Pressure mounts for Ulster

Editor

The remaining PRO12 games will be vital for Ulster as they hope to avoid missing out on the play-offs for the first time since 2010. 

The Ulstermen suffered a 27-17 loss to Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun on Friday. 

That defeat meant they are in fifth position on the table with 51 points from 18 matches with their nearest rivals, Glasgow and Edinburgh, on 51 and 47 points respectively although Glasgow have a game in hand. 

Ulster host tournament pacesetters Connacht at the Kingspan Stadium this weekend and a win for the 2005 champions is non negotiable if they wish to qualify for the play-offs in May.

The Warriors are away to bottom-placed Treviso and Edinburgh host second fom bottom Zebre at Murrayfield.

Glasgow and Edinburgh will be backing themselves to capitalise on this ideal situation for them to finish in the top six.

"We've got to make sure we can control the things we can do better with – but it's done, and we've now got to move on and make sure we've got Connacht in our sights," Ulster boss Les Kiss told the Belfast Telegraph.

Two away matches against Zebre and Ospreys and one home game with Leinster lies in wait for Kiss' men after this weekend.