GUINNESS PRO12 braced for feisty festive treble

Matt O'Connor's men come off the back of European victory against Harlequins to host Connacht on Friday night, with both Munster and Ulster lying in wait during the festive period.

Munster, meanwhile, have a European defeat at the hands of Clermont to forget about ahead of their trip to Glasgow Warriors on Saturday.

After moving to the top of the GUINNESS PRO12 table for the first time this season by seeing off Ulster in Round 9, they face a tough test at Scotstoun against a Warriors side unbeaten on home soil in the league this season.

Edinburgh are setting the pace in Europe, one of just three teams across the continent to have racked up four wins from four to date.

And they return to GUINNESS PRO12 action by hosting winless Benetton Treviso - with an 1872 Cup double against the high-flying Warriors just around the corner.

It is tight at the top with Munster and Glasgow both in the mix alongside Ospreys and Ulster and it is those two who will lock horns on Saturday.

It was Ulster who wrecked the Welsh side's unbeaten start to the competition in Round 8 and after Ospreys were beaten by Leinster the following weekend, Neil Doak's charges are seeking to inflict even more misery at the Liberty Stadium.

An all-Welsh clash completes Friday night's triple-header as Cardiff Blues welcome Scarlets to BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park, the visitors flying high after toppling Ulster in Europe.

Scarlets will be seeking to pull one over their compatriots ahead of a double-header with Ospreys, while the Blues can look forward to back-to-back clashes with struggling Newport Gwent Dragons.

The Dragons, meanwhile, may be short of form in the league - with just one win in nine this season - but they have suffered no such problems in Europe.

A 69-17 thrashing of Bucharest Wolves on Friday saw them go top of their European pool and when Zebre visit on Sunday they will be hoping to wrap up the GUINNESS PRO12 weekend in similar fashion.

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