A side missing a raft of Ireland internationals sees Michael Lowry and James Hume called into the back-line at full-back and centre respectively.

Second row Alan O'Connor assumes the captaincy with Andy Warwick and Rob Herring coming into the front row.

A completely new back row features Ian Nagle, Nick Timoney and Greg Jones.

Lowry and Hume are joined in the starting line-up by wing Robert Baloucoune, who scored the match-winning try against Leicester in the European Champions Cup at Welford Road on Saturday.

Louis Ludik moves from full-back to the left wing for the Belfast encounter.

Hooker John Andrew will win his 50th provincial cap if he's called upon from the bench, with Wiehahn Herbst, Tom O'Toole, Matthew Dalton, Clive Ross, Jonny Stewart, Darren Cave and Rob Lyttle also included in the matchday 23.

Leinster are 19 points clear at the top of Conference B but behind them the battle for end-of-season play-off berths is raging with just two points separating the teams positioned from second to fifth.

The sides which finish second and third will join Leinster in being involved in the play-off stages.

Ulster lie fifth in the table, with Benetton two points better off in third.

Dan McFarland's side won 15-10 in the teams' previous meeting this season at the start of November.

Six members of the Ulster squad are part of Joe Schmidt's Ireland panel which will attempt to retain the Six Nations title, although Iain Henderson is set to sit out the games against England and Scotland with a finger injury.

Benetton will also be without a number of their Italy internationals for the fixture.

Ulster: M Lowry; R Baloucoune, J Hume, S McCloskey, L Ludik; B Burns, D Shanahan; A Warwick, R Herring, M Moore; A O'Connor (capt), K Treadwell; I Nagle, N Timoney, G Jones. Replacements: J Andrew, W Herbst, T O'Toole, M Dalton, C Ross, J Stewart, D Cave, R Lyttle.

Benetton: L Sperandio; R Tavuyara, T Iannone, M Zanon, M Ioane; I McKinley (capt), D Duvenage; N Quaglio, H Faiva, M Riccioni; I Herbst, F Ruzza; M Lazzaroni, M Lamaro, T Halafihi. Replacements: T Baravalle, C Traore, S Ferrari, M Fuser, G Pettinelli, M Barbini, E Gori, I Brex.