Scotland captain John Barclay will go up against his compatriots in the first of the Guinness PRO14 semi-finals as Scarlets travel to Glasgow Warriors.
The back-rower is playing his final season with the Welsh region before he moves to Edinburgh, and will start at No.8 at Scotstoun for the defending champions.
They are looking to match last year’s feat of winning a semi-final on the road, something that had never previously been achieved prior to their win in Dublin over Leinster.
Barclay is part of an all-international back row with Welsh pair Aaron Shingler and James Davies, both of whom featured for Warren Gatland’s side during the NatWest 6 Nations.
Glasgow can call on a lot of international experience themselves, including full-back Stuart Hogg, a two-time Player of the Championship, who joins Scotland winger Tommy Seymour in the back three.
Seymour will be looking to keep Wales wing Steff Evans quiet as the Warriors look to build on a strong campaign in which they qualified top from Conference A. GRAND SLAM REUNIONS A week after clinching a record-equalling fourth Champions Cup title, Leinster are back on domestic duty when they play host to Munster.
A number of Ireland’s Grand Slam heroes will be in action, although Johnny Sexton, Rob Kearney, Robbie Henshaw and Dan Leavy all miss out.
Leinster have never achieved the Champions Cup and league double but will be able to call on the likes of Jordan Larmour and James Ryan against their provincial rivals.
Munster have their own Grand Slam winners to call on, including skipper Peter O’Mahony and scrum-half Conor Murray who both start. BIGGAR BIDS ADIEU The other game of the weekend in the Guinness PRO14 is the Champions Cup play-off clash between Ulster and Ospreys, which will be a final game for Dan Biggar for the region.
The Wales fly-half will become the all-time leading points scorer in the league if he scores five points or more, overtaking former Scotland No.10 Dan Parks.
Biggar is joined in the starting line-up by Wales captain Alun-Wyn Jones, as well as Justin Tipuric in the back row.
For their part, Ulster can call on 2018 Player of the Championship Jacob Stockdale, who starts on the wing in Belfast.
