Saturday 27 September 2014 13:00, UK
Ospreys will aim to maintain their Guinness PRO12 lead on Saturday when they travel to Thomond Park to face in-form Munster.
Bonus-point wins over Treviso and Edinburgh, as well as victory against compatriots Newport Gwent Dragons, have seen Ospreys cruise into a league lead, while Munster have recovered from their opening round defeat with back-to-back wins against Italian sides.
A nine-try thrashing of Treviso last weekend put Ospreys top of the pile, but Steve Tandy’s side come up against a Munster side bidding for their first hat-trick of PRO12 wins since February.
Anthony Foley’s Munstermen backed up their success at Treviso with a five-try win over Zebre on home soil, with Ireland and British and Irish Lions international Simon Zebo running in a hat-trick of tries.
Last season Munster won seven and lost only once against Welsh regions, their solitary defeat coming at Parc y Scarlets in Round 15.
However, Ospreys have won their last four PRO12 matches since tripping up at Zebre in Parma in May and have been victorious in their last two games against Irish provinces, but have not won three such successive games since February 2013.
Munster are unbeaten in their last there encounters with Ospreys since the Welshmen's victory at Liberty Stadium in September 2012. Ospreys have won just once in Limerick since April 2010.
There is a raft of changes for Munster ahead of the arrival of Ospreys with scrum-half Conor Murray, one of eight players retained, promoted to captain the side.
Ireland prop Dave Kilcoyne with fellow international Donncha O'Callaghan coming into the second row to partner the talismanic Paul O'Connell , while Sean Dougall and CJ Stander return to the starting XV in the back row.
Murray forms an axis pairing with Ian Keatley and winger Gerhard van den Heever has recovered from a knee injury to replace hat-trick hero Zebo; he joins Andrew Conway and Johne Murphy in the back three.
Meanwhile, there are just three changes to the Ospreys side as Steve Tandy reinstates Andrew Bishop and Eli Walker at centre and wing respectively and flanker Joe Bearman returns at the expense of James King.
Ulster, one of four unbeaten sides in this season’s PRO12, but their perfect record on the line with a trip to Parma to face Zebre at the Stadio XVV Aprile on Saturday.
It is a second meeting in three weeks for the sides, with Ulster keen to complete the double over their Italian counterparts following their 33-13 triumph at Ravenhill.
The Ulstermen have not been defeated by an Italian opponent since Treviso visited Belfast in October 2011.
Meanwhile, Zebre are yet to defeat an Irish province in their 22 previous attempts.
Following their 26-9 victory over Cardiff last time out, Ulster coach Les Kiss has made a total of 10 changes.
Craig Gilroy is one of seven Ireland internationals in the side and returns to the starting XV at fullback and is joined in the back three by Tommy Bowe who switches to the right wing and Michael Allen who starts on the left.
Darren Cave maintains his place at outside centre and is joined in midfield by last year’s Academy Player of the season, Stuart McCloskey, who makes his first start of the season and Paddy Jackson, who scored 14 points in the win over Cardiff, starts at out-half alongside scrum-half Michael Heaney.
Up front, there is a new-look front row with Callum Black named at loosehead, Rob Herring selected at hooker and Declan Fitzpatrick, who has recovered from injury, starting at tighthead prop.
In the second row, Neil McComb who starts his first match of the season and former Lansdowne player Clive Ross starts his first competitive match for the provine at openside flanker.
