Friday 10 October 2014 16:15, UK
Guinness PRO12 leaders Glasgow Warriors put their unbeaten record on the line when they travel to Ravenhill to face Ulster in a final domestic league clash before European action commences.
Last season’s runners-up have seized the initiative so far this term, winning all five matches to date and collecting bonus points in three to take a one-point lead over Ospreys.
Ulster themselves are just five points behind having won three and draw one of their opening fixtures, meaning a bonus-point victory on home soil could see them draw level at the league summit.
Their early season progress will almost certainly be consolidated by the appointment of Neil Doak as head coach, replacing Les Kiss, who took the post on an interim basis.
A 40-23 triumph at Treviso saw Glasgow return to the top of the PRO12 ladder for the first time in exactly 12 months and the Warriors have not been defeated in a regular season game now since March.
Ulster's solitary reversal in the PRO12 this season came in the fourth round at Zebre, while their only loss in Belfast in the tournament since last September came at the hands of Leinster in May.
In naming his first Ulster squad, Doak makes three changes to the side which beat Edinburgh 30-0 last time out, with Ian Humphreys, Andrew Warwick and Nick Williams coming into the starting XV.
Meanwhile, Sean Maitland returns for the Warriors wing for the Ulster test and there are also starts for Peter Murchie, Finn Russell, Henry Pyrgos, Gordon Reid, Euan Murray, Tim Swinson and Leone Nakarawa.
Newport Gwent Dragons travel to Edinburgh on Saturday afternoon with both teams searching for only their second victory of the season.
Edinburgh failed to even register a point against Ulster last weekend, while the Dragons were 26-13 losers to Welsh rivals Scarlets.
Dougie Fife is one of four changes made by Alan Solomons to the Edinburgh side ahead of the Dragons’ arrival at Murrayfield. Tom Heathcote comes in at fly-half while Alasdair Dickinson returns at loosehead and Hamish Watson is at openside flanker.
The visiting Dragons have secured one win so far in this season's tournament, at home in round four over Benetton Treviso, while their only victory on the road since February 2013 came in their most recent visit north of the border, as they beat Glasgow Warriors 23-8 at Scotstoun last season.
Captain Lee Byrne returns to the starting XV for the Welsh region as he has recovered from the back strain he suffered against the Scarlets last time out.
Along with welcoming back Byrne, Lyn Jones has made seven changes to the team that faced the Scarlets last weekend.
The full-back is joined in the back three by Matthew Pewtner and Hallam Amos. The centre pairing takes on the form of Tom Prydie and Ashley Smith while both half-backs, Jason Tovey and Jonathan Evans, get the nod to retain their places.
Saturday’s only other clash pits reigning PRO12 champions Leinster up against a Zebre side hosting a third successive game at the Stadio Aprile XXV.
The Italians claimed the scalp of Ulster on home soil in Round Four and lost by the narrowest of margins to Ospreys last weekend, meaning they have lost just two of their last seven fixtures in Parma.
Leinster slipped to a 23-34 reverse against rivals Munster in front of a capacity crowd at the Aviva Stadium last time out, but have not lost back-to-back league matches since the 2010/11 season.
Indeed, the Leinstermen have lost only one of their 16 previous clashes with Italian opponents in the tournament: 13-29 in Treviso in September 2010. They have won all four previous fixtures against Zebre, gaining a try bonus point on each occasion and preventing Zebre from gaining even a single league point.
Zebre’s starting line-up for the clash boasts 10 internationals and only three changes from last Friday's game against Ospreys. Centre Tommaso Iannone makes his first start of the season while Edoardo Padovani is selected at fly-half and lock Quintin Geldenhuys comes into the second row.
It will be a day of welcome returns for Matt O’Connor’s Leinstermen, with Richardt Strauss, Jack McGrath and Marty Moore all having recovered from respective injuries.
