Michael Lowry urges Kingspan crowd to roar Ulster to victory against Bulls in United Rugby Championship

In what has been a lopsided fixture list, Ulster have the luxury of playing their final three league games in Belfast starting with Saturday evening’s clash against South African side Bulls (7.35pm).

Ulster have already qualified for the knockout stages as ninth-placed Benetton can’t mathematically catch Dan McFarland’s side, but the scrap for the right to host the playoff games is far from decided.

Ulster need to finish in the top four to stage a quarter-final at Kingspan Stadium and a top-two finish will throw up the possibility of a home last four clash.

Ulster go into the weekend with a seven-point cushion over fifth-placed Munster.

Lowry said: “It has been actually a while since we have been at home and we love playing at home in front of the crowd, and we have seen what we can do.

“We went through that sticky patch and we came back here and played Sale at home, and that 16th man got us over the line that day. It was a brilliant atmosphere and that is what we needed.

“It works both ways in terms of we felt a real energy from the crowd and we gave energy back to the crowd.

“Having those three games at home is a massive opportunity for us to go in the right direction and put us in a really good spot for the playoffs.”

The Bulls arrive in Belfast sitting sixth in the table and 11 points behind Ulster.

Ulster have already beaten the other three South African franchises this season, but Lowry knows the Bulls will be a dangerous proposition.

“We went away to South Africa last year and they were difficult games, I think it has just been a learning curve over the last year,” he said.

“I think there is always a fear factor with the physically they bring, the size of the fellows they are and the athletes that they are – they are great athletes.”

“I think we just focus more on our game rather than worrying too much about what they are going to bring.”

Like Ulster as a whole, Lowry admits his form this season has had its peaks and troughs.

“It has sort of been stop/start, I am always wanting to continue to improve like everyone is,” he said.

“When the team didn’t function as well as we wanted to, individuals probably didn’t play as well as we wanted to, but once a team starts to tick again you see those individual performances getting better again.”

With Robert Baloucoune returning from injury, McFarland can field his first-choice back three.

Kieran Treadwell starts in the second row after lelping Ireland win the Grand Slam against England last weekend, while Duane Vermeulen skippers the side against his fellow countrymen.

Ulster: (15-9) Mike Lowry, Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Stewart Moore, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, Nathan Doak; (1-8) Andy Warwick, Tom Stewart, Jeff Toomaga-Allen, Kieran Treadwell, Sam Carter, David McCann, Nick Timoney, Duane Vermeulen (Captain).

Replacements: John Andrew, Eric O’Sullivan, Gareth Milasinovich, Alan O’Connor, Harry Sheridan, Marcus Rea, John Cooney, Jude Postlethwaite.