RaboDirect Pro12 round 5: preview and predictions

Cardiff v Ulster
Second row forward Bradley Davies will make his 100th appearance for the Blues tonight alongside club captain Andries Pretorius who returns to the starting line-up at No.8.
The Blues haven’t been convincing in the opening four rounds but they sit in third place having conceded only one loss in their first four games.
After a good display on his return, Welsh star Jamie Roberts carries on at inside centre but French tight-head prop Benoit Bourrust is dropped despite a superb performance in the scrum last week against Treviso.
Tommy Bowe will make his hugely anticipated return to Ulster colours when he lines out on the right wing tonight.
The fixture will see the unbeaten Irishmen return to action following the tragic death of Nevin Spence and the postponement of the clash with Zebre in Italy last week.
Bowe’s start forced a reshuffle of the back line with Andrew Trimble switching to the left wing, Michael Allen moving into outside centre and Darren Cave shifting in to fill the No.12 jersey.
Up front, Stephen Ferris has been rested so rising star Iain Henderson joins Henry and Nick Williams in the back row.
Cardiff: Fish; Robinson, Hewitt, Roberts, James; Tovey, L. Williams; Trevett, Kyriacou, Filise; B. Davies, Down; Copeland, Warburton, Pretorius (capt.).
Replacements: R. Williams, Ma’afu, Andrews, Reed, Watts-Jones, Lewis, G. Davies, T. Williams
Ulster: Payne; Bowe, Allen, Cave, Trimble; Jackson, Marshall; Court, Brady, Afoa; McComb, Tuohy; Henderson, Henry (capt.), Williams
Replacements: Herring, Black, Macklin, Stevenson , McComish, Heaney, Wallace, Gilroy.
Prediction: The Blues will want to prove they are back where they belong but Ulster will be keen to put on a good performance following the recent events at the club. They will be too strong for Cardiff.
Connacht v Leinster
Scotland International Dan Parks will make his much anticipated debut for Connacht tonight 16 weeks after his last competitive game to face the double European Champions.
Michael Swift will earn his 150th league appearance for the occasion slotting back into the second-row joined by Mike McCarthy.
Connacht come into the game against their Irish rivals following a slow start of the season with only a bonus-point win against Zebre next to their name.
Ireland international Rob Kearney will make his first start of the season for Leinster from full-back while Brendan Macken, who scored a brace of tries off the bench last weekend, will partner Gordon D’Arcy in the centre replacing Brian O’Driscoll.
Just like “BOD”, Ireland stars Jonathan Sexton and Jamie Heaslip are being rested and replaced by Ian Madigan and Leo Auva’a at fly-half and No.8 respectively.
Heinke van der Merwe comes into the front row at hooker, while the province can call on an all-Ireland international front row off the bench in ex-Connacht hooker Sean Cronin, Cian Healy and Mike Ross.
Connacht: Henshaw; O’Halloran, Griffin, McSharry, Vainikolo; Parks, Marmion; Buckley, Flavin, White (capt.); Swift, McCarthy; McKeon, O’Connor, Naoupu.
Replacements: Harris-Wright, Wilkinson, Loughney, Gannon, Faloon, Moore, Nikora, Fifita.
Leinster: Kearney; McFadden, Macken, D’Arcy, Nacewa; Madigan, Cooney; Van der Merwe, Sexton, Hagan; Roux, Denton; Marshall, Jennings (capt.), Auva’a.
Replacements: Cronin, Healy, Ross, Toner, Murphy, McGrath, Reid, Carr.
Prediction: Leinster have once again rested some key player but they will have enough power to come on top tonight.
Dragons v Edinburgh
Wales No.8 Toby Faletau has been added to the Dragons’ starting line up alongside Wales teammate Dan Lydiate and club captain Lewis Evans.
Since their bonus-point win over Zebre on the opening round, the Welsh side hasn’t won a game and they will be hoping to get another taste of victory over a side they beat twice last year.
In-form Jonathan Evans continues at scrum half while Adam Hughes will start on the wing instead of Will Harries who drops to the bench.
Edinburgh has made seven changes with “Flying Dutchman” Tim Visser returning to the side on his beloved left wing.
British Lion hooker Andy Titterrell is set to make is first competitive start for the Scots while Ross Rennie, Allan Jacobsen, Ben Atiga and Robert McAlpine also come in the starting XV for match that has been classed by head coach Michael Bradley as “critical”.
Talented 20-year-old Harry Leonard comes in at fly-half in place of club captain Greig Laidlaw who is rested.
Dragons: D. Evans; Hughes, Leach, Tuilagi, Prydie; Steffan Jones, J. Evans; Price, Steve Jones, Way; Nimmo, A. Jones; Lydiate, L. Evans (capt.), Faletau.
Replacements: Parry, Coundley, Buck, Groves, Brown, Davies, Smith, Harries.
Edinburgh: Tonks; Brown, De Luca, Atiga, Visser; Leonard, Rees; Jacobsen, Titterrell, Cross; McAlpine, Cox (capt.); McInally, Rennie, Talei.
Replacements: Walker, Yapp, Niven, Basilaia, Grant, Leck, Houston, Fife.
Prediction: The Dragons will be keen to carry on their winning run against the Heineken Cup semi-finalists but you just feel that if the Scots can stop their back row, they’ll get away with the goods. I think they will.
Glasgow v Zebre
Marquee signing Josh Strauss is set to make his debut for Glasgow when the South African packs down at No.8 to face Zebre tonigh.
Fijian scrum-half Niko Matawalu and Tongan prop Ofa Fainga’anuku, who have also signed recently, are also in line to make their Warriors debuts from the bench.
In all, there are 13 changes to the starting XV that ran out against Connacht with talented youngsters Byron McGuigan, Fraser Thomson and Sean Kennedy all getting their first competitive starts for the occasion.
After undergoing an ankle surgery just over a month ago, Scotland international Stuart Hogg has made a speedy recovery and is named among the replacements.
Club captain Gonzalo Garcia returns for the Italian newcomers who are still without a single point after three games.
Garcia’s returns means Waratahs Daniel Halangahu moves to full-back while veteran Mauro Bergamasco starts at openside.
Wing Leonardo Sarto and lock Michael Van Vuren will however make their RaboDirect PRO12 debut for Christian Gajan’s side.
Glasgow: Thomson; Seymour, McGuigan, Morrison, Van der Merwe; Jackson, Kennedy; Reid, Gillies, Cusack; Ryder, Swinson; Macdonald, Fusaro (capt.), Strauss.
Replacements: Hall, Fainga’anuku, Low, Eddie, Wilson, Matawalu, Horne, Hogg.
Zebre: Halangahu; Sarto, Pratichetti, Garcia (capt.), Sinoti; Orquera, Chillon ; Aguero, Giazzon, Redolfini, Geldenhuys, Van Vuren ; Cristiano, Bergamasco, Van Schalkwyk.
Replacements: Mancini, Fazzari, De Marchi, Caffini, Belardo, Martinelli, Buso, Pace.
Prediction: Zebre will be hoping the postponement of the Ulster’s game last week gave them time to work well but Glasgow are in fine form right now. Hard to see past a Scottish bonus-point win really.
Ospreys v Munster
Ospreys hooker Richard Hibbard will make his 100th league appearance for the Welsh region when they take on Munster tomorrow.
Hibbard starts alongside Aaron Jarvis and Ryan Bevington in the front row while Ryan Jones his handed a start at blindside following his try off the bench against Scarlets last week.
After three consecutive defeats, the reigning champions finally got their season going with a 23-16 win over their Welsh rivals in Llanelli and see Welsh international Ashley Beck returning  at inside centre after recovering from injury.
Meanwhile, Denis Hurley makes his return to action for Munster after recovering from illness which kept him sidelined for the Dragons game last Saturday.
Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray makes his first start of the season after coming off the bench in their last two games, while Donnacha Ryan and Peter O’Mahony are included for the first time in a match day squad this season.
Ospreys: Fussell; Dirksen, Bishop, Beck, Isaacs; Biggar, Fotuali’i; Bevington, Hibbard, Jarvis;  Wyn Jones (capt.), Evans; Ry. Jones, Tipuric, Bearman.
Replacements: Baldwin, D. Jones, A. Jones, Thomas,  Stowers, Webb, Morgan, Ro. Jones.
Munster: Hurley; Howlett (capt.), Earls, Laulala, Zebo; O’Gara, Murray; Du Preez, Sherry, Archer; O’Callaghan, Holland; O’Donnell, Ronan, Butler.
Replacements: Varley, Kilcoyne, Botha, Ryan, O’Mahony, Stringer, Keatley, Downey.
Prediction: Munster back line is back to full strength but their pack is not up there yet and you feel the Ospreys could expose them there. They must be relieved after last week and I think they will confirm against the men in red.
Treviso v Scarlets
Captain Antonio Pavanello and Valerio Bernabò will form a completely new lock partnership for Treviso who didn’t get a taste of victory since the opening round win against the Ospreys.
Tommaso Iannone starts on the left wing in the only change to the backline while Lorenzo Cittadini and Michele Rizzo start at tight-head and loose-head.
Teenage sensation Jordan Williams is back at full-back for the Scarlets pushing Liam Williams on the right wing left vacant by George North who is rested for the game after a superb start of the season.
Gareth Davies, who achieved his 50th appearance for the region last week, is getting his opportunity at scrum-half with Tavis Knoyle on the bench.
Matthew Rees returns at hooker as the Welsh region will also be looking for a win after their 23-16 loss to the Ospreys in the Welsh derby.
Treviso: McLean; Benvenuti, Sgarbi, Morisi, Iannone; Burton, Botes; Rizzo, Ghiraldini, Cittadini; Pavanello (capt.), Bernabò; Favaro, Zanni, Barbieri.
Replacements: Sbaraglini, Fernandez-Rouyet, Di Santo, Minto, Budd, Derbyshire, Semenzato, Di Bernardo
Scarlets: J. Williams; L. Williams, Maule, J. Davies, Fenby; Priestland, G. Davies;  John, Rees, Manu; Timani, Earle; Turnbull, Edwards, McCusker (capt.).
Replacements: Owens, Edwards, Lee, Shingler, Murphy, Knoyle, Warren, Phillips.
Prediction: Both team are looking to make amends after last week but you’d think the Welsh will be in a better position to do it. It’s never easy to travel to Italy but they should clinch it.