NORTH Berwick rugby stars Chris Dean and Lewis Carmichael are to start Edinburgh Rugby's crucial Guinness Pro14 trip to Ulster tomorrow (Friday). 

The duo retain their places in Richard Cockerill's starting XV following the 29-24 win over Leinster at Myreside last week. 

East Lothian Courier:

Dean (pictured above by Alastair Ross/Novantae Photography) will start at inside centre as he links up with Scotland centre Mark Bennett in midfield, while Carmichael - man of the match in the Leinster win, as picked by Edinburgh colleague and ex-Law Primary pupil Tom Brown - starts in the second row. 

East Lothian Courier:

The former Scotland U20 man (pictured above by Alastair Ross/Novantae Photography) is joined in the pack by Scotland number eight Cornell Du Preez, whose depature from the Capital club to Worcester Warriors was confirmed this week, while John Hardie makes his first start following a three-month suspension.

See the team below. . . 

Edinburgh go into the match three points shy of their third-place hosts, with both sides battling for the final play-off spot in Conference B. 

Cockerill said: “They have a good team and very strong squad, and they’ve had their difficulties for obvious reasons, but now it’s for us to go there and front up.

“If we lose on Friday night, it’s not the end of our play-off hopes.

"For us it’s nice, as a team, that were putting ourselves in the position where we’re actually competing for play-offs - which is a step forward.”

“I expect Ulster to be favourites and I expect them to be confident, but I’m also confident and I believe in our playing group.”