Two Champions Cup fixtures are coming your way this weekend. Leinster have made seven changes as Leo Cullen shuffles his deck for their Pool 3 meeting with the Leicester Tigers and Munster have a rare competitive fixture at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Everyone's attention will be on All-Black star Rieko Ioane who will make his first start in place of the injured Gary Ringrose but 26-year-old Harry Byrne has also been given an opportunity to impress at out-half as the side travel to Welford Road.
He has had a great start with Leinster this season since his return from his loan spell at Bristol. I expected him to get an opportunity and this is it.
It's an incredibly strong Leinster side as you look at it, 22 of the 23 selected are internationals. Diarmuid Mangan the young seconder on the bench is the only one who isn't.
Ioane came off the bench last week. The All-Black he's starting in midfield, it's a really powerful Leinster side and I am really looking for a statement performance from Leinster as it's been a slow start to their season so far especially in the URC.
Cullen, of all people knows, Leicester will l be waiting in the long grass at Welford Road. There is a huge potential scalp on offer.
It's a big time coming up for Leinster, but I do expect them to win it, I think it'll be a cracking game, a great atmosphere over there.
Munster will then face Gloucester at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday and it's the first game in a long time that I have seen a real buzz around Cork.
By Monday 35,000 tickets had been snapped up. Provided the weather holds it should be a sold out game.
When Munster have played at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in the past, they have been friendlies. This is the first Champions Cup game to be played in Cork in 23 years so it's important from that point of view.
Munster's fate will depend of what team Clayton McMillan is able to announce today.
Last week Jack Crowley and Jean Kleyn were badly missed, but Gloucester are not in the same league as Bath who are top of their premiership.
Gloucester have only won six of their games so this is a real opportunity for Munster to make a statement in Europe. They also have Leinster coming up on 27 December in Thomond Park.
I think it's a huge game for Munster but I hope that the whole occasion, the crowd, the fact that it's also a 5:30pm kickoff as opposed to 8 o'clock I think will add a real buzz and I'd expect Munster to win that game.
Given the difficult draw they have been handed this is a must-win game from a qualification perspective, but I think they can do it.
Donal Lenihan was speaking on RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland.
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<p><b>Listen to live commentary of Munster v Gloucester on Saturday from 5.30pm on RTÉ Radio 1</b></p>
