Ulster may have exited European competition for the season but with plenty of positives to take from the campaign, director of rugby Les Kiss is looking to maintain momentum against Benetton Treviso in the GUINNESS PRO12 on Saturday. Ulster lost both Champions Cup games to Saracens but did the double over both Toulouse and Oyonnax, missing out on qualification by a single point. For their part, Treviso have not won a game in any competition since beating Cardiff Blues at Stadio Monigo last February while they haven’t beaten an Irish province since downing Connacht in October 2013. And Kiss is hopeful his side can recreate the form they showed when beating Toulouse and Oyonnax against the Italian outfit. “I would hope we can continue along the same trajectory now as we go back in the domestic programme,” said Kiss. “Obviously there are some combinations, such as Luke Marshall and Stuart McCloskey, that we are unlikely to have and we need to look at, for example, how Stuart Olding and Darren Cave would work. “It shapes things slightly differently as to how you engage the line. We will still be able to manoeuvre it to a point where we can use the ball and express yourself.” Ulster welcome back centre Olding for his first senior appearance in ten months following an ACL injury while academy players Lorcan Dow and Jacob Stockdale could make their competitive debuts from the bench. Treviso have only beaten their Irish rivals once in 17 games between the sides – that being a 23-12 win in Belfast in October 2011. Alberto Lucchese starts at scrum-half for Saturday’s clash with Sam Christie at fly-half while the centres are Alberto Sgarbi and Enrico Bacchin. The back three consists of Tommaso Iannone, Ludovico Nitoglia and Jayden Hayward with the front row being Roberto Santamaria, flanked by Alberto de Marchi and Simone Ferrari. FIlo Paulo and Tom Palmer are in the engine room while a back row of Andrea de Marchi, Marco Lazzaroni and Robert Barbieri completes the starting XV chosen by Marius Goosen. At Stadio Monigo, 6pm local time (5pm UK & Ireland). Live on Rai Sport/TG4/BBC NI Referee: Ian Davies (WRU, 40th competition game) Assistant Referees: Giuseppe Vivarini, Simone Boaretto (both FIR) Citing Commissioner: Francesco Grillo (FIR) TMO: Stefano Penne (FIR)
