Good afternoon, folks. Welcome along to our coverage of this afternoon’s meeting of Ulster and Leinster in the Guinness Pro12. On the penultimate weekend of the regular season, the sides — who are currently in fourth and third place respectively — are looking to secure their semi-final places. However, it’s all very tight and complicated at the top.

After Connacht’s surprise defeat in Treviso last night, Leinster can move back into second place and pole position for a home semi-final this afternoon as they trail Pat Lam’s men by just a point. Ulster are eight points further back, with Scarlets and Munster both two points adrift of them.

The top four will progress to the semi-finals, with the top two securing home advantage. Here’s how the table looks right now:

Here’s how the teams will line out this afternoon:

Ulster

15. Jared Payne
14. Andrew Trimble
13, Luke Marshall
12. Stuart McCloskey
11. Craig Gilroy
10. Paddy Jackson
9. Ruan Pienaar

1. Callum Black
2. Rory Best (c)
3. Ricky Lutton
4. Peter Browne
5. Franco van der Merwe
6. Iain Henderson
7. Chris Henry
8. Sean Reidy

Replacements:

16. Rob Herring
17. Kyle McCall
18. Andy Warwick
19. Robbie Diack
20. Roger Wilson
21. Paul Marshall
22. Stuart Olding
23. Darren Cave

Leinster

15.Rob Kearney
14. Isa Nacewa (c)
13. Garry Ringrose
12. Ben Te’o
11. Dave Kearney
10. Jonathan Sexton
9. Luke McGrath

1. Jack McGrath
2. Richardt Strauss
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. Devin Toner
5. Hayden Triggs
6. Rhys Ruddock
7. Josh van der Flier
8. Jamie Heaslip

Replacements:

16. Sean Cronin
17. Peter Dooley
28. Mike Ross
19. Mick Kearney
20. Jordi Murphy
21. Eoin Reddan
22. Ian Madigan
23. Luke Fitzgerald

George Clancy is the referee for this one and kick off is at 3.00pm.

Ulster 0 Leinster 0

It’s underway in Belfast…

Ulster 0 Leinster 0

One late change on the Ulster team has seen Rory Scholes replace Craig Gilroy — who’s suffering from a virus — on the wing.

Ulster 0 Leinster 0

Milestone occasion for Leinster’s Dave Kearney…

Ulster 0 Leinster 0

6 – Fiery and attritional start to this one. You can already tell that there’ll be plenty of sore bodies on both sides at the end of the 80 minutes.

Ulster 0 Leinster 0

9 – Payne releases Trimble out wide and he kicks ahead into touch which gives Leinster a lineout just inside their own 22.

Ulster 0 Leinster 0

11 – Luke McGrath penalised for obstructing Trimble in midfield and Ulster have a penalty.

Ulster 3 Leinster 0

12 – Paddy Jackson assuredly splits the posts to put the hosts in the ascendancy.

Ulster 3 Leinster 0

14 – Very promising start by Jared Payne at full-back. The Ulster backs have kept Leinster on their toes so far.

Ulster 3 Leinster 0

17 – Ulster on the attack inside the opposing 22 but a knock-on allows Leinster to clear their lines.

Ulster 3 Leinster 0

Sean Cronin is on the field for Leinster…

Ulster 3 Leinster 0

18 – Payne, McCloskey, Scholes and Trimble have made some big carries for Ulster so far. Plenty of questions being asked of Leinster’s defence.

Ulster 10 Leinster 0 (Penalty try 18′, Rob Kearney yellow card)

Ulster 10 Leinster 0

18 – It’s 10 minutes in the sin bin for Rob Kearney for a sinister block on Ruan Pienaar as he kicked ahead for a try. George Clancy awards the penalty try and Paddy Jackson adds the extras.

Ulster 10 Leinster 0

David Nucifora, Joe Schmidt and Andy Farrell watching on…

Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Ulster 10 Leinster 0

23 – They’re a man in arrears but Leinster are looking to hit back. Johnny Sexton kicks to touch for their own lineout on Ulster’s 22.

Ulster 10 Leinster 0

27 – Dave Kearney in possession is driven back by Scholes and the Ulster crowd are loving this. However, they concede a penalty at the breakdown and Sexton will go for the posts from wide on the right.

Ulster 10 Leinster 0

25 – Leinster penalty just inside halfway but again Sexton goes to touch.

Ulster 10 Leinster 3

29 – Rob Kearney is back from the sin bin. Leinster will be happy with how they coped with his absence, reducing the gap instead of allowing it to increase.

Ulster 10 Leinster 3

28 – Sexton kicks a beauty to reduce the gap to seven. Rory Best was the man penalised for Ulster.

Ulster 10 Leinster 3

32 – Iain Henderson steals a Leinster lineout but he knocks it on. Scrum to Leinster at halfway.

Ulster 10 Leinster 3

33 – Ulster steal possession and Pienaar sends the ball into touch inside the Leinster half. The South African scrum-half has been excellent so far.

Ulster 10 Leinster 6

36 – Again the Ireland out-half makes no mistake — this time from wide on the left — and there are four points between the teams as we approach the interval.

Ulster 10 Leinster 3

35 – Good handling across the Leinster backline as they spread the ball wide from a lineout but their attack is halted by a Luke Marshall high tackle on Josh van der Flier, who has taken a knock to the knee. Sexton will go for the posts again.

Ulster 10 Leinster 6

37 – Payne penalised for a knock-on inside his own half as he sought to handle a clearing kick and Leinster have a scrum.

Ulster 10 Leinster 6

38 – Brilliant tackle by Trimble on Ringrose there as Leinster continue to dominate possession. They’re turning the screw here.

Ulster 10 Leinster 6

40 – Ulster turn it over near their own line and they make it to the halfway mark still in front.

Half-time: Ulster 10 Leinster 6

Ulster 10 Leinster 6

Leinster will be pretty satisfied at the break. They were a man down for quarter of that first half and Ulster certainly had the better of it but Leo Cullen’s men are just four points behind. An intriguing second period awaits.

Ulster 10 Leinster 6

Injured Ulster wing Tommy Bowe tells Sky Sports that their discipline needs to be better in this second-half.

Away we go…

Ulster 10 Leinster 6

43 – Jackson kicks ahead but Luke McGrath gets there first and carries it over his own line. Five-metre scrum under the posts for Ulster. Huge opportunity.

Ulster 10 Leinster 6

Leinster’s Rhys Ruddock is tackled by Ulster’s Rory Best…

Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Ulster 10 Leinster 6

44 – Leinster turn it over brilliantly so they’ll now have the put-in.

Ulster 10 Leinster 6

45 – Sexton releases to Te’o who does excellently to break and bring his side into Ulster’s half.

Ulster 10 Leinster 6

48 – Leinster really starting to get a hold of this game up front. Ulster penalised at the scrum and Sexton kicks to touch inside the opposing 22.

Ulster 10 Leinster 6

47 – Nacewa rises high to collect the ball in the air but lands with a heavy thud. Thankfully he’s up and about again but he looks shook.

Ulster 10 Leinster 6

50 – Ulster get a crucial turnover just shy of their own line and that’s a huge psychological boost to them at this juncture.

Ulster 10 Leinster 6

53 – Leinster penalised for not releasing, Pienaar clears deep into Leinster’s half and that’s a big relief for Ulster.

Ulster 10 Leinster 6

52 – Jackson clears but Nacewa collects and Leinster come again.

Ulster 10 Leinster 6

54 – Just after being introduced, Luke Fitzgerald is yellow-carded for cynical play by impeding the on-rushing Rory Scholes. Jackson will go for the posts with the subsequent penalty.

Ulster 13 Leinster 6

55 – Jackson does the job and Ulster’s lead is back out to seven.

Try! Ulster 18 Leinster 6 (Jared Payne, 58)

Ulster 20 Leinster 6

58 – Jackson adds the extras for Ulster after a wonderful try which was set up by a beautiful string of passes from Pienaar, Jackson and Marshall.

Ulster 20 Leinster 6

63 – Ulster have really got their tails up now. Can Leinster get back into this?

Ulster 20 Leinster 6

64 – “Our focus is to get a bonus-point win today,” Ulster assistant coach Joe Barakat tells Sky Sports. They’re still a couple of tries shy, however.

Ulster 20 Leinster 6

66 – Luke Fitzgerald is back on for Leinster as they look to claw their way back into the game.

Ulster 20 Leinster 6

69 – Leinster knocking at the door but Ulster have no intention of letting them in. This has been an impressive performance from Les Kiss’s men.

Ulster 20 Leinster 6

Indeed…

Ulster 23 Leinster 6

71 – Roger Wilson wins a penalty for Ulster in front of the posts after a brilliant carry and Jackson does the honours.

Ulster 23 Leinster 6

75 – There were several contenders but Ruan Pienaar is the Guinness Pro12 man of the match.

Try! Ulster 28 Leinster 6 (Paddy Jackson, 79)

Ulster 23 Leinster 6

78 – Leinster on the attack but Jackson absolutely smashes Madigan to force a turnover. It’s been a frustrating second-half for Leinster and they’re going to leave empty-handed.

Ulster 30 Leinster 6

79 – Jackson intercepted to score from deep inside his own half, then Marshall quickly slotted over the conversion as Ulster go for the bonus point. One more try needed!

Full-time: Ulster 30 Leinster 6