Good evening, Heineken Cup lovers.

We’ve waited for this weekend since mid-December, but it’s finally here. Ulster are on the verge of sealing a place in the European Cup quarter finals for the third time in a row so this should get tasty.

Pre-match, Sky’s Mark Robson asks Mark Anscombe how he expects his players to deal with the pressure on them to deliver.

“You keep it to yourself, be confident in your own game.”

Simple.

You want team news? You got it.

Ulster: J Payne; A Trimble, D Cave, P Wallace, C Gilroy; P Jackson, R Pienaar; T Court, R Best, J Afoa, L Stevenson, I Henderson, R Diack, C Henry (c), N Williams.

Replacements: R Herring, C Black, D Fitzpatrick, N McComb, R Wilson, P Marshall, M Allen, C Cochrane.

Glasgow Warriors: P Murchie; S Maitland, A Dunbar, P Horne, DTH van der Merwe; D Weir, H Pyrgos; R Grant, D Hall, M Low; T Ryder, A Kellock (c); J Eddie, R Harley, J Strauss.

Replacements: P MacArthur, G Reid, N Campbell, T Swinson, N Matawalu, S Wight, S Hogg.

And while you wait for kick-off have a gander at these three key battles which could help decide the outcome (or whether Ulster break that -17 handicap).

Oooh, it’s not nice at all in Belfast. A very soggy Andrew Trimble leads his side out, followed by Chris Henry and Paddy Jackson.

KICK OFF: Jackson comfortably takes Weir’s drop-off and we’re underway for a quick rally of kick tennis.

Weir is the first to crack, dropping a high ball to give Ulster the first scrum on the Glasgow 10-metre line.

John Afoa concedes the early penalty. Going straight down after contact. His right foot seemed to slip in the wet turf.

Glasgow go for the line-out but the move lasts only a phase or two before Pyrgos lets one slip.

From the scrum this time, Tom Court bullozes Moray Low up and the penalty is to the hosts.

That’s two penalties from two on the scrum.

PENALTY: Ulster 3 – 0 Warriors (Pienaar ’7)

A grubber from Jared Payne on the 10-metre mark puts the Warriors in trouble and they are penalised for holding on. Well within Ruan’s range.

That shows just how slippery the conditions are.

Ulster again gain advantage off a scrum and Pienaar takes the free-kick quickly firing up the line.

Murchie catches the ball on the run five metres from the line, but can’t apply the brakes and runs the ball into touch.

An indiscetion from Chris Henry gives possession back, but their Garryowen – though dropped by Trimble – costs them a penalty as Van der Merwe tackled the Ireland winger in the air.

Paddy Wallace found a gap for Ulster, but Josh Strauss put in a stone-solid hit as Tom Court barrelled to the 22 and the blues turn it over.

That turnover began a decent period for the Warriors, and they began to get a foothold in the set-piece while Craig Gilroy was pinged for hands in the ruck.

Ulster are back on the charge now, Pienaar launching an attack with a box-kick which is dropped into the hands of Chris Henry.

The openside flings it to Darren Cave for the centre to chip through. Trimble’s chase is disrupted and Ulster have to settle for a line-out.

From that close, the Warriors defence doesn’t last long, though and Nick Williams powers through on the right side of the posts.

TRY:  Ulster 10 – 0 Glasgow (Williams ’19)

Just seeing the replay of that hectic spell of play. It was Sean Maitland who spilled Pienaar’s high ball – thanks to a smash from his fellow Kiwi Nick Williams.

So the big man deserved that score.

Oomph! Another big hit, this time from Rory Best on Pyrgos. The ball drops like a stone from the scrum half and Best keeps driving him on.

Ulster attempt a cross-kick, but Henderson on the left wing can only knock on.

The penalty count is on the rise. Three apiece now, but Pienaar cannot stretch the lead further. His 40 metre angled penalty drifts an inch or two wide of the right hand post.

Ruan Pienaar is running the show, but his supporting cast are living up to the hype too.

Payne, Cave and Gilroy make holes through the middle with a super offload from the fullback.

Nick Williams smashed another few meringues, but Glasgow stole the ball and attempted to run clear.

In a frenetic period of play, Maitland offloaded, but there was no blue shirt in support and Gilroy had another chance to spin.

Completely mad scenes.

A penalty chance for Duncan Weir drops underneath the posts and Pienaar really starts to take the mickey. The South African, using the goal post as a shield, dodged one way, then the other, then back again. Playing cat and mouse before eventually doing the sensible thing and touching down in-goal.

Pyrgos snipes down the blind side of a scrum and takes a big hit from Trimble after chipping the ball on.

The winger earns a talking to from the ref and a talking to with an added girly push in the back from Ali Kellock.

The penalty is another decent effort from Weir, but not decent enough. Wide of the left hand post.

A shocking 22 drop-out from Paddy Jackson has the Warrios on teh attack again, but they almost gift a try to Trimble.

The winger was alive to the intercept but couldn’t control the ball fired hip level into his path.

From the scrum, Glasgow are awarded a free kick, but Pyrgos knocks on as he tries to quick-tap. Cue the ironic cheers of the supporters pondering their half-time tipple.

HALF TIME: Ulster 10 – 0 Warriors

As you can see with the change of picture, the weather is absolutely disgusting up at Ravers.

Lets see if Ulster can force three tries to brighten up the place a bit in the second half.

Well now, there’s a statement of intent. Ulster are awarded a penalty on the 10 metre mark and Pienaar turns down a chance at goal. Instead, sending it down the line.

The line-out comes to nought with a crooked throw and a decent scrum taking the Warriors back to halfway.

Another bizarre moment as Pascal Gauzere, the referee taking it upon himself to run into Glasgow’s 10 channel and knocked on Pyrgos’ pass.

Ali Kellock is beginning to have a worryingly strong influence on this game. Every minute that wears on is another new step for his opposite number, Iain Henderson.

PENALTY Ulster 10 – 3 Warriors (Weir ’48)

Paddy Wallace caught entering the side of the ruck and Weir has his first opportunity to kick from a favourable angle. From 40 metres, he nails it. Game on.

©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

An emblem of the Warriors’ added power in the second half.

SIN BIN: Iain Henderson fails to roll away and concedes Ulster’s SIXTH penalty of the 13- minute old second half.

PENALTY: Ulster 10 – 6 Glasgow (Weir ’55)

Ulster’s 10-point lead doesn’t look so secure now. Penalty number seven arrives directly in front of the posts and the 21-year-old Scot does the necessary.

Four minutes left on Henderson’s sin-bin now, but with Northampto narrowly leading Castres they will qualify if both results remain as they are.

Paddy Jackson hobbles off injured. Perhaps now awful thing for Ulster as Pienaar sits into the pocket and Paul Marshall comes on to play scrum half.

Roger Wilson is in the game too, pretty sure is was Robbie Diack who made way.

Thanks to some zippy service from Marshall, Trimble makes good ground through the middle of the Warriors defence and forcess a penalty.

PENALTY: Ulster 13 – 6 Glasgow (Pienaar ’63)

OOOOOUUUUUCH!

Craig Gilroy and Sean Maitland both rise to contest a high ball. Gilroy arrives first, the Kiwi a fraction later and both men are sent spinning.

Penalty to the home side, just inside their own territory.

Nick Williams has left the building. The big man is sitting on the bench alongside Paddy Jackson with a big bag of ice on his left knee. That puts Neil McComb in the game with Henderson going to number six.

67 mins: After the line-out, a scrum. And with some fresh bodies in the pack Ulster send the Scots back-peddling toward their own line.

Penalty from 15 metres, it’s about winning now, not bonuses. So Pienaar points to the posts, but his kick trails left and wide of the near post. Very uncharacteristic.

It’s descended into being a very scrappy game now and Stuart Hogg and Maitland both find kicks blocked in their own 22.

The second of those spirals out of play from Pienaar’s right hand and it looks like it stung..

TRY: Ulster 18 – 6 Glasgow (Payne ’73)

A central scrum on the 22 gives Ulster a platform to rumble left through Roger Wilson. Henderson then took the ball on, refusing to be taken down.

Despite a slightly muddled pass from Paul Marshall Ulster did recycle and found Payne going to the right corner. He gave a big dummy to his right that got rid of Van der Merwe and opened up a hole to touch down.

Pienaar’s conversion hits the post.

Northampton still lead Castres with no bonus point in sight so Ulster are three minutes away from quarter-final qualification.

Gilroy is off now too, Michael Allen onto the left wing.

Gavin Hastings awards the man-of-the-match award to Tom Court. But the game’s not over yet.

TRY: Ulster 23 – 6 Glasgow (Cave ’77)

Darren Cave makes a dart down the left and evades Weir’s tackle before sliding into the corner after a jinking run.

Ulster declined the conversion eager to get the ball back and roll the dice for a fourth try.

Trimble broke from his own half and it looked like the impossible was possible, but Pienaar – in a rare error of judgement - kicked for touch with the clock turning red.

FULL TIME : Ulster 23 – 6 Warriors

So there you have it. Ulster don’t get the fifth point, but they do have the all-important ‘q’ next to their name as the Saints have failed to get a BP from Castres.

We’ll have all the details from that game at Franklin’s Gardens along with tonight’s other Heineken Cup fixtures so keep your eye on TheScore.ie.

G’Night. Safe home.