Connacht v Gloucester

Gloucester omit Mike Tindall; Henry Trinder, a bolter for the England elite squad in the new year, takes his place. The Ireland lock Mike McCarthy is back for Connacht.

Match pointers Gloucester have lost four on the trot to Connacht's eight.

Castres v Northampton

Saints are without Chris Ashton and Phil Dowson, who are banned. Tom Wood, despite his red card last week, is at No6. Scott Murray is at lock for Castres.

Match pointers Castres beat Saints 38-9 in a pre-season friendly.

Scarlets v Munster

Jonathan Davies is at centre for Scarlets after missing Wales v Australia; George North returns on the wing. Simon Zebo replaces the injured Doug Howlett on Munster's left wing.

Match pointers Munster won 35-12 in September, in the RaboDirect Pro12.

Racing Métro v London Irish

Irish are promoting a meeting between their forthright No8, Chris Hala'ufia, and Racing's Sébastian Chabal. Chabal, however, will have to come off the bench. Jacques Cronje is at No8.

Match pointers Irish have one win in six matches, Racing one in four.

Saracens v Ospreys

Saracens start with Tinchy Stryder and Ronan Parke; anyone still watching after the pre-match entertainment will see Owen Farrell sit his biggest exam yet at outside-centre and new signing Peter Stringer sit on the bench. The Ospreys will have Shane Williams on the wing.

Match pointers The Ospreys are unbeaten since October; Saracens lost twice in November.

Bath v Leinster

Guy Mercer, filling Lewis Moody's boots at No7 for Bath, has somehow to deal with Sean O'Brien. Heinke van der Merwe starts at loosehead for Leinster, keeping Cian Healy on the bench.

Match pointers Bath have lost four of five; Leinster are unbeaten in nine.

Glasgow v Montpellier

Rory Lamont comes back from Toulon and starts for Glasgow. Needing to win, they will be helped by the otherwise regrettable absence of Mamuka Gorgodze, Montpellier's Georgia flanker, who is suffering from barely believable "fatigue".

Match pointers Glasgow have not lost at home since September; Montpellier won at Biarritz last week.

Clermont Auvergne v Leicester

Manu Tuilagi and Tom Croft start for the Tigers; Martin Castrogiovanni is at tighthead so Dan Cole is on the bench. The All Black Sitiveni Sivivatu is on the Clermont wing.

Match pointers Clermont have won their last nine Heineken home games; Leicester have four wins in a row in all competitions.