Donal Lenihan's URC provincial verdicts

FRIDAY

Scarlets v Leinster, 7.35pm

It's a big weekend of URC action; the first block of seven games finishes now as the tournament goes into a hiatus for four weeks with the international break.

Leinster bring a very young team to Scarlets, with only a handful of players who lined out against Munster last week. But despite all the changes, despite 17 players in the full Irish squad, they'll still have a second row of Ross Molony and Jason Jenkins; a back row of Rhys Ruddock, Scott Penny and Max Deegan, with international half-backs Luke McGrath and Ross Byrne, also involved.

I still think they have enough to beat the Scarlets even playing away from home. It would finish this portion of the campaign with an incredible seven wins out of seven - an amazing feat.

SATURDAY

Munster v Ulster, 5.15pm

It's Munster's third interpro in four weeks; they've lost to Connacht and Leinster, so it's a massive game for them. There's an element of the unknown in this one after Ulster were in South Africa for the past two weeks, with their game against Sharks cancelled after 29 players went down with gastroenteritis. I know they flew back from South Africa last Sunday night and God only knows what conditions the players are now in?

For Munster it becomes a must-win game.

They went up to the Aviva last weeks and there was a fear factor, given the number of players that were missing. They had to perform and there were a lot of positives in the performance, but they ended up being beaten by 14 points. They really need to win this one and that necessity might push them over the line.

That said, the caveat is: what team are Ulster in a position to field? We don't know how those players have recovered from that recent bout of illness and their travels.