Richie Murphy admits Ulster are "desperate to win" against Munster but has urged the team to remain calm and play rugby.
Both teams start the penultimate round outside the play-off places, with Ulster on 38 points, three behind Munster.
Fifth-place Cardiff (46 points) and Scarlets (43 points) in seventh face double-headers in South Africa in the final two rounds and both Irish sides are within striking distance or Benetton, who host Glasgow, if the Welsh regions slip up.
However, two into one won't go on Friday night when Ian Costello’s side host Ulster looking to do the double, following last December’s narrow win in Belfast.
Both the protagonists come into the battle off the back of consecutive league defeats and the teams have the same record of won seven, lost nine of the games in the competition to date.
Additionally, Bordeaux-Begles knocked them out in the last-16 and quarter-finals of the Champions Cup in April.
"I don't want a situation where the players are feeling desperate," Murphy, whose side impressed in the first half of their 22-19 loss to Sharks last time out, said.
"Yes, we're all desperate to win but we don't want to play like that," he said.
"We want to play for each other and play the brand of rugby that we have over the last number of weeks.
"We've got a little bit of confidence from the way we're playing, we just need to turn some performances into results."
"We know where we are, the league position doesn't lie.
"Over the course of the season, we haven't won as many games as we would have liked.
"When we look back and see the games that we could have won or should have won, or a bonus point here or there that we should have picked up, that frustrates us.
"Over the course of 16 games, that's where we sit. We've two more games to try and make the top eight."
Murphy took permanent charge of Ulster in May 2024 after the departure of Dan McFarland mid-season.
The former Ireland Under-20s boss has had to work with a largely inexperienced squad and was braced for a difficult season before a ball was kicked.
He is adamant the side is progressing, even if they fail to qualify for the Champions Cup for the first time.
"Guys feel like we’re moving in the right direction," added Murphy.
"When we look at the game statistically, the numbers that we value, we can see an upward trajectory in how we’re playing.
"We’re also playing against really good teams.
"You look at Bordeaux-Toulouse last week [in the Champions Cup semi-final] and you think four weeks ago we played against Bordeaux.
"It’s not the same thing, but it makes you feel like we’re not a million miles away, although some people think we are.
"We don't want to not be in the top eight but if we're not, it's not the case that the place is going to shut down and move on.
"We've a lot of very talented young players, we've had a really tough run of games this year, and a really tough injury profile.
"If we have to park this and move on, I can guarantee we will build and be better for next year."
On tomorrow’s clash against Munster, who are looking for avoid a fourth consecutive loss in all competitions, Murphy said: "It is a must-win game, but every professional game is a must-win game.
"We’ve been sitting here for, I don’t know, maybe five or six weeks and people were saying, is this a must-win game? It doesn’t really change.
"I don’t want the players going in thinking, 'you know what, if we lose this, we’re gone'.
"I want to go in concentrating on the technical, tactical side of the game that we need to deliver on, emotionally being really up for what’s going to be a massive challenge in Thomond and go down there and putting our game out in front of them again and seeing where we are."
The game kicks off at 7.35pm is live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player with the teams named at midday.
Ulster may welcome back Ireland internationals Iain Henderson, Robert Baloucoune and James Hume, while Peter O'Mahony and Conor Murray are back in contention for the hosts.
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Watch Munster v Ulster in the URC on Friday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 Extra
