**The Guinness PRO14 may be on a brief hiatus as the Six Nations takes centre stage, but that hasn’t stopped news coming out of the Championship thick and fast.** Firstly, Edinburgh have brought in a new face in the form of Matt Smith, who joins the club until the end of the season. Having come through the Edinburgh academy in 2014, [**Smith joins the club from Glasgow Warriors**.](https://www.glasgowwarriors.org/news/smith-to-join-edinburgh) Johnny Sexton has come to the defence of Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray amid a growing clamour for the Munster man to be replaced in the Ireland XV by John Cooney. Murray is set to start for Ireland against Wales in the Guinness Six Nations this weekend, but his place is under serious threat from Ulster’s Cooney – with the 29-year-old enjoying the better domestic campaign thus far. Sexton, however, believes criticism of Murray is misplaced and says the 30-year-old is a [**victim of his own success**.](https://www.rte.ie/sport/six-nations/2020/0206/1113657-sexton-backs-marked-man-murray-to-shine/) The Ireland skipper said: “The biggest problem for Conor is he’s had those games where he’s ripped up the All Blacks in Chicago, but then you become a marked man. “He played really well last week, and I am sure he will play well again this week.” Ospreys fly-half Marty Mackenzie has been allowed to return to New Zealand on compassionate leave, the club has confirmed. Mackenzie joined the Welsh side on a short-term deal in November and has so far made five [**outings for the club**.](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/51420186)
