With the re-arranged European games being played this weekend, there is a reduced Pro12 programme, with just the three games to comment upon this week.

Edinburgh vs Benetton Treviso

Edinburgh come into this game following back to back wins over the Pro12 champions Glasgow Warriors. Their confidence should be high and in fact they have only lost one of their last eight encounters at Murrayfield. Treviso continue to struggle massively after losing both games against Zebre. They have now not won a game since beating Cardiff Blues last February!

The home side make three injury enforced changes; Greig Tonks comes in at stand-off for Phil Burleigh, Neil Cochrane replaces Ross Ford at hooker and Alex Toolis replaces his brother Ben in the second row. Marius Goosen seriously shuffles the Treviso deck; Sam Christie, Simone Ragusi and James Ambrosini are recalled to the back-line, and there are five further changes to the pack.

Alan Solomon’s selections suggests that Edinburgh are not taking this game lightly, so barring naïve over-confidence on the night itself, this should be a very comfortable home win. Edinburgh by 16.

Ospreys vs Leinster

Something will have to give as the two in-form teams in the Pro12 meet at the Liberty Stadium on Friday night. The Ospreys have won their last five league games, while Leinster have won their last six. Recent history between them tells us that the Ospreys have won just one of their last seven fixtures against Leinster; however, the Irish province have not tasted victory at the Liberty for over six years.

The last few games have taken their toll on the Welsh team with a number of senior players missing. So it is a more youthful looking selection from Steve Tandy, supplemented with the experience of Dan Biggar, Paul James, Scott Baldwin and Dan Baker. Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Eli Walker give the bench real strength. Leinster make six changes from the team which beat Connacht. Ica Nacewa, Luke Fitzgerald and Luke McGrath come in to an exciting looking back division, whilst in the pack Tadhg Furlong, Sean O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip are recalled.

There is very little to choose between the teams. However, Ospreys may just have one eye on their two important European games coming up against Clermont and Exeter, whilst Leinster cannot progress any further in European competition. Partly for this reason, it is a stronger-looking Leinster team which will take the field, and may just break the Liberty hoodoo which has haunted them since 2009. Leinster by 4.

Scarlets vs Connacht

Scarlets and Connacht started the Pro12 at a blistering rate of knots, but recently defeats have been more commonplace for them. Whilst both remain in contention, and indeed Scarlets still sit at the top of the league, a further loss could be damaging to either side. Scarlets were defeated 26-27 at Parc y Scarlets on Boxing Day in their most recent home game and have not lost successive league matches there in the same season since 2009/10.

Connacht have now slipped to three straight defeats on the road. Both sides are likely to announce strong line-ups for Sunday’s game, and there is every chance the two packs could just about cancel each other out. However, in the back division the Scarlets perhaps offer a little bit more. Their two most recent defeats have both been by only one point, and this time they may just come out on the right side of another close score-line. Scarlets by 3.

By Keith Mackenzie
Follow Keith on Twitter: @Keith_Mack7

Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images