben Carson, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Aidan Morgan, John Cooney; Eric O’Sullivan, James McCormick, Tom O’Toole; Alan O’Connor (capt), Harry Sheridan; Cormac Izuchukwu, Marcus Rea, David McCann.

Replacements: Tadgh McElroy, Callum Reid, Scott Wilson, Kieran Treadwell, Matty Rea, Nathan Doak, James Humphreys, Jude Postlethwaite.

Ospreys: Jack Walsh; Dan Kasende, Evardi Boshoff, Owen Williams, Keelan Giles; Dan Edwards, Kieran Hardy; Gareth Thomas, Sam Parry, Ben Warren; Will Greatbanks, Lewis Jones; Lewis Lloyd, Justin Tipuric, Morgan Morris (capt).

Replacements: Ethan Lewis, Garyn Phillips, Math Iowerth-Scott, Rhys Thomas, Dan Gemine, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Tom Florence, Max Nagy.

Image source, BBC Sport

Former Ireland centre Sene Naoupu has become the chief executive of North Otago Rugby Football Union in New Zealand.

Naoupu, who was born in New Zealand and has Samoan heritage, becomes the first Pasifika female CEO of a provincial union in the country.

Pasifika is a term used to describe residents of New Zealand who are descendants of the Pacific Islands.

Naoupu, 40, made her debut for Ireland in 2015 and won 48 caps before retiring in 2022.

Read more here

Image source, Inpho

There's been some big news from World Rugby today with confirmation that the '20-minute red card' will be used during internationals played this November.

A new law, in which a team is able to replace a player who is red carded after 20 minutes in the sin-bin - was trialled by World Rugby in the Rugby Championship and World Under-20 Championship.

It will now be used in November's internationals, where referees will have the option to implement the 20-minute red card for technical acts of foul play deemed not to be deliberate or intentional.

However, officials are set to have the option for permanent red cards for acts of foul play that are deemed to be dangerous or deliberate.

Read more here.

Image source, Getty Images

Ulster back row David McCann says the province's difficult start to the season should stand them in good stead for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign.

Richie Murphy's side edged out United Rugby Championship champions Glasgow with a late score in their first home game, then lost to the Lions and the Bulls on their two-match tour to South Africa.

Connacht were seen off after a titanic interprovincial contest at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday to secure a second victory of the new term.

"We had a really tough start to the season - the champions at home and then two games away in South Africa at altitude, so to get the win over Connacht and five points at home, it was vital for us, and I think we deserved it," said McCann.

Read more.

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Bad memories in sport have a tendency to linger and that is no different for John Cooney.

After 13 years in professional rugby, he has his fair share.

Cooney of course has achieved a great deal, notably a Pro14 (as it was known then) title with Connacht and inclusion in the United Rugby Championship team of the year no fewer than five times.

Freshest in the Dublin-born scrum-half's memory, though, is his starring role in Ulster's 32-27 win over Connacht on Saturday. In his second run-out of the season, Cooney directly contributed 12 points - including his second try in as many games - and was named man of the match.

Read more here

Image source, BBC Sport

One of those players missing for the Ospreys this evening is lock Adam Beard.

Head coach Toby Booth says he’s “not surprised” by reports this week linking the 28-year-old to French side Montpellier.

Beard is out of contract at the Welsh region at the end of the season.

It has been reported in France that the player is considered a priority signing for Montpellier and that Beard has even been sent a contract proposal by the Top 14 side.

“Everyone knows that Adam Beard is an absolute quality operator and has been influential for me and my time here,” said Booth.

Read more here.

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Ulster have won two from four this season, with both those victories coming here in Belfast. They have, however, shipped the most points of any side in the league.

Ospreys sole victory of the season came against the Stormers last month.

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Ospreys head coach Toby Booth has outlined his "horrific" unavailability list as he prepares to send a depleted squad to face Ulster in the United Rugby Championship (URC) on Friday night.

Booth has 40% of his squad unavailable for the away fixture in Belfast with the usual absentee figure around 22%.

Most of the players are injured with a couple of Wales internationals having their workload managed as Ospreys face a second game in six days.

The players missing include Rhys Henry, Dewi Lake, Tom Botha, Huw Sutton, Rhys Davies, Adam Beard, James Fender, James Ratti, Will Griffiths, Harri Deaves, Tristan Davies, Morgan Morse, Jac Morgan, Ryan Conbeer, Keiran Williams, Owen Watkin, Phil Cokanasiga and Iestyn Hopkins.

Read more.

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Fit-again Stuart McCloskey has been named in a much-changed Ulster team for tonight's game.

Ireland centre McCloskey, who missed the win over Connacht with knee and ankle injuries he picked up in the defeat by the Lions in South Africa, returns to form a new centre partnership with Ben Carson.

Mike Lowry replaces Ethan McIlroy at full-back in the other change to the backline while head coach Richie Murphy has made six alterations to his pack.

Eric O'Sullivan and James McCormick are the two front-row changes, replacing Andy Warwick and John Andrew, while Alan O'Connor will captain the side from the second row with Iain Henderson having been ruled out through concussion.

Read more here

Image source, Inpho

Hello and welcome to our coverage of Ospreys' United Rugby Championship visit to Ulster this evening.

We'll have live audio and text commentary right here from what is a wet and windy night in Belfast.

When these sides last met, Ospreys won with a dramatic, last-gasp drop goal in what ultimately proved to be Dan McFarland's last game in charge of the northern province

Will there be similar tension in store tonight at Kingspan Stadium? Stay with us to find out.

Image source, Getty Images