Cardiff Blues vs Zebre

The Blues form over recent weeks has been pretty good; an impressive win against the Ospreys in the last round, preceded with a draw away to Ulster and single point defeat away to Leinster. So the visit of Zebre should hold no fears despite the fact they have won two of their last three. The Blues will boss the game up front, and their back three should have a good day. Cardiff Blues by 25.

Leinster vs Glasgow Warriors

It will be interesting to see how Leinster react to their semi-final exit from the Champions Cup last week. I would expect nothing short of a big performance, which, if in the unlikely event of Munster losing, will mean Leinster finish top dogs in the regular season and take the number one seeding in the play-offs. The Warriors are now only playing for pride, but they will keen to play an open attacking game. It will probably be high scoring with Leinster recording a reasonably comfortable win. Leinster by 16.

Edinburgh vs Newport Gwent Dragons

I can’t imagine this game will hold much attraction to the neutrals. The desperate form of both sides is underlined by the fact that jointly they have lost 15 league games in a row (Edinburgh with eight and the Dragons with seven consecutive defeats!) So something will give on Friday night, and perhaps with the game being played at Myreside, Edinburgh will squeeze a rare win out of their home advantage. Edinburgh by 5.

Ospreys vs Ulster

This is the pick of the Pro12 games in Round 21; there is everything to play for as the home side sit in fourth – one place and one point above Ulster. It could be a winner takes all in terms of securing a play-off place. Both sides have stumbled over recent weeks, particularly the Ospreys who have now lost three on the trot. In tight games like these, it is probably best to go with the home side, but on this occasion I expect Ulster to have a small edge up front; and this could be pivotal. Ulster by 2.

Benetton Treviso vs Munster

The Italian derby next week is likely to determine which side qualifies for the Champions Cup next season. Technically though, if Treviso can win this one and Zebre lose – they could book their place a week early. This appears incredibly unlikely however. Munster know that a win this week will be enough to earn a home semi-final, and with higher quality players in just about every position, the 8-1 odds on a Treviso win look very mean. Munster by 12.

Connacht vs Scarlets

Scarlets are sitting third, but have a tricky finish to the regular season; firstly they have to travel to Galway to play a Connacht side who are always difficult to beat at home, and then they host the Ospreys in what could be a straight shoot-out for a play-off spot. Much may depend on team selection, and if the Scarlets can field a strong line-up, then I think they have enough in the tank to record a narrow win. Scarlets by 3.

By Keith Mackenzie
Follow Keith on Twitter: @Keith_Mack7