Friday 26 December 2014 13:39, UK
Leinster travel to Munster, Ulster host Connacht and Cardiff Blues take on Newport Gwent Dragons on Boxing Day.
Ulster v Connacht
Paul Marshall gets a start at scrum-half after Ruan Pienaar failed his fitness test ahead of the game.
Pienaar suffered a knee injury in Ulster’s 31-20 loss to Ospreys last weekend and it was initially feared that he had suffered a recurrence of the knee injury that has kept him out for most of the season.
Pienaar was able to return to some light training on Tuesday but the South African has not been passed fit to play in the Boxing Day fixture.
Paddy Jackson makes up the half-back pairing among seven changes to the team that lost to Ospreys. Wingers Craig Gilroy and Peter Nelson come in for Tommy Bowe and Michael Allen respectively.
Rob Herring, Callum Black and Wiehahn Herbst complete a completely new front row for the Irishmen.
The defeat to the Ospreys saw Ulster drop one place down the table to fifth – one spot ahead of Connacht who were beaten 21-11 by Leinster last time out.
Connacht coach Pat Lam also has injury concerns after back-rower Eoin McKeon took a knock in that loss and lock Michael Swift was injured during training. Neither player features in the 23.
Ronan Loughney and Finlay Bealham come into the front row while on-loan Leinster scrum-half Jonh Cooney starts his first game for the club.
Dave McSharry and Darragh Leader all start in six changes to the Connacht team that lost to Leinster.
Ulster: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Craig Gilroy, 13 Darren Cave, 12 Luke Marshall, 11 Peter Nelson, 10 Paddy Jackson, 9 Paul Marshall, 1 Callum Black, 2 Rob Herring, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 4 Dan Tuohy, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 6 Robbie Diack, 7 Clive Ross, 8 Roger Wilson (c).
Replacements: 16 John Andrew, 17 Andrew Warwick, 18 Declan Fitzpatrick, 19 Alan O’Connor, 20 Sean Reidy, 21 Micahel Heaney, 22 Ian Humphreys, 23 Stuart Olding.
Connacht: 15 Darragh Leader, 14 Danie Poolman, 13 Bundee Aki, 12 Dave McSharry, 11 Matt Healy, 10 Jack Carty, 9 John Cooney, 1 Ronan Loughney, 2 Tom McCartney, 3 Finlay Bealham, 4 Quinn Roux, 5 Aly Muldowney, 6 John Muldoon (c), 7 Willie Faloon, 8 George Naoupu.
Replacements: 16 Dave Heffernan, 17 Denis Buckley, 18 Rodney Ah You, 19 Ultan Dillane, 20 Eoghan Masterson, 21 Kieran Marmion, 22 Craig Ronaldson, 23 Mils Muliaina.
Cardiff Blues v Newport Gwent Dragons
Hooker Kristian Dacey has been passed fit for Cardiff for their clash against the Dragons at Cardiff Arms Park. Dacey has responded well to the treatment on the ankle injury he sustained during their 21-9 win over the Scarlets last weekend.
However Cardiff will be without skipper Sam Warburton who suffered a recurrence of a shoulder injury and will not be risked for this game.
Ellis Jenkins takes over from Warburton in the No 7 jersey. Sam Hobbs starts at loosehead with Matthew Rees taking over the captaincy duties at hooker, with last week's captain Gethin Jenkins in the replacements.
There is a rotation at fly-half where Gareth Davies gets a start with Gareth Anscombe occupying the bench.
Newport Gwent Dragons will also be without an influential back-row star after Taulupe Faletau suffered an ankle injury. Lewis Evans gets a start in Faletau's place at No 8.
Tyler Morgan will partner up with Jack Dixon in midfield in the only other change to the starting team that beat Zebre last weekend.
Cardiff Blues: 15 Joaquin Tuculet, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Cory Allen, 12 Gavin Evans, 11 Lucas Amorosino, 10 Gareth Davies, 9 Lewis Jones, 1 Sam Hobbs, 2 Matthew Rees (c), 3 Adam Jones, 4 Jarrad Hoeata, 5 Lou Reed, 6 Josh Turnbull, 7 Ellis Jenkins, 8 Josh Navidi.
Replacements: 16 Kristian Dacey, 17 Gethin Jenkins, 18 Taufa'ao Filise, 19 Macauley Cook, 20 Manoa Vosawai, 21 Tavis Knoyle, 22 Gareth Anscombe, 23 Adam Thomas.
Newport Gwent Dragons: 15 Tom Prydie, 14 Matthew Pewtner, 13 Tyler Morgan, 12 Jack Dixon, 11 Hallam Amos, 10 Jason Tovey, 9 Jonathan Evans, 1 Phil Price, 2 T. Rhys Thomas, 3 Brok Harris, 4 Andrew Coombs, 5 Rynard Landman (c), 6 James Thomas, 7 Nic Cudd, 8 Lewis Evans.
Replacements: 16 Elliot Dee, 17 Owen Evans, 18 Dan Way, 19 Cory Hill, 20 Ian Gough, 21 Richie Rees, 22 Dorian Jones, 23 Geraint Rhys Jones.
Munster v Leinster
Munster will be desperate to get back to winning ways after their 21-18 defeat to Glasgow last time out. Munster have slipped to three straight defeats in all tournaments and have not lost four in a row since the end of the 2009-10 season.
The Munstermen have won both of their encounters with fellow Irish provinces this season and will be looking for a season's double over Leinster in the PRO12 for the first time since 2008-09.
Duncan Casey, CJ Stander and Tommy O'Donnell all start this week in eight changes made by Munster coach Anthony Foley.
Munster's most capped player Donncha O'Callaghan is promoted from the bench this week and starts next to Billy Holland while in the back row Robin Copeland retains his place at No 8.
Ronan O'Mahony comes in on the wing, and full-back Felix Jones captains the side.
In the replacements Garryowen scrum-half Neil Cronin is included on the bench, and if called to play will make his debut for the club.
Leinster's only defeat in their last nine fixtures in all competitions was 18-24 at Harlequins in the European Champions Cup on 7 December, whilst their most recent defeat in the Guinness PRO12 came when Munster visited the Aviva Stadium in early October. Leinster have won on four of their previous seven visits to Munster.
Richardt Strauss will join Leinster's centurion club as he dons the jersey for the 100th time at Thomond Park.
Darragh Fanning gets a start and Gordon D'Arcy comes into the side at inside centre while Ian Madigan is selected at at pivot for the first time since his man-of-the-mMatch performance away to Zebre in October.
Munster: 15 Felix Jones (c), 14 Andrew Conway, 13 Pat Howard, 12 Denis Hurley, 11 Ronan O'Mahony, 10 Ian Keatley, 9 Duncan Williams, 1 John Ryan, 2 Duncan Casey, 3 Stephen Archer, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 5 Billy Holland, 6 CJ Stander, 7 Tommy O'Donnell, 8 Robin Copeland.
Replacements: 16 Kevin O'Byrne, 17 Eusebio Guinazu, 18 BJ Botha, 19 Dave O'Callaghan, 20 Paddy Butler, 21 Neil Cronin, 22 JJ Hanrahan, 23 Johne Murphy.
Leinster: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Darragh Fanning, 13 Luke Fitzgerald, 12 Gordon D'Arcy, 11 Dave Kearney, 10 Ian Madigan, 9 Isaac Boss, 1 Michael Bent, 2 Richardt Strauss, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Mike McCarthy, 5 Kane Douglas, 6 Dominic Ryan, 7 Shane Jennings (c), 8 Jack Conan.
Replacements: 16 Aaron Dundon, 17 Maks Van Dyk, 18 Jamie Hagan, 19 Tom Denton, 20 Jordi Murphy, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Jimmy Gopperth, 23 Noel Reid.
