Ulster coach Matt Williams drew his press conference earlier this week to a close with a bold prediction.

“I said the other day, if you could get a spreadbet over the next 36 months and say we are going to win something – I’d take it,” said Williams.

Quick as a flash, one of my colleagues replied: “I’ll lay you it!”

The lighthearted exchange prompted laughter in the media room but Williams stuck by his guns.

While admitting he doesn’t possess a magic wand, he believes the current crop of Ulster players are going places. And he hopes the upward curve will start against Llanelli Scarlets at Ravenhill tonight (kick-off 7.30pm).

“You very rarely pick where your team are going to end up exactly,” he said.

“It is not an exact science but this is a team that is going to do some great things over the next few years. The end of last year was just about us hanging on, this is the first step of a new journey.”

Williams has made no less than nine changes in personnel and two positions switches from the side that lost to Worcester 10 days ago.

Most significantly sees new signing BJ Botha come straight into the side at tighthead prop having only arrived in Belfast on Sunday.

It is a completely new-look front row with Justin Fitzpatrick returning at loosehead and captain Rory Best at hooker.

In the second row Italian lock Carlo Del Fava partners new recruit Ed O'Donoghue while the back row sees Robbie Diack return at No 8 with McCullough and Dawson named as the two flankers.

Isaac Boss and Paddy Wallace are named as the half-back pairing while Clinton Schifcofske makes his competitive debut at full-back.

Rob Dewey and Darren Cave form a new-look midfield partnership while Ireland star Andrew Trimble starts on the right wing with Fijian International Timoci Nagusa named on the left wing.

Former Natal Sharks and Springboks prop Botha has only had three sessions to integrate into the side but Williams is confident that the powerful scrummager will be ready.

“Brendon has been training with the Sharks for the last few weeks so I have no concerns over his fitness levels, he has impressed us all at training this week and I am delighted to name him in the side.

“It is important to hit the ground running and I feel we have picked a strong side for the first game.

“We are ready for the Scarlets, I have mentioned this week that we have had selection issues in that we have a great squad to choose from, that is something I am really pleased about.”

The Ulster coach however is aware that the Scarlets, who lost 20-8 in Belfast in February, will be a tougher prospect under new coach Nigel Davies.

“Scarlets are a good side and have recruited well over the summer, they will be keen to lay down the law at Ravenhill as we meet them again in the Heineken Cup in December,” he added.

Llanelli have demonstrated their potential with a victory at English Premiership side Wasps last week. Davies, who is without injured play-maker Regan King and Wales Under-20 centre Jonathan Davies, said: “Ulster should be an interesting encounter because they’ve got home advantage and will be looking to start with a bang.

We’ve been working hard on our game.”

ULSTER: C Schifcofske; A Trimble, D Cave, R Dewey, T Nagusa; P Wallace, l Boss; J Fitzpatrick; R Best (Capt), B Botha, C Del Fava, E O'Donoghue, M McCullough, K Dawson, R Diack. Replacements: N Brady, T Court, R Caldwell, D Pollock, C Willis, N O'Connor, B Cunningham.

LLANELLI: M Stoddard; D Daniel, R Higgitt, G Evans, M Jones; S Jones, S Martens; I Thomas, M Rees, K Meeuws, L Reed, S Maling, S Easterby, G Thomas, D Lyons. Replacements: D Manu, M Schwalger, V Cooper, D Jones, M Roberts, C Thomas, N Brew, D Evans, S MacLeod.