No sooner has the festive feast of Guinness PRO14 action come and gone that we now have our first games of the new decade with Round 10 upon us. And what a set of fixtures it is with four more derbies coming our way, all kicked off by a double dose of local face-offs on Friday night. Cardiff Blues andScarlets clash at Cardiff Arms Park with the hosts looking to earn their third derby victory over the festive period. One man who is relishing the contest is Josh Turnbull, who will make his 131st appearance for the Blues when he faces his former club and has spoken of the unique buzz he gets from clashes involved local rivals. Elsewhere on Friday,Ulster hostMunster and will be hoping winger Craig Gilroy can inspire some more genius after the 28-year-old’s statistics over the past decade were revealed – and they are something to behold. Meanwhile opponents Munster have been boosted by the naming of Joey Carbery among the starting line-up for the first time since the World Cup, the fly-half having struggled with injury since the tournament in the autumn. Over in Scotland, the season of giving was certainly on show atGlasgow Warriors this Christmas after loosehead prop Aki Seiuli revealed how boss Dave Rennie continued his tradition of opening his doors to foreign players in his squad during the festive period. There is a second Welsh derby on Saturday whereDragons welcomeOspreys to Rodney Parade. But, much of the talk in the media has been about young Dragons prop Leon Brown, who boss Dean Ryan has tipped for a big future. This weekend marks the return to action of the two South African sides andToyota Cheetahs appear refreshed and ready for their trip to faceZebre. Indeed, the break has allowed Franco Smith’s injury list time to recuperate and two of their most experienced forwards are now set to return. Finally, in Ireland,Connacht lock Quinn Roux has suffered a fresh injury blow as he looks set to miss the start of the Six Nations after being forced to undergo surgery for a hand injury.
