The Guinness PRO14 may be in the midst of a mid-season sabbatical but that does little to diminish the Championship’s speculation, gossip and injury news.

It’s another weekend of action on the continent for 12 of the competition’s sides, who take to the field in both the Heineken Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup, bidding to build valuable momentum heading into the return of the Guinness PRO14 in February.

And we start this Saturday’s Media Watch in Scotland, where Edinburgh boss Richard Cockerill is eyeing up a return to his former club Leicester Tigers – for whom he made 88 appearances for between 1997 and 2004 – in the last eight of the Challenge Cup.

Staying in the north of the UK, the news delivered by Dave Rennie concerning Leone Nakarawa’s start for Glasgow Warriors away at Sale Sharks will delight Warriors fans, who will be hoping to see their team consolidate their position in the top two places of Pool 2.

The imposing Fijian forward re-signed for Warriors from Racing 92 at the beginning of 2020 and will be deployed in the back row at the AJ Bell Stadium.

🎥 Dave Rennie talked us through his team selection for tomorrow's game away to Sale Sharks pic.twitter.com/DAbYD3YHCM
— Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) January 17, 2020

We head to Ireland next, where Leinster head coach Leo Cullen believes his side can expect a tough test when they travel to Benetton seeking to extend their impressive Pool 1 hegemony.

Over in Wales, British & Irish Lions back George North has been handed a start in the midfield for Ospreys as they travel to Munster for an intriguing Champions Cup clash in Pool 4.

North’s appearance in the centres is touted to represent a potential Guinness Six Nations dress rehearsal for the traditional wide man, who has played 91 times for his country and made three appearances for the British & Irish Lions.