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There are only three teams left in the Investec Champions Cup without a point and two of them will meet at the Kingspan Stadium in the final round curtain raiser on Friday night. Ulster and their visitors the Exeter Chiefs have had a miserable time dining at Europe's top table this season but each will see this game as an opportunity to finish their campaign on a high.
There are only three teams left in the Investec Champions Cup without a point and two of them will meet at the Kingspan Stadium in the final round curtain raiser on Friday night. Ulster and their visitors the Exeter Chiefs have had a miserable time dining at Europe's top table this season but each will see this game as an opportunity to finish their campaign on a high. 
The hosts will be looking to address an alarming tend of late that has seen them capitulate late in games, most recently last weekend at Welford Road. After jumping out to a ten point start, they conceded 28 unanswered points to the Tigers. Their last home game in this competition in mid-December saw them lead Bordeaux at half time before falling to a 21 point reversal. Richie Murphy's men have undoubtedly been decimated by injuries but the coach has said he is not prepared to use that as an excuse. Someone who has stood up to be counted is back rower Nick Timoney who made a staggering 22 tackles at Leicester last week with a 100% success rate. That was not enough for the former Leinster man to make Ireland 's Six Nations squad. A squad that contains just four Ulster men which is a reflection of their struggles this season. 
That being said, the men in white have the highest gain-line success of anyone in the competition at 50.4%. Combine that with the Chiefs' worst tackle stats in the competition and the home crowd in Belfast could well be in for a treat. Rob Baxter's strugglers have shipped 172 points in their opening three games and have missed over 30 tackles in each of those games. Bordeaux were rude guests at Sandy Park last week as they left Devon having ran in 11 tries in a 69-14 mauling.
With all of that however, they have scored more tries than Ulster (9-7) and more points (59-50) so, with Challenge Cup qualification the most likely prize for the winner, there is still plenty to play for for these two.
Ulster Starting XV (1-15) Eric O'Sullivan, Rob Herring, Scott Wilson, Iain Henderson, Cormac Izuchukwu, James McNabney, Nick Timoney, Dave McCann, Nathan Doak, Jack Murphy, Mike Lowry, Jude Postlethwaite, Ben Carson, Werner Kok, Stewart Moore
Ulster Replacements (16-23) Tom Stewart, Callum Reid, Corrie Barrett, Kieran Treadwell, Harry Sheridan, John Cooney, Jake Flannery, Rob Lyttle
Exeter Starting XV (1-15) Will Goodrick-Clarke, Jack Innard, Josh Iosefa-Scott, Rus Tuima, Christ Tshiunza, Martin Moloney, Richard Capstick, Ross Vintcent, Niall Armstrong, Will Haydon-Wood, Paul Brown-Bampoe, Will Rigg, Joe Hawkins, Ben Hammersley, Harvey Skinner
Exeter Replacements (16-23) Max Norey, Kwenzo Blose, Jimmy Roots, Jack Dunne, Lewis Pearson, Joe Bailey, Tom Cairns, Zack Wimbush
