Ulster coach Neil Doak, has made two changes to the team that lost to Leicester Tigers at Welford Road last week in the first round of the Rugby Champions Cup.
Ireland's Stuart Olding starts Saturday's game against Toulon (kick-off: 1.00pm Ravenhill)) at inside centre with Stuart McCloskey dropping out of the squad, while in the pack, Nick Williams moves to the bench with Roger Wilson selected at number 8.
Doak leaves the rest of the team unchanged as Ulster face into a must win match against the reigning European champions. It is the first time that Toulon have played in Belfast.
Louis Ludik again starts at fullback with try-scoring Tommy Bowe on the right wing, Irish squad member Jared Payne at outside centre, Craig Gilroy on the left wing and Paddy Jackson at outhalf. Paul Marshall partners Jackson at scrumhalf.
Andrew Warwick is selected at loosehead beside captain Rory Best with Wiehahn Herbst continuing at tighthead. Franco van der Merwe and Lewis Stevenson continue their partnership in the second row, while Chris Henry and Robbie Diack start either side of Wilson in the backrow.
If Ulster don’t win they will have opening their European account with two defeats as well as an away game against the champions facing them at a later stage. Ulster are also hoping that Scarlets can take something out of their match with Leicester at Parc y Scarlets.
In Connacht coach Pat Lam has made eight personnel changes from the team that beat La Rochelle last weekend. Loosehead prop Denis Buckley is recalled for Saturday’s game against Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park (kick-off. 3.00pm) while tighthead Nathan White has been handed the captaincy in the absence of John Muldoon, who is rested.
Michael Swift is named in the secondrow, where he is partnered by the returning Mick Kearney. Andrew Browne starts in a backrow with Willie Faloon and George Naoupu.
Lam has also brought in new faces to the back line with Niyi Adeolokun, Dave McSharry and Ian Porter coming in and 24-year-old Craig Ronaldson, who started the last three games at inside centre, starting at outhalf.
“Once again we have a very tough test in front of us and on the road. Exeter are flying high in the Premiership and we expect them to name a very strong side at home,” said Lam.
“It’s going to be a great match because you have two teams that I believe are quite similar in the way they work extremely hard for each other and rely on team work.
“It’s good to be able to bring the experience and size of Michael (Swift), Mick (Kearney) and Andrew (Browne) into what is going to be another physical challenge. Their availability allows us to use our squad effectively ahead of another tough game away to Ospreys six days later."
ULSTER: L Ludik; T Bowe, J Payne, S Olding, C Gilroy; P Jackson, P Marshall; A Warwick, R Best (capt), W Herbst; L Stevenson, F vd Merwe; R Diack, C Henry, R Wilson. Replacements: R Herring, C Black, D Fitzpatrick, C Ross, N Williams, M Heaney, I Humphreys, D Cave.
TOULON: L Halfpenny; D Armitage, M Bastareaud, M Mermoz, B Habana; M Giteau, M Claassens; A Menini, G Guirado, C Hayman (capt); J Suta, R Taofifenua; J Fernandez Lobbe, S Armitage, C Masoe. Replacements: C Burden, F Barcella, L Chilachava, B Botha, J O'Connor, A Williams, S Tillous-Borde, J Smith.
CONNACHT: D Leader; N Adeolokun, R Henshaw, D McSharry, D Poolman; C Ronaldson, I Porter; D Buckley, J Harris-Wright, N White ©, M Swift, M Kearney, A Browne, W Faloon, G Naoupu. Replacements - D Heffernan, R Loughney, R Ah You, A Muldowney, D Qualter, C Blade, J Carty, F Carr.
EXETER: C Botha; J Nowell, H Slade, S Hill, M Jess; G Steenson, W Chudley; B Moon, J Yeandle (capt), M Low; D Armand, D Welch; D Ewers, B White, T Waldrom.
Replacements: E Taione, B Sturgess, T Francis, S Naqelevuki, K Horstmann, D Lewis, I Whitten, F Vainikolo.
