Ulster boosted by the return of Ruan Pienaar for make-or-break game against Scarlets

Neil Doak has made four changes to the side that lost narrowly in Limerick last week.

ULSTER HAVE LEFT themselves with a mountain to climb in the European Champions Cup but the return of Ruan Pienaar will provide a timely boost for Neil Doak’s side.

The South African scrum-half has been sidelined since September after sustaining medial knee ligament damage during the Rugby Championship but he will make his first appearance of the season in Saturday’s do-or-die encounter with Scarlets in Belfast (7.45pm).

In all, Doak has made four changes to the side that lost narrowly in Limerick last week with Dan Tuohy also making his return from injury after suffering a broken arm against Cardiff Blues in September.

Pienaar will line-out alongside Ian Humphreys as the half-back pairing – the first time they have done so – while there is a reshuffle in the back-line.

Stuart Olding moves from full-back to inside centre while Craig Gilroy, Tommy Bowe and Louis Ludik make up the back three.

Having lost their opening two games in Pool 3, Ulster’s campaign is hanging by a thread and they know nothing less than back-to-back victories over the Welsh side will be enough to keep their hopes of progression alive.

Rory Best once again skippers from the front row with Roger Wilson, who yesterday signed a new two year contract with the province, set to make his 40th European appearance in an Ulster shirt.

The Scarlets have won one and lost one thus far in Europe and can increase their chances of advancing with a win at Ravenhill. They lost to Connacht last week in the Pro12 but like Ulster are boosted by the return of several luminaries.

New Zealand centre Regan King has recovered from injury while Rhys Priestland returns from international duty.

The game is live on BT Sport 1 on Saturday.

Ulster:

15. L Ludik

14. T Bowe

13. D Cave

12. S Olding

11. C Gilroy

10. I Humphreys

9. R Pienaar

1. C Black

2. R Best (Capt)

3. W Herbst

4. D Tuohy

5. F vd Merwe

6. R Diack

7. R Wilson

8. N Williams

Replacements:

16. R Herring

17. A Warwick

18. D Fitzpatrick

19. A O’Connor

20. C Ross

21. P Marshall

22. S McCloskey

23. M Allen

Ulster boosted by the return of Ruan Pienaar for make-or-break game against Scarlets

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