All four Irish provinces are in URC play-off action, but for at least one of them the season will end this week.
Just as they did on the opening night of the season in September, Ulster and Connacht kick off the play-offs in Belfast, where Dan McFarland's side will be hoping for a repeat of the regular season, where they won both meetings with the western province.
A win for Ulster would see them at home in the semi-finals against either the Stormer or Bulls, while Connacht would be heading to South Africa if they pull off a surprise win at Kingspan Stadium.
On the other side of the draw, Leinster and Munster will be hoping to set up an all-Irish semi-final next week.
Leinster host the Sharks at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening, as they keep their drive going for a URC and European double, while Munster travel to Scotstoun to renew one of the best URC rivalries in recent seasons with the Glasgow Warriors.
TV
Leinster v Sharks (5pm) and Glasgow Warriors v Munster (7.35pm) are both live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player on Saturday, while Ulster v Connacht (Friday 7.35pm) and Stormers v Bulls (Saturday 2.30pm) are live on TG4.
All games are live on URC TV.
ONLINE
Follow live scoring and live updates on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app with match reports and reaction from around the grounds.
WEATHER
It will be a mild evening in Belfast on Friday for the meeting of Ulster and Connacht, with temperatures around 12C, but carrying the possibility of some rain showers over the course of the evening.
Conditions will be similar in Dublin and Glasgow on Saturday evening, with rain expected for the games between Leinster and Sharks, and Glasgow v Munster.
Having met in Belfast on the opening night of the season, this campaign will end in Belfast for one of Ulster and Connacht.
It's been a topsy-turvy season for both teams; Ulster's campaign threatened to unravel when they went on a run of six defeats in seven games during December and January, but Dan McFarland's side rallied impressively to finish second in the table, with five URC wins in a row seeing them pip the Stormers to second place.
Connacht also come into the play-offs in decent form. Having lost four of their opening five games of the URC, including a 36-10 defeat to Ulster on the opening night, Andy Friend's side secured an impressive seventh place finish, which is likely to guarantee them qualification for the Champions Cup.
Ulster have won each of the last three meetings of these sides, but Connacht don't have to look back far to remember their last win in Belfast, defeating Ulster 26-24 in the Rainbow Cup in April 2021.
Connacht's record in Interpro games leaves them as a considerable underdog though, with just one win in their last 10 games against fellow Irish provinces, while Ulster have never lost a URC knockout game on home soil.
Ulster remain without Ireland internationals Iain Henderson and Tom O'Toole, but Dan McFarland's side are otherwise at full strength while Connacht have been able to recall Mack Hansen and Bundee Aki who missed the Round 18 defeat to Glasgow.
Ulster: Mike Lowry; Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Billy Burns, John Cooney; Rory Sutherland, Rob Herring, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen; Alan O'Connor (capt), Kieran Treadwell; Dave McCann, Nick Timoney, Duane Vermeulen.
Replacements: Tom Stewart, Eric O'Sullivan, Gareth Milasinovich, Sam Carter, Jordi Murphy, Nathan Doak, Stewart Moore, Craig Gilroy.
Connacht: Tiernan O'Halloran; John Porch, Tom Farrell, Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen; Jack Carty (capt), Caolin Blade; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham; Josh Murphy, Niall Murray; Shamus Hurley-Langton, Conor Oliver, Cian Prendergast.
Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Jordan Duggan, Jack Aungier, Oisín Dowling, Jarrad Butler, Kieran Marmion, Tom Daly, Byron Ralston
Referee: Andy Brace (IRFU)
Leinster and the Sharks played out one of the games of the season when they met back in October at the RDS, with Leo Cullen's side eventually pulling clear late on to win 54-34.
The Sharks were without their Springbok contingent that afternoon, and with Leinster coming in off the back of a Heineken Champions Cup semi-final win against Toulouse last week, Neil Powell's side may fancy their chances of causing an upset at the Aviva Stadium.
The South Africans limped into the play-offs after a disappointing regular season, and have to win the URC outright if they are to secure Champions Cup rugby next season.
With Bruce Springsteen taking over the RDS, this game has been moved to the Aviva Stadium, a ground where Leinster have won each of their last 10 games in all competitions.
The hosts have only lost once in 25 games this campaign, that defeat coming in the final round of the URC regular season, by which stage they had already secured their top seed.
The Sharks have won just two of their last seven away games in the competition, while they've lost on each of their four previous visits to Ireland.
Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Jordan Larmour, Ciarán Frawley, Charlie Ngatai, Dave Kearney; Harry Byrne, Luke McGrath (capt); Michael Milne, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Ryan Baird, Jason Jenkins; Max Deegan, Scott Penny, Caelan Doris
Replacements: John McKee, Andrew Porter, Cian Healy, Joe McCarthy, Jack Conan, Jamison Gibson-Park, Ross Byrne, Liam Turner
Cell C Sharks: Aphelele Fassi; Marnus Potgieter, Lukhanyo Am (capt), Ben Tapuai, Makazole Mapimpi; Boeta Chamberlain, Grant Williams; Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Thomas du Toit; Corne Rahl, Gerbrandt Grobler; James Venter, Vincent Tshituka, Sikhumbuzo Notshe
Replacements: Fez Mbatha, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Carlu Sadie, Jeandre Labuschagne, Phepsi Buthelezi, Cameron Wright, Nevaldo Fleurs, Rohan Janse van Rensburg
Referee: Craig Evans (WRU)
Glasgow are the league's form team coming into the playoffs, with Franco Smith's side having won six in a row in all competitions, while also losing just one game in all competitions since the end of November.
Six weeks ago, the Scottish side stunned Munster at Thomond Park, racking up a 28-0 half-time lead before eventually running out 38-28 winners, a result which all but sealed their home status for the quarter-finals.
Graham Rowntree's Munster have recovered from that defeat to secure a win and a draw in South Africa against the Stormers and Sharks, lifting them up to fifth place in the table and earning a rematch with the 2015 champions
While Munster have won just one of their last four trips to Glasgow, their away form this season has been impressive, with four wins and a draw from their last five URC away days.
Glasgow's home form is formidable though, and they haven't lost at Scotstoun in over a year, with La Rochelle the last away team to win there in January 2022.
Glasgow Warriors: Ollie Smith; Sebastian Cancelliere, Sione Tuipulotu, Stafford McDowall, Kyle Steyn (capt); Tom Jordan, George Horne; Jamie Bhatti, Johnny Matthews, Zander Fagerson; Scott Cummings, Richie Gray; Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey
Replacements: Fraser Brown, Nathan McBeth, Simon Berghan, JP du Preez, Lewis Bean, Sione Vailanu, Ali Price, Huw Jones
Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Malakai Fekitoa, Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Conor Murray; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, RG Snyman; Tadhg Beirne, Peter O'Mahony (capt), Gavin Coombes
Replacements: Niall Scannell, Josh Wycherley, Roman Salanoa, Fineen Wycherley, John Hodnett, Craig Casey, Ben Healy, Alex Kendellen
Referee: Andrew Piardi (FIR)
