Ahead of the Heineken Cup - PRO12

Last season Leo Cullen's men beat Munster, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Leicester Tigers and Toulouse at the home of Irish rugby and they have moved their Round 4 clash with Bath Rugby in Pool 3 to the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, 17 December.

Cullen leads a team which includes 13 Irish internationals and sees centre Gordon D'Arcy, the back-row trio of Jamie Heaslip, Shane Jennings and Sean O'Brien and prop Cian Healy make their first starts of the season since returning from World Cup duty.

Ulster welcome All Black John Afoa straight into the starting line-up for their tie against Connacht on Saturday. World Cup winner Afoa is joined in the front-row by Rory Best who makes his first start since returning from International duty, likewise does Stephen Ferris.

Ruan Pienaar has been ruled out for six weeks, meaning he will miss at least the opening two rounds of European action and Ulster will look to improve a recent run of poor form this weekend which has seen them loose their last four league outings.

Connacht travel to Ravenhill and themselves are looking to end a run of three league defeats. Three former Ulster players are named in their initial 27-man squad with Niall O'Connor, TJ Anderson and Mark McCrea all likely to feature.

Connacht make their Heineken Cup debut the following weekend away to Harlequins so will be looking to head into European action full of confidence.

Cardiff Blues welcome back Wales World Cup trio Jamie Roberts, Gethin Jenkins and Bradley Davies for their derby clash against the Newport Gwent Dragons.

Two wins on the bounce for the Blues has lifted them to fourth in the table and they will look for a third win this weekend before heading to France to face Racing Metro in their opening Heineken Cup clash next Friday.

The Scarlets will field a mix of exciting new talent with some experienced internationals for the regional derby clash against the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium this weekend. Stephen Jones, Tavis Knoyle and Scott Williams return to the region after World Cup duty while hooker Matthew Rees, returns from injury to captain the side.

The Scarlets face Castres Olympique in their opening European tie and go into this weekend's match on the back of four wins.

League leaders the Ospreys have named a strong side for the clash as they go in search of their seventh victory of the season. Wales second-row Alun Wyn Jones captain's the side from the second-row while World Cup trio, Huw Bennett, Ryan Bevington and Ryan Jones are all named on the bench.

The Ospreys first match in the Heineken Cup is a home tie against Biarritz Olympique.

Confidence is high in the Benetton Treviso camp as they face Edinburgh on the back of four consecutive victories.

Brendan Williams celebrates his 200^th game for the club as Treviso search for their fifth win of the season.

And that victory would set them up well for their opening European tie against English Champions Saracens next weekend.

Edinburgh welcome back Scotland duo Mike Blair and Ross Rennie as two of six changes for the trip to Italy.
Their inclusion completes the reintegration of the club's eight Rugby World Cup internationalists and sees Roddy Grant (back-row) and Greig Laidlaw (scrum-half) rotated to the bench for the first time this season. Jim Thompson will start at full-back in place of the injured Chris Paterson (groin) while Lee Jones comes in for Simon Webster on the wing.

First up for Edinburgh in Europe is a trip to London Irish.

Glasgow Warriors go on the trail of their fourth straight PRO12 win and a further pre-Heineken Cup lift when they travel to face Aironi on Saturday.

Sean Lineen's men went through October with a 100% record and go into this clash boasted by the naming of six Scotland players in the match-day squad.

Glasgow host Bath on Sunday November 13 in their first Heineken Cup match of the season.