Tuesday 30 December 2014 18:05, UK
Sky Sports once again brings you the best rugby action as 2015 kicks off with an explosive January line-up.
2-3 January 2015
We get the weekend underway with a Stade Francais trip to Lyon in the Top 14. Both sides were involved in victories over the top two cubs in the last round of fixtures, with Lyon upsetting Clermont with a last-minute try and Stade beating Toulon 30-6 to jump to the summit of the Top 14.
Montpellier with new coach Jake White host defending champions Toulon in our other Top 14 fixture of the weekend.
In the PRO12 we bring you more local derbies as Ulster are in action against Connacht while Scarlets host the table-topping Ospreys at Parc Y Scarlets.
9-10 January 2015
Stade Francais are back on our screens for their visit from Castres. The visitors have struggled despite the talent in their squad and will need to string some results together in 2015 if they are to avoid relegation. Clermont then host Brive at the Marcel Michelin on Saturday evening.
Fifth-placed Leinster resume their charge for a play-off spot in the PRO12 when they travel to Cardiff Arms Park to take on the Blues, a fixture has produced midfield battles between Lions legends Jamie Roberts and Brian O’Driscoll in the past.
16-18 January 2015
The European Champions Cup makes a return as Leicester welcome Scarlets to Welford Road with both teams still alive in the competition. Defending champions Toulon host Ulster at home as they aim to finish top seed in the quarter-final draw.
Sale have lost all four of their opening fixtures in Pool 1 but in two of those games they lost by four points or less. The Sharks have drawn three of the four semi-finalists from last season’s European competition in their pool so it won’t get any easier, but can they turn their fortunes around when they welcome Clermont to the AJ Bell Stadium?
We also bring you Connacht against Exeter in the European Challenge Cup, the winner of which will top Pool 2 with just one round to go.
23-25 January 2015
Scarlets take their turn to host Toulon in the final round of Champions Cup while Leicester Tigers make the trip to Ulster hoping that they are able to sneak into the quarter-finals.
Sale face the tough task of a rampant Munster outfit at Thomond Park. Munster won the reverse fixture with a last-gasp drop goal but the Irishmen will not want to leave it so late this time as they aim to continue their good run in Europe.
Edinburgh hosts Bordeaux-Begles in the Challenge Cup on Friday night. The Scots are unbeaten in the first four rounds of competition – will that still be the case when the final whistle blows at Murrayfield?
For all these fixtures and more visit: http://www1.skysports.com/watch/rugby-union-on-sky
