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Provincial

7 reasons to get excited about this weekend's Pro12 action

Big guns, big lenses and out-halves who just love to run, it’s all ahead of us.

B.O.D is B.A.C.K

IT’S BEEN FAR too long since we spoke about an actual Brian O’Driscoll performance.

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©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Just over three months have passed since the Irish centre watched his opposite number Adam-Ashley Cooper steal a Test win for the Wallabies.

Since then we’ve huffed and puffed (and some have wished another unfortunate ladder accident upon Warren Gatland), but all that can be put to bed when O’Driscoll runs out at the RDS to kick-off his final season as a rugby player.

As are the rest of the Lions

Tommy Bowe, Paul O’Connell, Jamie Heaslip and Rory Best are the other big names that stand out on the team-sheets for the weekend fixtures.

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©INPHO/Presseye/Brian Little

And after the Cardiff Blues welcomed Leigh Halfpenny back last week, they have Sam Warburton and  in harness for tonight’s trip to the RDS.

Should be good then.

Crowd-pleasers

If there’s one thing that unites the majority of Munster and Leinster fans these days, it’s their appeals to start a talented young running-rugby out-half over a more rounded, experienced campaigner.

image©INPHO/Billy Stickland

This weekend, both have their wish as JJ Hanrahan and Ian Madigan have been handed the respective reigns in Cork and Dublin.

Ian Keatley and Jimmy Gopperth will be watching closely.

We’ll find out what Zeebs has in his long lens

Once the hurling’s over and RTE flick the switch to bring us deferred coverage from Musgrave Park.

image©INPHO/Billy Stickland

The solution to Ulster’s back-three dilemma?

Ulster have an abundance of wingers, but lack a great deal of cover at full-back and outside centre.

Against Treviso tonight, Mark Anscombe has shifted Jared Payne to the centre – where he impressed in a pre-season encounter with Leinster – and give Craig Gilroy is first start of the new season at fullback.

With any luck, we’ll be treated to a handful of jinking counter-attack runs.

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©INPHO/Presseye/Jonathan Porter

Italian momentum?

After Zebre claimed their historic first win last week and Munster suffered an 18-point turnaround against Treviso, both clubs were issuing almost identical sentiments yesterday.

image©INPHO/Huw Evans

Naturally, both sides are vowing to use the results as a springboard for the season.

Zebre tonight host the table-topping Glasgow Warriors and Treviso head for Ravenhill while the fortress is still being physically and metaphorically reconstructed.

The Ospreys fly to Galway

Hopefully, their impact sub Matthew Morgan won’t be given a chance of something like this again.

YouTube credit:  RaboDirect PRO12

Time for Madigan to show O’Connor why he deserves the Leinster number 10 jersey

Snapshot: Stephen Ferris has secretly been rebuilding Ravenhill

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