After a fortnight of European action, Pro12 rugby returns to centre stage between now and the end of the year.
There are two rounds of inter-provincial action scheduled for the festive period, with the players having little time to enjoy their Christmas turkey.
Following on from last night’s Ulster-Connacht clash in Belfast, Munster and Leinster go head-to-head today at a sold-out Thomond Park.
It’s first plays second, with table-toppers Munster only ahead of their Leinster rivals on points difference.
The men from the east have made no less than ten changes for this game following last weekend’s European Champions Cup game with Northampton, though Munster have kept the tinkering to the minimum.
New Zealander Francis Saili could make his first appearance of the season for the Reds having recovered from injury and is named on the bench. Kick-off in Limerick for that one is at 5.30pm.
For Leinster, exciting youngster Rory O’Loughlin will partner Robbie Henshaw at centre having scored European a try both home and away against the Saints in recent weeks.
All four Irish outfits are again in inter-provincial action on New Year’s Eve - and not all of them will feel like celebrating once the clock strikes midnight.
On Saturday, December 31 Ulster travel to the RDS Arena to take on Leinster at 3.0pm and at 5.30pm Connacht play host to Munster at Galway’s Sportsground.
Defending champions Connacht have been hurt with the news that Bundee Aki will be out until February with an ankle injury - this following on from the recent bombshell that Pat Lam will be leaving at the end of the season for Bristol.
Aki was named their player of the season after they won a historic Pro12 title in May, beating Leinster in the final at Edinburgh's Murrayfield, and he has been a driving four for Lam’s team.
This won't help the westerners’ hopes of making the Champions Cup knock-out stages, with their final two pool games in January, and of securing a place in Europe’s premier club competition next season with a top-six finish.
The defence of their title hasn’t gone particularly well and they are currently languishing in mid-table.
Ulster aren’t at full-strength either, with Kyle McCall having suffered a ‘significant’ hamstring injury and Peter Browne picking up a concussion in their heavy European defeat to Clermont Auvergne last Sunday.
The pair join an already lengthy injury-list, which has strained the resources of director of rugby Les Kiss.
Elsewhere, there are two full rounds of Pro12 games over the Christmas period.
You can listen to commentary and updates from all of these Pro12 rugby games live on RTÉ Radio 1
