Ruan Pienaar could feature for Ulster on Friday © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Ruan Pienaar

Tournaments/Tours: Heineken Cup

Teams: Ireland | Ulster

Ruan Pienaar could make his season bow for Ulster on Friday after being included in their 27-man squad for the match with Castres.

Pienaar is yet to play for Ulster this season due to international commitments with the Springboks but he could feature for them on Friday in their Heineken Cup match at Ravenhill. The 60-cap half-back was a key player in South Africa's recent Rugby Championship exploits and played in all six of their matches.

Despite Pienaar's absence, Ulster have excelled in the RaboDirect PRO12 winning all five of their opening matches. In Pienaar's place, Paul Marshall and Michael Heaney have played at scrum-half with Niall O'Connor and Patrick Jackson turning out at fly-half.

Ulster have included the likes of Stephen Ferris, Rory Best, Tommy Bowe and Andrew Trimble in their squad for the Castres match but there is no place for prop Declan Fitzpatrick who is out with a medial ligament injury.