We are under way in Galway!

Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster speaking to Premier Sports: "We had a really good meeting on Monday [after losing to Dragons last time out]. We talked about inconsistency, physically especially.

"We need to step up and we want to show the supporters the pride that we have in the shirt.

"It'll go the full 80. My experience of the interpros is that there's never an easy one."

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Ulster head coach Richie Murphy speaking to Premier Sports "It's just going back to the things that we've done before last week.

"We're trying to go back to what we were doing really well before that match [the loss to Leinster in Dublin].

"Connacht here are really tough. We're coming off two losses so it's really important that we show up here tonight."

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Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey believes the side have "still got loads to work on" going into tonight's game.

The northern province go into this one fifth in the table on 22 points having played a game fewer than those above them.

Even despite that loss to Leinster last weekend, no URC side has scored more than Ulster's 29 tries during the 2025-26 campaign.

"I think we probably know from the weekend where we are, I think we're close enough," said McCloskey

"To give Leinster a good run on the weekend, we probably should have come on top if we'd done a few things differently in the second half.

"So, we know where we are. I think our attack has been brilliant, our defence has moved in the right direction."

Heading to Galway off the back of their first back-to-back losses, McCloskey believes Ulster have to continue what they have done well to this point in the season rather than change approach for an interprovincial derby.

"I think we just want to go out and make sure we play the game we've been playing for the first eight games of the season this week and not try to do anything different just because it's Connacht."

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The eagle-eyed among you will have noted David Hawkshaw's name in Connacht's 23 jersey below.

He was a late addition to the side after Hugh Gavin was ruled out through injury.

Prop Denis Buckley will become Connacht's second most capped player when he represents the side for the 270th time this evening.

That leaves him behind only John Muldoon who made 327 outings for the western province.

It's not just a big day for Buckley, either.

Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster gives academy wing Daniel Ryan his senior debut, while lock David O'Connor starts against his former side and scrum-half Ben Murphy will feature against an Ulster side coached by his father Richie and featuring his brother Jack.

Connacht: Gilbert; Ryan, Forde, Aki, Treacy; Carty, B Murphy; Buckley, Heffernan, Bealham; Joyce, O'Connor; J Murphy, Prendergast, Jansen.

Replacements: Tierney-Martin, Duggan, Barrett, Murray, O'Brien, Devine, Ioane, Hawkshaw.

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Despite their promising start to the season, Ulster are coming into this one off the back of two defeats.

After losing a 14-point lead against Cardiff in the Challenge Cup two weeks ago, it was a 10-point advantage squandered in the reverse to Leinster last time out.

Richie Murphy makes six changes from the latter with both Cormac Izuchukwu and James Hume returning after illness.

Ulster: Stockdale; Kok, Hume, McCloskey, Z Ward; Crean, Stewart, Wilson; Sheridan, Izuchukwu; McCann, Timoney, Augustus.

Replacements: Andrew, Bell, O'Toole, Hopes, B Ward, Doak, Flannery, Postlethwaite.

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Hello and welcome to one of the best days of the Irish rugby calendar.

'Tis the season so we've a double helping of interpro action in store this evening.

First up, Ulster are out west to face Connacht (17:30 GMT) with Richie Murphy's men looking to get their impressive start to the season back on track in Galway.

If that's a heck of a starter to get tucked into, we've a main course to savour too with Leinster in Limerick looking to avenge their Croke Park defeat by Munster in October.

Let's hope these potential crackers live up to the hype.

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