There is a full roster of games in this weekend's seventh round of the Magners League, with all four of Ireland's provinces in action.
Four of the five games down for decision in the final round before the break for the Heineken Cup and Challenge Cup will take place on Friday, while on Saturday, league leaders Ulster will be hoping to draw another bumper crowd for the visit of Cardiff Blues to Ravenhill.
Ulster's home form continues to impress as they look for a seventh straight win in Belfast and as yet in 2006 they have not lost to any of the Welsh Regions. The Blues sit in mid-table, but with two games in hand over their hosts, they will be looking to close the gap on the top side.
Second-placed Llanelli Scarlets have a free weekend so they will be hoping their Welsh neighbours can also do them a favour and peg back the leaders up north.
Defeat for Ulster could open the way for either Leinster or Edinburgh to go top when they travel to Border Reivers and Munster respectively on Friday.
The Reivers have just one win to show from their last 12 starts and after a win over Munster in front of a record crowd at Lansdowne Road last weekend, Leinster will have their sights set on a fourth consecutive league victory. The neutrals however will simply be hoping for a repeat of the game at Netherdale between these sides last season when Leinster won by a point in an eight-try thriller.
Edinburgh travel to Munster, with Declan Kidney's men looking to put last weekend's Dublin disappointment behind them with a victory in their last game before the start of their Heineken Cup defence.
Edinburgh have scored four consecutive league wins - but with Munster having won nine of their last 10 home games, Edinburgh's record will come under threat at Thomond Park.
Also on Friday night, the Ospreys will return to Magners League action after two impressive Anglo Welsh Cup successes and will fancy increasing their impressive winning record at the Liberty Stadium when Glasgow Warriors travel south. The Warriors may have left the Border Reivers pointless in last week's win at Hughenden but have only one win over Welsh opposition in their last 11 meetings with the Regions.
The final game on Friday sees the Newport Gwent Dragons as the latest side to face Connacht at the Sportsground in Galway - it will be the westerners' sixth consecutive home game.
However Michael Bradley's outfit have been unable to take full advantage of the extended home run with only one win and a draw in front of their own fans. The Dragons are a point behind Connacht in the table but have two games in hand and will be looking for a third away win on the trot to propel them up the table.
MAGNERS LEAGUE FIXTURES:
- ROUND SEVEN -
Friday, October 13:
CONNACHT v DRAGONS, The Sportsground, 6.30pm
OSPREYS v GLASGOW WARRIORS, Liberty Stadium, 7.10pm
BORDER REIVERS v LEINSTER, Netherdale, 7.30pm (live Setanta Sports)
MUNSTER v EDINBURGH, Thomond Park, 7.30pm
Saturday, October 14:
ULSTER v CARDIFF BLUES, Ravenhill, 5.30pm (live Setanta Sports)
