Pro12 Round 1: Team news and Predictions

Connacht v Cardiff Blues
Scrum-half Kieran Marmion makes his first appearance for the province but summer signing Scottish international Dan Parks will not play against his former team because of injury.
No.8 Andries Pretorius leads a young Cardiff side missing Wales captain Sam Warburton, Jamie Roberts, Leigh Halfpenny and Bradley Davies.
Connacht: Gavin Duffy (capt.); Tiernan O’Halloran, Eoin Griffin, Mata Fifita, Fetu’u Vainikolo; Miah Nikora, Kieran Marmion; Denis Buckley, Ethienne Reynecke, Ronan Loughney; Michael Swift, Mike McCarthy; John Muldoon, Johnny O’Connor, George Naoupu.
Replacements: Adrian Flavin, Rodney Ah You, Finlay Bealham, David Gannon, Willie Faloon, David Moore, Matthew Jarvis, Robbie Henshaw.
Cardiff: Dan Fish; Harry Robinson, Gavin Evans, Gareth Davies, Tom James; Ceri Sweeney, Lewis Jones; Thomas Davies, Andi Kyriacou, Taufa’ao Filise; Robin Copeland, James Down; Rory Watts- Jones, Josh Navidi, Andries Pretorius (capt.).
Replacements: Rhys Williams, Beniot Borrust, Nathan Trevett, Lou Reed, Luke Hamilton, Lloyd Williams, Cory Allen, Tom Williams, Owen Williams.
Predictions: Connacht must win this one, will be a long season if they can’t beat the Blues‘ B team.
Edinburgh v Munster
New signings Ben Atiga, Greig Tonks and Richie Rees make their competitive debuts in the backs while props John Yapp and WP Nel join forces with Scoland captain Ross Ford in a powerful front row.
New signings Casey Laulala and James Downey form an imposing centre partnership while All Black Doug Howlett captains the side from the wing.
Edinburgh: Tonks; Jones, De Luca, Atiga, Visser; Laidlaw (capt.), Rees; Yapp, Ford, Nel; Gilchrist, Cox; Denton, Rennie, McInally.
Replacements: Titterrell, Jacobsen, Cross, Parker, Basilaia, Leck, Hunter, Houston.
Munster: D Hurley; D Howlett (capt.), C Laulala, J Downey, L O’Dea; I Keatley, D Williams; W du Preez, D Varley, BJ Botha; D O’Callaghan, B Holland; P Butler, S Dougall, J Coughlan.
Replacements: M Sherry, M Horan, S Archer, D Foley, B O’Mahony, P Stringer, S Deasy, I Dineen.
Predictions: The Scots might just edge it to get the season going but Munster arrive with a very competitive side. Toughest one of the weekend to call!
Scarlets v Leinster
George North is given the chance to do damage on the wing while Matthew Rees, Rhys Priestland and Jonathan Davies are chosen among the replacements.
Leinster is deprived of the services of a number of their Irish internationals but Isa Nacewa will provide experience from full-back in a side captained by Shane Jennings.
Scarlets: Liam Williams; George North, Gareth Maule, Scott Williams, Andy Fenby; Aled Thomas, Tavis Knoyle; Rhodri Jones, Ken Owens, Deacon Manu; George Earle, Richard Kelly; Aaron Shingler, Josh Turnbull, Rob McCusker (capt.).
Replacements: Matthew Rees, Phil John, Samson Lee, Sione Timani, Kieran Murphy, Gareth Davies, Rhys Priestland, Jonathan Davies.
Leinster : I Nacewa; A Conway, B Macken, N Reid, F Carr; I Madigan, I Boss; H van der Merwe, R Strauss, J Hagan; D Browne, D Toner; D Ryan, S Jennings (capt.), L Auva’a. Replacements: A Dundon, J McGrath, M Moore, T Denton, J Murphy, J Cooney, C O’Shea, D Hudson.
Predictions: Without the Irish internationals for Leinster, Scarlets and their bench should claim a comfortable win.
Dragons v Zebre
Grand Slam winners Dan Lydiate and Toby Faletau start for the Welsh region alongside new signings Tom Prydie and Ian Nimmo.
Italian international centre Gonzalo Garcia captains Zebre in their first ever competitive match while veteran front row forwards Salvatore Perugini and Carlo Festuccia will provide stability in the scrum.
Dragons: Dan Evans; Will Harries, Pat Leach, Andy Tuilagi, Tom Prydie; Steffan Jones, Wayne Evans; Phil Price, Steve Jones (capt.), Dan Way; Ian Nimmo, Andrew Coombes; Dan Lydiate, Jevon Groves, Toby Faletau.
Replacements: Hugh Gustafson, Nathan Williams, Nathan Buck, Adam Jones, Tom Brown, Jonathan Evans, Lewis Robling, Ashley Smith.
Zebre: Sinoti Sinoti; Giovanbattista Venditti, Roberto Quartaroli, Gonzalo Garcia (capt.), Samuele Pace; Luciano Orquera, Tito Tebaldi; Salvatore Perugini, Carlo Festuccia, David Ryan; Quintin Geldenhuys, Emiliano Caffini; Nicola Cattina Andries, Van Schalkwyk, Filippo Cristiano.
Replacements: Davide Giazzon, Andrea De Marchi, Luciano Leibson, Filippo Cazzola, Filippo Ferrarini, Alberto Chillon, Alberto Chiesa, Ruggero Trevisan.
Predictions: Hard to see past a Welsh success.
Treviso v Ospreys
Italian internationals Alessandro Zanni and Robert Barbieri are selected in a powerful back row as Treviso seek to avenge the narrow 32-27 defeat they suffered at the hands of the Welsh outfit in last season’s corresponding fixture.
Alun Wyn Jones will captain a strong side for the Defending champions but back row forwards Ryan Jones, Justin Tipuric and George Stowers miss out through injury.
Treviso: Kristopher Burton; Ludovico Nitoglia, Tommaso Iannone, Alberto Sgarbi, Luke McLean; Alberto Di Bernardo, Edoardo Gori; Alberto De Marchi, Enrico Ceccato, Ignacio Fernandez-Rouyet; Francesco Minto, Corniel Van Zyl (capt.); Simone Favaro, Alessandro Zanni, Robert Barbieri.
Replacements: Franco Sbaraglini ,Michele Rizzo, Lorenzo Cittadini, Dean Budd, Paul Derbyshire, Marco Filippucci, Fabio Semenzato, Brendan Williams.
Ospreys: Richard Fussell; Hanno Dirksen, Andrew Bishop, Ashley Beck, Tom Isaacs; Dan Biggar, Kahn Fotuali’i; Ryan Bevington, Richard Hibbard, Aaron Jarvis; Alun Wyn Jones, (capt.), Ian Evans; James King, Sam Lewis, Jonathan Thomas.
Replacements: Scott Baldwin, Duncan Jones, Joe Rees, Joe Bearman, Morgan Allen, Rhys Webb, Matthew Morgan, Tom Grabham.
Predictions: It’s going to be close but the Italians might just edge it.
Ulster v Glasgow
Paddy Jackson starts at fly-half for Ulster who will hope All Black Jon Afoa can give them the upper hand in the scrum as the side seeks to improve on their 6^th place finish last season.
New head coach Gregor Townsend gives the returning Sean Lamont a start on the wing while experienced Scottish internationals Chris Cusiter and John Barclay are consigned to the bench.
Ulster: J. Payne; M. Allen, C. Farrell, L. Marshall, C. Gilroy; P. Jackson, M. Heaney; C. Black, R. Herring, J. Afoa, J. Muller (capt.), L. Stevenson, R. Diack, S. Doyle, N. Williams.
Replacements: N. Brady, T. Court, D. Fitzpatrick, N. McComb, M. McComish, P. Marshall, N. O’Connor, D. Cave.
Glasgow: Peter Murchie; Tommy Seymour, Alex Dunbar, Graeme Morrison, Sean Lamont; Duncan Weir, Henry Pyrgos; Gordon Reid, Finlay Gillies, Mike Cusack; Tom Ryder, Al Kellock (capt.); Rob Harley, Chris Fusaro, Ryan Wilson.
Replacements: Dougie Hall, Moray Low, Ryan Grant, James Eddie, John Barclay, Chris Cusiter, Ruaridh Jackson, Peter Horne.
Predictions: Ulster will live up to the expectations and win big.
Read all the reports in Sunday’s edition of The Rugby Paper.