John Cooney will play only his second game in seven months after returning from injury to face Leinster at the RDS on Saturday night (8pm).
The Ulster scrum-half has been missing since picking up a hamstring strain in the first game of the campaign against Glasgow in Belfast.
He had previously been sidelined for a lengthy period with a neck injury sustained in a European Challenge Cup defeat at Leicester Tigers in April.
Cooney starts in Dublin alongside out-half Billy Burns with Mike Lowry at full-back and Stuart McCloskey and James Hume the centre partnership.
Craig Gilroy will be just one appearance away from the 200 cap milestone when he steps out on the right wing with Ethan McIlroy selected on the left wing.
Alan O’Connor skippers Ulster, who are preparing for the first game after the international break, in the second-row alongside Sam Carter.
Rob Herring and Nick Timoney, back from Autumn Nations Series duty with Ireland, start at hooker and openside flanker respectively.
Hooker Tom Stewart is set to make his senior debut if called upon from the bench, with Nathan Doak and the returning Rob Lyttle also named as replacements.
Ulster's last United Rugby Championship outing was on October 23 when they suffered a heavy 36-11 defeat to Connacht at the Aviva.
ULSTER: (15-9) Mike Lowry, Craig Gilroy, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Ethan McIlroy, Billy Burns, John Cooney;
(1-8) Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring, Marty Moore, Alan O’Connor (Capt.), Sam Carter, Greg Jones, Nick Timoney, David McCann.
REPLACEMENTS: Tom Stewart, Eric O’Sullivan, Ross Kane, Mick Kearney, Marcus Rea, Nathan Doak, Angus Curtis, Rob Lyttle.
