Friday 31 October 2014 11:01, UK
Table-toppers Ospreys host Connacht on Friday looking to make it seven wins on the bounce in the Guinness PRO12.
Another victory on Friday will see them equal their best ever start to a PRO12 campaign, set in 2004/05, and history is on their side - Connacht having lost on all nine previous visits they have made to Liberty Stadium.
Visiting coach Pat Lam has made nine changes to his starting line-up for this clash, with new recruit Bundee Aki set to make his first appearance in a Connacht jersey, starting in a midfield partnership with Craig Ronaldson.
Ireland squad trio Kieran Marmion, Rodney Ah You and Darragh Leader have all been temporarily released from the international training camp to play a part, with Marmion and Ah You included in the starting XV.
Wing Matt Healy and fly-half Jack Carty are both recalled to the backline while 22-year-old Shane Layden is given the nod at full-back for his second start of the season.
Lock Quinn Roux returns to the pack while the Galway-born duo of John Muldoon and Eoin McKeon are named in the back row.
The most notable inclusion on the bench is Mayo-born prop Jamie Dever, who is in line to make his senior Connacht debut. The 21-year-old re-joined the Connacht Academy this season following a year-long sabbatical that allowed him to recover from a lengthy foot injury. JP Cooney is also likely to make his first appearance of the season.
Meanwhile, on-loan back rower Ieuan Jones makes his debut for the Ospreys, as will Rory Thornton and Jordan Collier if used off the bench.
Second placed Glasgow entertain rock-bottom Treviso at Scotstoun Stadium, with the hosts’ head coach Gregor Townsend having rotated his in-form side.
Peter Murchie comes in at full-back for Stuart Hogg, while Lee Jones and DTH van der Merwe start on either wing, in place of Sean Maitland and Tommy Seymour.
Richie Vernon returns from injury and partners James Downey at centre, while Peter Horne comes in for Finn Russell at fly-half and Niko Matawalu replaces Henry Pyrgos at scrum-half.
In the forwards, Ryan Grant returns from a shoulder injury at loose-head and Rossouw de Klerk comes in for Euan Murray at tight-head.
Tom Ryder and Leone Nakarawa start in the second-row, with Ryan Wilson also returning from injury at number 8 and Josh Strauss moving to blind-side flanker in place of Rob Harley.
Will Bordill could make his competitive debut for the club from the bench, as could Connor Braid, who has returned from a three-week loan period with London Scottish.
Opponents Treviso have included two new faces in the backline with Alberto Lucchese at scrum-half and Enrico Bacchin at centre.
In the pack, the back-row will see Italian internationals Francesco Minto and Simone Favaro start alongside Alessandro Zanni.
Up front, Davide Giazzon and Matteo Zanusso are confirmed as starters, while tighthead prop will be Salesi Manu.
Sixth-placed Leinster entertain eighth-placed Edinburgh with star signing Ben Te'o set to make his senior debut for the hosts at outside centre.
Kevin McLaughlin returns from a knee injury to captain the side from blindside flanker, in one of eight changes to the team that beat Castres away in the Champions Cup last weekend.
Michael Bent once again starts in the front row, but swaps sides to loose head while Tadhg Furlong is selected at tight head. Richardt Strauss starts at hooker and Tom Denton makes his first start of the year in the second row. Jack Conan starts from number 8 for his fifth appearance of the season.
There are three changes in the backs but both wingers, Darragh Fanning on the right and Luke Fitzgerald on the left, are once again selected as is full-back Zane Kirchner.
However it's a new centre partnership with Noel Reid selected at inside centre and Te'o selected outside him for his senior debut.
Meanwhile, Edinburgh face a massive challenge, with 20 players unavailable through injury (18) and national squad call-up (two).
In the backs, Nick McLennan and Joaquin Dominguez move from the bench to start at full-back and outside centre respectively while Dougie Fife returns on the wing.
Andries Strauss takes the inside centre jersey and captain's armband for this game, with Ross Ford (national call-up) and both captain Mike Coman and vice captain Grant Gilchrist unavailable through injury.
The forward pack sees James Hilterbrand start at hooker, with Ben Toolis moving up to start at lock.
Called straight into the starting line-up at lock is Jack Turley, while academy back row Magnus Bradbur makes his senior debut on the blindside. Tomas Leonardi, who started last Friday's match at number 8, moves to openside, allowing David Denton to start at number 8.
Coming on to the bench are academy hooker Jake Kerr who, along with full time professional forwards Jamie Ritchie and George Turner, could win their debut senior caps.
