Reigning European Challenge Cup champions Gloucester Rugby will no doubt be happy for a return to the competition they ended unbeaten last season, having lost their last four Premiership matches.
The West Country men put 24 unanswered points on European Champions Cup quarter-finalists Leicester Tigers at Welford Road on Saturday, but eventually fell 35-30 to a Manu Tuilagi inspired comeback win.
Gloucester though are one of four English clubs to have won the Challenge Cup on two occasions - only Harlequins have clinched the trophy more - and emerged from the pool stages unbeaten.
Newport-Gwent Dragons travel across the Severn Bridge looking to secure a second consecutive European Challenge Cup semi-final having endured a tough run of form since they stunned Leinster at Rodney Parade in January.
And Kingsley Jones, much like former Ulsterman David Humphreys, will be hoping to right domestic form with a strong showing and Dragons are more than capable of carrying the Guinness PRO12 torch into the last four.
Though they lost twice in the group stages, their assignment was far more treacherous - alongside Castres Olympique and Sale Sharks - and they claimed brilliant home wins over both sides to progress alongside Steve Diamond's men.
Flanker Lewis Evans leads the Dragons and will be charged with containing Gloucester's Ben Morgan and Matt Kvesic, but the terrier-like Kvesic will himself have a busy afternoon against Taulupe Faletau.
Gloucester centre Henry Trinder looked in fine touch against the Tigers last week, crossing for a try, and his clash with Welsh international Tyler Morgan will be a fascinating one, while Morgan has Hallam Amos outside him in a potentially devastating three-quarter line.
The winner of Saturday's clash will play the winner of Sale Sharks and Montpellier Rugby, who face off on Friday at the AJ Bell Stadium.
Saturday April 9, kick-off 12:45 UK/Ire
Gloucester Rugby: Tom Marshall, Rob Cook, Henry Trinder, Mark Atkinson, Stevie McColl, James Hook, Greig Laidlaw, Paddy McAllister, Richard Hibbard, John Afoa, Tom Savage, Mariano Galarza, Sione Kalafamoni, Matt Kvesic, Ben Morgan
Replacements: Darren Dawiduik, Yann Thomas, Paul Doran-Jones, Elliot Stooke, Gareth Evans, 21. Callum Braley, Ollie Thorley, Jacob Rowan
Newport-Gwent Dragons: Carl Meyer, Adam Hughes, Tyler Morgan, Adam Warren, Hallam Amos, Dorian Jones, Sarel Pretorius, Phil Price, Elliot Dee, Brok Harris, Rynard Landman, Nick Crosswell, 6. Lewis Evans, Nic Cudd, Toby Faletau
Replacements: Rhys Buckley, Boris Stankovich, Shaun Knight, Matthew Screech, Ed Jackson, Charlie Davies, Angus O'Brien, Rhys Jones
FC Grenoble v Connacht
Stand-out Guinness PRO12 side Connacht have crossed into unchartered territory in their league campaign, but they will be hoping history repeats itself when they face FC Grenoble at the Stade des Alpes on Saturday.
Connacht defeated Grenoble in two quarter-final legs in 2005 - 26-21 in France and 19-3 at the Sportsground - to reach the Challenge cup semi-finals when current Grenoble coach Bernard Jackman was a Connacht player.
The Men from Galway sit second in the Guinness PRO12 after slipping to an 18-12 loss against Ulster at the Kingspan Stadium on Friday, but they remain level on 63 points with league-leaders Leinster and for the first time since the 1997-1998 season, they are the last remaining province in European competition.
For all their success this term, Connacht have just one win in seven in Challenge Cup knockout rounds and coach Pat Lam will be hoping the experience of captain John Muldoon, who starts at No.8 and played against Grenoble in 2005, will carry them through.
Ireland international Kieran Marmion returns at half-back to partner former Grenoble player Shane O'Leary, while Finlay Bealham and Ultan Dillane make their first Connacht starts since returning from Six Nations action.
Grenoble's Jackman knows Connacht better than most and will be looking to topple his former club's hopes of an elusive first piece of professional silverware and, critically for the French club, European Champions Cup qualification.
They are nine points short of sixth-placed Toulouse and automatic qualification and while Connacht look set to finish comfortably within the Guinness PRO12 top six, Lam will not want to take anything for granted.
Grenoble fought back to defeat Oyonnax in their last Top 14 outing and Jackman has overseen a run of five straight European wins - a sixth would be a club best.
The Frenchmen did concede more points than any team to progress to the knockout stages, but with the likes of Gio Aplon at full-back and Jackman's free-flowing, counterattacking philosophy underpinning everything they do, it should be a scorching encounter.
Saturday April 9, kick-off 20:05 UK/Ire
FC Grenoble: Gio Aplon, Tino Nemani, Chris Farrell, Nigel Hunt, Lucas Dupont, Jonathan Wisniewski, Charl McLeod, Sona Taumalolo, Loick Jammes, Dayna Edwards, Ben Hand, Peter Kimlin, Steven Setephano, Mahamadou Diaby, Rory Grice
Replacements: Paulin Mas, Fabien Barcella, Rossouw de Klerk, Mathias Marie, Fabien Alexandre, Lilian Saseras, Fabrice Estebanez, Fabien Gengenbacher
Connacht: Matt Healy, Niyi Adeolokun, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Danie Poolman, Shane O'Leary, Kieran Marmion, Denis Buckley, Tom McCartney, Finlay Bealham, Ultan Dillane, Andrew Browne, Sean O'Brien, Eoin McKeon, John Muldoon
Replacements: David Heffernan, Ronan Loughney, JP Cooney, Quinn Roux, James Connolly, John Cooney, Peter Robb, Fionn Carr
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