Munster v Leinster
This has been consistently the best fixture of recent years and last week's respective wins point encouragingly towards it again. That Munster are unchanged, whereas Leinster have made three forced changes, and one unforced, reflects their relative health. To change their half-backs - Alan McGowan and David O'Mahony for Richie Governey and Alain Rolland - is a bit of a gamble by Leinster, though not if McGowan can rediscover the confidence shown here four years ago. Nor do the two changes up front - where Stephen Rooney's absence compounds their lack of a true open side - give Leinster a noticeably more mobile look.
By contrast, if Munster achieve anything like an equitable share of possession then the presence of David Wallace and Eddie Halvey, not to mention an in-form Michael Galwey, would seem to give them an edge around the pitch. Furthermore, Ronan O'Gara seems to be inheriting the Keyes-Kiernan-Smith mantle of prolific points scorer that all successful Munster sides have had.
Out wide though, Leinster have the more potent collection of strike runners in the Hickie-Clarke-O'Mahoney axis, and if they increase the supply lines to the previously under-served Hickie that could compensate for the Munster pack's apparently greater mobility.
Funnily enough, Leinster have not found Musgrave Park as happy a hunting ground as the Thomond Park hot-bed in recent times, and it's that home advantage, along with the contrast in selection, which seems to have tipped the scales marginally Munster's way.
Last five seasons: Leinster 40, Munster 45; Munster 15, Leinster 19; Leinster 14, Munster 36; Munster 21, Leinster 19; Leinster 21, Munster 20.
Overall: Played 108, Leinster 73 wins, Munster 26 wins, 9 draws.
Connacht v Ulster
With one eye on the European Cup, this contest is only marginally less important, given the losers will face a do-ordie mission to qualify for next season's Euro competition with a big win next week. Ulster have made two changes to the side which lost so pluckily and unluckily to Leinster last week, and both ought to improve their potency. Stephen Bell, an original selection against Leinster, returns to scrum-half at the expense of Kenton Hilman while Andy Park, an impressive try-scorer at full-back in the `A' team, replaces the injured Graham McCluskey on the wing.
Connacht, meantime, are suffering from a lack of true scoring potential, and will need all their big guns firing - the half-backs of Conor McGuinness and Eric Elwood especially - if centre Pat Duignan is to have the opportunity to augment a promising start to the season. Still, the onus will be more on Ulster to create this week - they could win a lot more ball for less tangible reward - and Warren Gatland will surely induce a significant improvement on Connacht's reportedly limp and toothless first offering against Munster.
The suspicion lurks that they could scalp someone this season. However, not only on recent form, but on most precedents between the two, Ulster start as strong favourites. Connacht haven't beaten Ulster since October '83 at the Sportsground; they have managed just one draw in the last 14 meetings since.
Last five seasons: Ulster 32, Connacht 27; Connacht 9, Ulster 27; Ulster 20, Connacht 6; Connacht 10, Ulster 39; Ulster 19, Connacht 6.
Overall: Played 53, Connacht 9 wins, Ulster 42 wins, 2 draws.
Ulster: R Morrow (Dungannon); A Park (Ballymena), S McDowell (Ballymena), S Coulter (Ballymena), J Cunningham (Ballymena); S Laing (Portadown), S Bell (Dungannon); R Mackey (Malone), S Ritchie (Ballymena), G Leslie (Dungannon), T McWhirter (Ballymena), G Longwell (Ballymena), S McKinty (Bangor), capt, R Wilson (Instonians), A Ward (Ballynahinch).
