Two Irish rivals meet in a key Conference B clash in Belfast on Saturday night as Ulster host in-form Leinster in an eagerly-awaited match-up.

What’s at stake?: Both sides have made a typically strong start to the Guinness PRO14 season, with Ulster second and Leinster just one place behind – suggesting they will both be in the mix come the end of the campaign.

Both sides have lost just one game each and are level on points, two behind conference leaders Scarlets.

The last eight meetings between the two teams have been won by the home side, illustrating how tight this match is likely to be and, with bragging rights on the line, a fierce match can be expected.

Team news (Ulster): Rory Best will become just the fourth player in Ulster history to reach 200 caps after being named in the starting XV against rivals Leinster.

The hooker makes his first start of the season and is joined by Callum Black and Rodney Ah You in the front row.

Elsewhere, Aaron Cairns makes his Ulster debut at scrum-half while his fellow No. 9 Jonny Stewart is also set for his first senior appearance from the bench.

Team news (Leinster): British & Irish Lions duo Rob Kearney and Sean O’Brien return for Leinster as their injury woes begin to subside.

Kearney starts at full-back as part of an exciting back three which also includes Adam Byrne and Dave Kearney.

Centre Rory O’Loughlin is also back after a spell on the sidelines, while hooker James Tracy wins his 50^th cap.

Talking points: Both sides are chasing a second successive derby victory after Leinster beat Munster 23-17 last time out, while Ulster squeezed past Connacht 16-8.

Leinster are half-way through a crucial period of fixtures, with a trip to high-flying Glasgow Warriors to come in Round 8 – while Ulster jet off to South Africa to face the Southern Kings.

Conference B is currently split in two, with Scarlets, Ulster and Leinster clear at the top and already looking good for the knock-out stages.

Key Battle: Tommy Bowe v Dave Kearney

Two Ireland internationals will go head to head at the Kingspan and the winner of this battle could be decisive to the outcome of the match.

Tommy Bowe and Dave Kearney have registered just one Guinness PRO14 try between them so far but they remain two of the most dangerous wingers in the league.

They have routinely proven to be big-game players and, in a derby under the lights, it does not come much bigger than this.

Key Stat: Leinster’s most recent success in Belfast was a 22-20 victory back in May 2014.

Did you know?: Ulster have not been defeated at Kingspan Stadium in the Guinness PRO14 since a 14-15 reversal to Munster exactly a year ago.

Ulster: C Piatau; T Bowe, L Marshall, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; C Lealiifano, A Cairns; C Black, R Best, R Ah You, A O’Connor, I Henderson (c), S Reidy, C Henry, J Deysel.

Replacements: R Herring, A Warwick, R Kane, K Treadwell, R Diack, J Stewart, P Nelson, L Ludik.

Leinster: R Kearney; A Byrne, R O’Loughlin, N Reid, D Kearney; R Byrne, J Gibson-Park; J McGrath, J Tracy, T Furlong, D Toner, J Ryan, D Leavy, J Murphy, S O’Brien (c).

Replacements: R Strauss, C Healy, A Porter, R Molony, J Conan, L McGrath, C Marsh, J Larmour.

TV: Sky Sports & BBC Sport NI (KO: 6.30pm)

Match officials – Referee: Jon Lacey (IRFU), AR1: Craig Evans (WRU), AR2: Leo Colgan (WRU), TMO: Olly Hodges (IRRU)