La Rochelle make the trip to the province for just the second time - it was four years ago that they lost to Ulster - but unlike then, Heineken Champions Cup debutants, they return as Kings of Europe.
Stade Rochelais as they are officially known, but commonly referred to as La Rochelle, are probably one of the great examples of the importance of having ambition.
Although the French club, located halfway down the West Coast, was founded near the turn of the 19th Century, it is only in recent years they have really emerged as one of the elite sides in the Top14.
Irish rugby followers may remember Connacht defeating them at home and away in the Challenge Cup previously. That was back in the 2014-15 season.
Prior to that, the club had been sitting in the second tier of French rugby with their noses pressed hard against the Top 14 glass. Had it not been for the incentive of promotion they would still be on the outside looking in.
Their drive for success followed and they made progress without taking big strides.
They did reach their first European final in 2019, losing to Top 14 rivals ASM Clermont Auvergne 36-16 in the Challenge Cup showdown in Newcastle - but it showed they were on the right track.
The season previous had seen them reach the Heineken Champions Cup for the first time, and their opponents today, Ulster played their part in the French club’s history.
Ulster were the first visitors to Stade Marcel Deflandre in the competition, although the 41-17 reverse is better forgotten.
In the return game, Belfast was the first Irish provincial venue La Rochelle had played at in the Heineken Champions Cup, with the Ulster men prevailing 20-13 after an exciting tussle. Incidentally the French side progressed from the pool as winners but lost to Scarlets in the quarter-finals...
Read more of La Rochelle's journey to becoming winners of the Heineken Champions Cup in this week's match programme.