Ospreys achieved a fifth successive Guinness PRO12 victory at home to Newport Gwent Dragons on New Year's Day. The Welshmen have not been beaten at Liberty Stadium since Connacht were the visitors in October.
Leinster have won their last six GUINNESS PRO12 encounters since their 14-25 defeat to Scarlets in Llanelli in round 4. However, the Leinstermen are winless on their last four visits to Wales.
Ospreys have won just one of their last seven fixtures against Leinster in all tournaments: 25-19 at Liberty Stadium in the PRO12 in April 2014, however Leinster have not been triumphant at the venue in the GUINNESS PRO12 since September 2009.
Personal landmarks are also on the line - Fergus McFadden will make his 100th PRO12 appearance if selected for the visitors.
Leinster fly-half Ian Madigan also tops the standings for the Rhino Golden Boot - the fly-half's penalty in their win last time out over Connacht was his tenth successful kick from ten this season.
Isa Nacewa is top of the try scoring charts with five as well - joint with DTH van der Merwe and Dries van Schalkwyk.
Van der Merwe and the table-topping Scarlets are also in action this weekend against third-placed Connacht - who will be keen to bounce back from three defeats in a row in the league.
Neither side enjoyed much success over the holidays, but the winner of this game could be leading the table at the end of this abbreviated round.
Scarlets have slipped to four straight defeats in all competitions although achieving a losing bonus point in each of the last three encounters.
Connacht have won just one of their last seven encounters with Scarlets: 14-8 at the Sportsground in November 2014, whilst they have not beaten Scarlets on their own soil since a trip to the old Stradey Park in October 2004.
Kicking off the action on Friday night Edinburgh must be hoping to continue the success they experienced in their last three games in the capital, this time welcoming Benetton Treviso to BT Murrayfield, but the Italians have won at the venue before, in October 2012.
The Scotsmen have in fact only lost one of their last eight encounters at the famous venue: 14-16 to Munster in the Guinness PRO12 on 7th November.
Benetton Treviso have not won a game in any tournament since beating Cardiff Blues 40-24 at Stadio Monigo in the Guinness PRO12 on 20th February 2015 whilst their only away victory since May 2013 came against Zebre in Parma in December 2014.
Edinburgh won 27-24 in Treviso in round 2 to add to the PRO12 double they achieved over the Italians last season.
Jayden Hayward currently sits second in the points-scoring charts with 94 and with the Cardiff Blues not playing this is a good chance to close the gap on leader Rhys Patchell who has 118.
Despite the appalling weather conditions in some regions last weekend, which saw the second leg of the 1872 Cup switched from a waterlogged Scotstoun to BT Murrayfield, the GUINNESS PRO12 still attracted sell-out crowds to the New Year derby fixtures.
Whilst Edinburgh and Zebre managed to complete the season's double over their fellow countrymen, three further games were so close that less than a score separated the teams - hopefully that drama continues this weekend.
To buy tickets for the GUINNESS PRO12 Grand Final click here. Also follow us on Facebook, join the conversation on Twitter, sign up to our YouTube channel for extensive match highlights and sign up for our newsletter for regular updates on the GUINNESS PRO12.
63x46.png){kind=logo}