FRIDAY
TREVISO V OSPREYS
19.35
Walker will make his 50th appearance for the club, replacing
Hanno Dirkson who is omitted from the squad completely.
Tom Habberfield, Sam Davies, Lloyd Peers and James King all
drop to the replacements' bench.
Meanwhile, Treviso are without Exeter-bound Michele
Campagnaro and make a further three changes in the backs.
Campagnaro’s replacement Luca Morisi is paired with Enrico
Bacchin in midfield with Andrea Pratichetti starting on the wing.
Scrum-half Edoardo Gori starts on what will be his 50th
appearance for the Italian outfit.
Umberto Casellato also reintroduces flanker Paul Derbyshire
and lock Marco Fuser following the home defeat to the Dragons in their last
match.
Treviso: 15 Jayden Hayward, 14 Andrea Pratichetti, 13 Luca
Morisi, 12 Enrico Bacchin, 11 Ludovico Nitoglia, 10 Sam Christie, 9 Edoardo
Gori; 1 Matteo Zanusso, 2 Davide Giazzon, 3 Rupert Harden, 4 Marco Fuser, 5
Corniel Van Zyl (c), 6 Paul Derbyshire, 7 Francesco Minto, 8 Mat Luamanu.
Replacements: 16 Albert Anae, 17 Romulo Acosta, 18 Matteo
Muccignat, 19 Antonio Pavanello, 20 Meyer Swanepoel, 21 Nicola Cattina, 22 Simone
Ragusi, 23 James Ambrosini.
Ospreys: 15 Dan Evans, 14 Tom Grabham, 13 Jonathan Spratt,
12 Josh Matavesi, 11 Eli Walker, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Rhys Webb; 1 Ryan Bevington,
2 Scott Baldwin, 3 Aaron Jarvis, 4 Alun-Wyn Jones (c), 5 Tyler Ardron, 6 Dan
Lydiate, 7 Justin Tipuric, 8 Dan Baker.
Replacements: 16 Scott Otten, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Dmitri Arhip,
19 Lloyd Peers, 20 James King, 21 Tom Habberfield, 22 Sam Davies, 23 Ben John.
MY PREDICTION
If Ospreys have any hopes of reaching the semi-finals they
have to get a bonus point from this match. I think that they will win the match
but the bonus point will be hard to get but I think they will.
GLASGOW V BLUES
19.35
Fly-half Finn Russell makes his first Glasgow Warriors
appearance since January, replacing Mark Bennett, as the Pro12 leaders host
Cardiff Blues.
Peter Murchie replaces Stuart Hogg at full-back as Glasgow
coach Gregor Townsend continues his rotation policy.
Prop Adam Jones returns to the Blues' starting line-up after
starting on the bench in the 25-21 European Challenge Cup defeat by the
Dragons.
Gareth Davies plays at fly-half in the absence of the
concussed Rhys Patchell.
Gareth Anscombe switches from fly-half to full-back, while
Tavis Knoyle comes in at scrum-half, with Sam Warburton captaining the side.
In all Cardiff Blues make seven personnel changes and three
positional tweaks from the team beaten by the Dragons at Rodney Parade.
Glasgow also makes seven changes after their 34-34 draw away
to Leinster f
MY PREDICTION
I see this as a Glasgow win but no bonus point got. I think
that the Blues can make this a bit of a match.
SATURDAY
CONNACHT V ULSTER
14.40 SKY SPORTS
Skipper Best fills his usual slot at hooker, with Payne at
outside centre and Bowe on the right wing.
Openside flanker Chris Henry will make his first start since
recovering from heart surgery, having been a replacement in the win over
Cardiff.
Roger Wilson returns to the side at number eight.
Wilson, 33, was recently released on police bail after being
arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit.
Connacht are attempting to complete a hat-trick of wins over
their Irish provincial rivals this season, having already beaten Leinster and
Munster in Galway.
They have Bundee Aki back at centre while George Naoupu
comes in at Number eight to allow skipper John Muldoon to revert to blindside
flanker.
Connacht: T O'Halloran; D Poolman, R Henshaw, B Aki, M
Healy; C Ronaldson, K Marmion; D Buckley, T McCartney, R Ah You, Q Roux, A
Muldowney, J Muldoon (capt), E Masterson, G Naoupu.
Replacements: S Delahunt, R Loughney, F Bealham, U Dillane,
E McKeon, J Cooney, M Nikora, D Leader.
Ulster: L Ludik; T Bowe, J Payne, D Cave, C Gilroy; P Jackson,
R Pienaar; C Black, R Best (capt), W Herbst, D Tuohy, F Van der Merwe, I
Henderson, C Henry, R Wilson.
Replacements: R Herring, A Warwick, B Ross, R Diack, C Ross,
P Marshall, I Humphreys, S McCloskey.
MY PREDICTION
Having to play Glasgow and Munster in their last 3 games
this is a match that they must win and show that they can put in the type of performance
needed to beat the teams that are better. There has to be a sense of quality
from Ulster . I think Ulster will win but not get the bonus point.
ZEBRE V SCARLETS
15.00
Wales full-back Liam Williams will start for Scarlets
against Zebre on Saturday as they target a Pro12 play-off spot.
Williams has not played since damaging a thigh in Wales'
61-20 win over Italy in the Six Nations on 21 March.
Centre and Wales team-mate Scott Williams also returns after
recovering from a dead leg.
But hooker Emyr Phillips (shoulder) and lock George Earle
(ankle) are out.
Fijian wing Michael Tagicakibau will be absent after he
uffered concussion in Scarlets' 26-15 home defeat by Edinburgh on 28 March.
But back-rower Lewis Rawlins returns after his concussion
against Edinburgh.
Scrum-half Gareth Davies was sent off for a head-butt in
that game and a five-week ban means he cannot not return until 10 May, against
Cardiff Blues.
Zebre: TBC
Scarlets: Liam Williams, Harry Robinson, Regan King, Scott
Williams, Hadleigh Parkes, Steven Shingler, Aled Davies; Rob Evans, Ken Owens
(captain), Peter Edwards, Jake Ball, Lewis Rawlins, Rob McCusker, James Davies,
John Barclay.
Replacements: Ryan Elias, Phil John, Jacobie Adriaanse, Jack
Payne, Rory Pitman, Rhodri Williams, Rhys Priestland, Steffan Evans
MY PREDICTION
I think that this will be an easy for the Scarlets will get
the bonus point that they need but I do not think that it will be an easy one
as it is an away match.
EDINBURGH V MUNSTER
19.30
Edinburgh coach Alan Solomons has named an unchanged
starting line-up for Saturday's Pro12 meeting with Munster.
Greig Tonks continues at full-back while hooker Ross Ford
retains the captain's armband in the absence of regular skipper Mike Coman.
Munster make six changes with Ireland captain Paul O'Connell
among those returning.
Back Conor Murray and forwards Dave Kilcoyne, Duncan Casey,
BJ Botha and captain Peter O'Mahony also come in.
Edinburgh: Greig Tonks; Dougie Fife, Phil Burleigh, Andries
Strauss, Tim Visser; Tom Heathcote, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne; Alasdair Dickinson, Ross
Ford (capt), WP Nel, Anton Bresler, Ben Toolis, Roddy Grant, Hamish Watson,
David Denton.
Replacements: Stuart McInally, Rory Sutherland, John Andress,
Fraser McKenzie, Tomas Leonardi, Nathan Fowles, Sam Beard Tom Brown.
Munster: Felix Jones; Keith Earls, Andrew Smith, Denis
Hurley, Simon Zebo; Ian Keatley, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Duncan Casey, BJ
Botha, Billy Holland, Paul O'Connell, Peter O'Mahony (capt), Tommy O'Donnell,
CJ Stander.
Replacements: Eusebio Guinazu, James Cronin, Stephen Archer,
Donnacha Ryan, Dave O'Callaghan, Duncan Williams, JJ Hanrahan, Ronan O'Mahony.
MY PREDICTION
I feel that Munster will win this and get the Bonus point
needed to push them into second position going into their match with Ulster
next week. I feel that they will be able to take control of this match but not
until the second half.
SUNDAY
DRAGONS V LEINSTER
16.15
MY PREDICTION
If Leinster loose this match I feel that they will have
difficulty reaching the play offs of the Pro 12 and I feel that Leinster have
got the momentum needed to win this and get the bonus point. I would be very surprised if Leinster did not
get the bonus point with their semi-final against Toulon coming up and they
will want to keep momentum.
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