The United Rugby Championship returns after an Easter break, with a full set of fixtures across two continents as the maiden season heads towards the sharp end.
Leaders Leinster make their first South African excursion, where they are joined by Glasgow Warriors in facing the Sharks and Stormers respectively.
Ulster do battle with Irish rivals Munster, while there are also a pair of Welsh derbies for URC fans to enjoy.
Stormers vs Glasgow Warriors
The United Rugby Championship serves up a massive clash to kick off the weekend, as South Africa’s Stormers tackle Glasgow Warriors in Cape Town on Friday night.
A home win would take SA’s leading side above their third-placed visitors in the URC standings.
Derby victory by just two points over the Bulls kept the men from Western Province on course for the play-offs a fortnight ago, while the Scottish tourists last saw URC service when they breezed past Zebre three weeks ago.
Friday 22 April, kick off 18:30 SAST.
Ulster vs Munster
A cracker of an Irish derby continues the United Rugby Championship fun on Friday night, as Ulster do battle with Munster.
The pair meet from positions of second and fourth in the URC table, with the visitors knowing victory would take them above the home side as it gets tighter and tighter at the top of the standings.
A break for Europe came as a welcome distraction for both, with Munster having lost their derby at home to Leinster while Ulster copped a heavy defeat from South Africa’s Bulls.
Friday 22 April, kick off 20:35 SAST.
Edinburgh vs Zebre
Edinburgh have the top six of the United Rugby Championship in mind when they host sorry Zebre in the Scottish capital on Friday night.
The hosts came home from South Africa with a defeat to the Lions and a creditable win over the Sharks to their name, leaving them seventh in the overall URC standings coming into this weekend.
You had better keep scrolling down to find the Italians, who have lost all 13 matches of a miserable campaign so far.
Friday 22 April, kick off 20:45 SAST.
Bulls vs Benetton
The Bulls can put the squeeze on their South African counterparts in the United Rugby Championship when they welcome Benetton to Pretoria on Saturday afternoon.
A Highveld appointment at Loftus Versfeld spells danger for the tourists, who come into the contest firmly in the bottom half of the table albeit bolstered by the return of their Italy internationals following the end of the Six Nations Rugby Championship.
Jake White’s hosts are smarting following a tense, controversial derby defeat to the Stormers last time out a fortnight ago to leave them trailing both the men from the Cape and the Sharks in the standings.
Saturday 23 April, kick off 14:00 SAST.
Dragons vs Llanelli
A Welsh derby in the United Rugby Championship on Saturday pits the Dragons against Llanelli Scarlets in Newport.
It’s the reverse fixture from last weekend, as the men from Gwent came away from Parc y Scarlets with a handsome, 38-27 success.
Just their second win of the season won’t lead to anyone getting carried away but they will be closer at least to overhauling another rival, Cardiff, if they can do the double over their ninth-placed opponents.
Saturday 23 April, kick off 16:00 SAST.
Lions vs Connacht
The Lions continue to play catch-up with their South African counterparts, as they welcome Connacht to Emirates Airline Park in the United Rugby Championship on Saturday.
Victory over Edinburgh in Johannesburg three weeks ago was tempered by an SA derby thumping away to the Sharks last time out, leaving the Gauteng side 12th in the URC table and miles behind the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers.
The Irish are pushing for a top half finish and came away from Benetton with a nervy, 21-17 win last time out.
Saturday 23 April, kick off 16:05 SAST.
Sharks vs Leinster
It could be the tie of the United Rugby Championship round in Durban on Saturday evening, as the Sharks host leaders Leinster.
The pair meet under the lights at Kings Park, with the hosts having followed up the disappointment of defeat to Edinburgh with stonking victories over the Dragons and Lions.
A handy derby win away to Munster kept the tourists in pole position to win the competition in its maiden year.
Saturday 23 April, kick off 18:15 SAST.
Cardiff vs Ospreys
Cardiff and Ospreys meet for the second Welsh derby of the weekend in the United Rugby Championship on Saturday evening.
The pair meet in the capital city having both lost their most recent URC assignments, with the hosts crumbling to Llanelli Scarlets and the away side having been seen off by the Stormers in Cape Town.
Both could use a win to haul themselves away from the lower reaches of the table as the fixtures begin to run out.
Saturday 23 April, kick off 18:15 SAST.
Predictions for this weekend’s fixtures
| Chance of winning (%) | Points margin | |
| Stormers | 78,4 | 9 |
| Glasgow | 18,8 | |
| Chance of winning (%) | Points margin | |
| Ulster | 53,1 | 1 |
| Munster | 44,4 | |
| Chance of winning (%) | Points margin | |
| Edinburgh | 97,6 | 16 |
| Zebre | 1,9 | |
| Chance of winning (%) | Points margin | |
| Bulls | 91,4 | 18 |
| Benetton | 8,2 | |
| Chance of winning (%) | Points margin | |
| Dragons | 44,1 | |
| Llanelli Scarlets | 54,6 | 1 |
| Chance of winning (%) | Points margin | |
| Lions | 83,8 | 4 |
| Connacht | 15,3 | |
| Chance of winning (%) | Points margin | |
| Sharks | 25,7 | |
| Leinster | 71,4 | 1 |
| Chance of winning (%) | Points margin | |
| Cardiff | 45,5 | |
| Ospreys | 48,5 | 1 |