Rory Best will make his first start since breaking an arm at the end of November when Ulster attempt to wrap up a home quarter-final in the Heineken Cup against Montpellier tomorrow night.
Best fractured a bone in his arm during Ireland’s defeat too New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium seven weeks ago, an injury that had been expected to keep him on the sidelines until at least the middle of February.
But the hooker’s recovery has been swift and having returned to training last week, he will start in the front row alongside John Afoa and Tom Court at Ravenhill (8pm).
"I knew that it was going to be a tight ask to get back for these games," Best said this afternoon. "But it is testament to the medical team that we have here, Michael Eames the surgeon and the strength and conditioning coaches at Ulster that I am back.
“I have been fortunate that there have been no set-backs along the way and it has just been a case of trying to push on and thankfully I have come through.”
Ulster will be further boosted by the return of skipper Johann Muller from a calf strain while a makeshift Montpellier side will arrive in Belfast missing a raft of key players.
Fabien Galthie's side have lost seven of their last nine matches and will be without Jim Hamilton, Mamuka Gorgodze while Wynand Olivier suffered a fractured cheekbone in training yesterday and has also been ruled out.
Ulster: J Payne; A Trimble, D Cave, L Marshall, C Gilroy; P Jackson, R Pienaar; T Court, R Best, J Afoa; J Muller, D Tuohy; R Diack, C Henry, N Williams. Replacements: R Herring, C Black, D Fitzpatrick, I Henderson, R Wilson, S Doyle, P Marshall, M Allen.
