RaboDirect Pro12 round 10 preview

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v Cardiff
Samoan international Kahn Fotuali’i return from international duties to start at scrum-half captain the Ospreys as they host the Blues in a Welsh derby.
New loan signing Cai Griffiths, who joined from London Irish earlier this week, comes straight into the starting line-up for the clash after existing tight-heads Aaron Jarvis, Adam Jones and Joe Rees were all ruled out with injury.
In the other changes, Ross Jones comes in for Jonathan Spratt on the wing with Spratt moving in to outside centre.
Up front, King and Duncan Jones replace Lloyd Peers and Ryan Bevington at lock and loose head respectively.
Cardiff Blues have made five changes to the team that beat last week as they seek their first win at the Liberty Stadium since 2003.
Rhys Patchell and Tom Williams replace the injured Dan Fish and Tom James in the back line at full-back and winger with Michael Paterson coming in for Macauley Cook in the second row.
In the front row, Sam Hobbs and Marc Breeze get the nod over Nathan Trevett and Rhys Williams at loose head and hooker respectively.
Ospreys: Fussell; R. Jones, Isaacs, Bishop, Walker; Morgan, Fotuali’i (capt.); D. Jones, Baldwin, Griffiths; Gough, King, Stowers, Lewis, Bearman.
Replacements: Dwyer, Thomas, Arhip, Peers, Allen, Webb, Davies, Spratt.
Cardiff Blues: Patchell; T. Williams, Evans, Hewitt, O. Williams; Sweeney, L. Williams; Hobbs, Breeze, Filise; Paterson, Down; Watts-Jones, Navidi (capt.), Copeland.
Replacements: Kyriacou, Trevett, Bourrust, Cook, Pretorius, Jones, Davies, Tovey.
Munster v
Several internationals return to Munster’s starting XV for Saturday’s Pro12 encounter with at Thomond Park.
Keith Earls, Simon Zebo, Ronan O’Gara return to the backline, and Donncha O’Callaghan, Donncha Ryan, Dave Kilcoyne all return to bolster the pack after playing for Ireland last weekend.
James Coughlan returns to the fray following a lengthy lay off and former Under-20 captain CJ Stander makes his first Munster start.
Glasgow Warriors also have several returning faces including fly-half Duncan Weir who returns from injury. Henry Pyrgos, who made his debut during the November international series, will partner him at half-back.
internationals Stuart Hogg, Ryan Grant, Al Kellock, Sean Lamont, John Barclay, and Dougie Hall also take their places in the starting line-up.
Hogg starts in the centre alongside Peter Horne, with Peter Murchie filling the full-back position.
Lamont is also restored to the wing with DTH van der Merwe on the opposite wing.
In the pack, Barclay replaces Chris Fusaro at open-side who picked up a knock against Leinster. Barclay teams up with Rob Harley and Ryan Wilson in an all-action back row.
Munster: Jones; Howlett (capt.), Earls, Downey, Zebo; O’Gara, Williams; Kilcoyne, Sherry, Botha; O’Callaghan, Ryan; Stander, O’Donnell, Coughlan.
Replacements: Varley, Du Preez, Archer, Holland, Butler, Stringer, Keatley, Laulala.
Glasgow Warriors: Murchie; Lamont, Hogg, Horne, Van Der Merwe; Weir, Pyrgos; Grant, Hall, Cusack; Swinson, Kellock (capt.); Harley, Barclay, Wilson.
Replacements: MacArthur, Low, Reid, Strauss, Eddie, Matawalu, Wight, McGuigan.
Leinster v Zebre
Leinster are set to welcome back a number of players from international duty when they entertain bottom of the league Zebre tomorrow.
Gordon D’Arcy is set to make his 211th appearance for the province and will start at outside centre while Fergus McFadden is named in an exciting back three alongside Andrew Conway and Isa Nacewa.
Leo Cullen leads the team and he partners Damian Browne in the engine room.
There are home debuts for Andrew Goodman and Ireland tighthead Michael Bent who is named in the front row alongside returning internationals Sean Cronin and South Africa’s Heinke van der Merwe
Centre Goodman has featured in the province’s last two away league games.
The likes of Cian Healy, Mike Ross and Isaac Boss have been named on a strong replacements bench.
Meanwhile, Zebre rugby director Christian Gajan has given South African No. 8 Andries Van Schalkwyk a rest for his sides visit to the RDS.
However, Matias Aguero, Carlo Festuccia and Irish prop David Ryan are set to start together while Italian international Quintin Geldenhuys is back in action after playing in the November Tests.
At his side will be Josh Sole while Nicola Cattina, Mauro Bergamasco and Filippo Cristiano will form the back-row.
In the back-line, young Leonardo Sarto starts on the wing with Samoan winger Sinoti Sinoti on the other side.
Matteo Pratichetti will pair up at centre with captain Gonzalo Garcia while Tito Tebaldi and Daniel Halangahu will line-up at half-backs opposite Eoin Reddan and Jonathan Sexton.
Leinster: Nacewa; Conway, D’Arcy, Goodman, McFadden; Sexton, Reddan; Van der Merwe, Cronin, Bent; Cullen (capt.), Browne; McLaughlin, Ruddock, O’Brien.
Replacements: Dundon, Healy, Ross, Denton, Murphy, Boss, Madigan, Carr.
Zebre: Trevisan;  Sarto, Garcia (capt.), Pratichetti, Sinoti;  Halangahu, Tebaldi; Aguero, Festuccia, Ryan; Geldenhuys, Sole; Cattina, Bergamasco, Cristiano.
Replacements: Giazzon, De Marchi, Fazzari, Caffini, Belardo, Chillon, Odiete, Buso.
Treviso v
Treviso have picked a powerful and reliable front row for their clash with the dragons tomorrow as Alberto De Marchi, Leonardo Ghiraldini and Lorenzo Cittadini pack down together.
Captain Antonio Pavanello and Corniel Van Zyl are back as first-choice locks while Simone Favaro, Alessandro Zanni and Manoa Vosawai are preferred in the back row.
Among the backs, Alberto Di Bernardo starts at fly-half where he will form a partnership with experienced scrum-half Edoardo Gori who returns from international duty with Italy.
Alberto Sgarbi and Christian Loamanu start in midfield and the back three sees Luke McLean joining full-back Brendan Williams and fellow wing Ludovico Nitoglia.
The Dragons have made just one change to their match day squad for Saturday’s Pro12 encounter at Treviso.
Scrum-half Jonathan Evans is selected to start, whilst Wayne Evans takes his place on the bench.
J. Evans partners Dan Evans who continues at fly-half.
Tom Prydie starts at full back with Pat Leach and Ashley Smith in midfield.
Lewis Evans captains the team from blindside behind Rob Sidoli and Adam Jones who are the locks.
Treviso: Williams; McLean, Loamanu, Sgarbi, Nitoglia; Di Bernardo, Gori; De Marchi, Ghiraldini, Cittadini; Pavanello (capt.), Van Zyl; Favaro, Zanni, Vosawai.
Replacements:  Ceccato, Rizzo, Fernandez-Rouyet, Bernabò, Minto, Derbyshire, Botes, Morisi.
Dragons:  Prydie, Harries, Leach, Smith, Chavhanga; D. Evans, J. Evans; Price, Gustafson, Way; A. Jones, Sidoli; L. Evans (capt.), Cudd, Brown.
Replacements: S. Jones, O. Evans, Buck, Nimmo, I. Jones, W. Evans, Robling, Dixon.
v Edinburgh
Connacht have made three changes from last weekend’s defeat by the Dragons for tomorrow’s Pro12 clash against Edinburgh.
Brett Wilkinson and Ronan Loughney replace props Denis Buckley and Nathan White with Johnny O’Connor taking over from the injured Michael Swift.
The bench includes summer signing JP Cooney and Athlone-born 20-year-old Danny Qualter who is a third-year Academy player with the province.
Edinburgh coach Michael Bradley has pitched five of the club’s returning Scotland internationalists back in to the side for Saturday’s clash with Connacht at the Sportsground.
Coming back into the fold are captain Greig Laidlaw at fly-half, Matt Scott and Nick De Luca continue their club and country partnership in midfield whileTim Visser steps back on to the wing.
David Denton packs down on the blindside flank.
Denton’s return sees Sean Cox move back to his favoured position at lock to partner Perry Parker who impressed in his first start against Ospreys last week.
Hooker Andy Titterrell replaces Ross Ford who has a shoulder injury and Allan Jacobsen is offered the chance at loose-head.
Connacht : Henshaw; O’Halloran, Poolman, McSharry, Duffy (capt.); Parks, Marmion; Wilkinson, Harris-Wright, Loughney; Kearney, Browne; O’Connor, Faloon, McKeon.
Replacements: Flavin, Buckley, Cooney, Qualter, Gannon, O’Donohoe, Nikora, Vainikolo.
Edinburgh: Tonks; Brown, De Luca, Scott, Visser; Laidlaw (capt.), Rees; Jacobsen, Titterrell, Nel; Parker, Cox; Denton, Grant, McInally.
Replacements:  Walker, Yapp, Niven, McAlpine, Van der Westhuizen, Leck, Hunter, Fife.
Scarlets v
The Scarlets welcome back three of their squad from international duty for Sunday’s visit of Ulster.
Deacon Manu, Tomas Vallejosand Kirby Myhill will be looking to bring some impact from the bench as the Scarlets look to build on their victory over Munster last week.
Dan Newton wears 15, Kristian Phillips and Andy Fenby are the wings and Aled Thomas and Gareth Davies are the half-backs.
Captain Johann Muller’s returns as one of nine changes for Ulster’s Pro12 clash against the Scarlets on Sunday.
Ruan Pienaar, Chris Henry and Jared Payne are all rested but Ireland youngsters Craig Gilroy, Paddy Jackson and Iain Henderson are included.
John Afoa and Callum Black are handed the prop roles with Roger Wilson starting at number eight.
A strong bench includes Tom Court, Tommy Bowe, Dan Tuohy and Rory Best who has been out of action for almost a month because of a neck injury.
Stephen Ferris, Lewis Stevenson and Declan Fitzpatrick remain out because of injury.
Scarlets: Newton; Phillips, Maule, Owen, Fenby; Thomas, Davies; John, Phillips, Adriaanse; Snyman, Kelly; Earle, Edwards (capt.), Murphy.
Replacements:  Myhill, Hopkins, Manu, Vallejos, Price, Davies, Warren, Reynolds.
Ulster: Nelson; Trimble, Cave, Marshall, Gilroy; Jackson, Marshall; Black, Herring, Afoa, Muller (capt.), McComb, Henderson, Diack, Wilson.
Replacements: Best, Court, Lutton, Tuohy, McComish, Heaney, O’Connor, Bowe.

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