There will be a whole host of NatWest 6 Nations players in action this weekend as the PRO14 Final Series gets underway and the English and French leagues enter their final round of fixtures.
Scarlets will be hoping their large pool of Wales players can guide them through to the semi-finals, while Munster and Edinburgh go head-to-head.
Meanwhile, there are battles for play-off spots in England and France, as well as efforts to make it into next season’s Champions Cup, so plenty still up for grabs.
Ireland and Scotland players go head-to-head in PRO14
There are numerous intriguing battles set to take place right across the pitch, as Munster take on Edinburgh Rugby in the PRO14 quarter-finals, with Scottish and Irish internationals in action.
Scotland prop Simon Berghan will line up for Edinburgh and the Scots also have pacey full-back Blair Kinghorn in their ranks.
Munster’s team is bursting with NatWest 6 Nations credentials, with the likes of Conor Murray, Keith Earls and Simon Zebo all intent on keeping the Irish province’s title hopes alive.
In the other quarter-final, Scarlets, whose side features the majority of Wales’ starting NatWest 6 Nations XV, take on South African side Toyota Cheetahs.
Scotland captain John Barclay will join Welsh internationals Rob Evans, Samson Lee, Jonathan Davies and Leigh Halfpenny as the Scarlets aim to defend their title.
England internationals out in force as Premiership draws to a close
European champions Saracens will perhaps have the widest range of NatWest 6 Nations players on show, with Wales winger Liam Williams, Scotland’s Sean Maitland, who scored three tries in the 2018 Championship, and plenty of England internationals.
Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and Jamie George could all line-up against Gloucester and will be looking to end their domestic season on a high following a disappointing NatWest 6 Nations campaign with England.
The Cherry & Whites will be looking to wrap up a spot in next season’s Champions Cup by finishing in sixth place and will be relying on their own international players to perform, the likes of Wales’ Ross Moriarty and Italy’s Jake Polledri.
If Gloucester do slip-up, that could open the door for Sale Sharks to sneak into the top six, but they host a Leicester Tigers side no doubt smarting from last week’s defeat to Newcastle Falcons.
England half-back combination of Ben Youngs and George Ford will be keen to impress.
Falcons host Wasps in what could be a battle for third place, in a game featuring England internationals Nathan Hughes, Elliot Daly and Joe Launchbury.
Top 14 league reaches its conclusion
There is still all to play for in the Top 14 with teams jostling for positions to make it through to the knock-out stages, with plenty of NatWest 6 Nations stars on show.
Toulon are fighting for second spot and a direct route to a home semi-final, so expect big performances from France captain Guilhem Guirado and his very able deputy Mathieu Bastareaud as they take on Pau.
Yacouba Camara, France flanker who shone during the 2018 Championship, will be out to prevent Lyon making the quarter-finals as league leaders Montpellier travel to the Stade de Gerland.
And there could be plenty of tries from Racing 92 and Toulouse in the fight for second place.
French backs Teddy Thomas and Virimi Vakatawa could all have a big role to play as Racing host Agen, but they will be without their kicker, Maxime Machenaud, after he suffered knee ligament damage.
Meanwhile, Toulouse will need NatWest 6 Nations stars Yoann Huget and Gael Fickou to be among the tries as they travel to Clermont Auvergne.
