Smack in between Christmas Day and New Year's Day, it's Round 12 of the Guinness PRO14, which is in the middle of the season. It's like a little extra day of presents.

(All times listed at GMT/UTC)

Friday Night Fireworks

Friday brings Connacht vs. Ulster. This long-standing Irish rivalry kicks off Dec. 28 at 7:35 p.m. GMT, and with Connacht at 6-5 and fourth in Conference A and Ulster at 7-3-1 and second in Conference B, you could say there's something at stake.

Connacht is coming off a brutal last-second loss to Leinster, a game that, had it remained 29-12 for Connacht, would have done Ulster a huge favor. Instead, Ulster has to do its own work.

Connacht welcomes back lock Quinn Roux and flanker Sean O’Brien, while hooker Shane Delahunt and tighthead prop Conor Carey get starts. 

Scrumhalf Jack Carty, the Man of the Match against Leinster, continues his solid form.

Speaking ahead of the game, Connacht head coach Andy Friend said his side is fully aware of the challenge that an in-form Ulster side will present 

“These interpro fixtures are massive occasions and when they take place over the Christmas period, they bring that increased level of excitement," Friend said. “Quinn Roux and Sean O’Brien are fit and ready to go and they come back into the side. They have been two of our top performers this season, so they will give us increased options"

Ulster is coming off a victory over Munster that should boost the team's confidence. But Ulster will need more than that to chase the team ranked first in Conference B. Right now, Leinster is 10-1 with 49 points, a full 16 ahead of Ulster. This is more about consolidating second.

Watch Live: Friday, Dec. 28, Connacht vs. Ulster (7:35 p.m.)

Italian Pride

Benetton and Zebre face off on Saturday with Benetton at 5-6 and fourth in Conference B. This is a chance to maybe move into third and really make a run in the playoffs. Zebre? Well, it doesn't want to be last and a win could bump the team off the cellar. However, it's worth noting that the Cheetahs, sixth in Conference A, have a game in hand over Zebre. 

Watch Live: Saturday, Dec. 29, Benetton vs. Zebre (2 p.m.)

Can Humbled Glasgow Rebound?

Glasgow and Edinburgh renew their rivalry a week after JP Socino and Edinburgh smacked the Warriors around 23-7. The win for Edinburgh put it in a serious bid for a playoff spot. For Glasgow, the Conference A leader was humbled. 

Head coach Dave Rennie welcomed the Christmas break as a way to refocus.

"That [performance] was well under the accuracy and intensity we’ve been playing with over the last two or three months," Rennie said. "I felt we weren’t quick enough to get into position and expose them in areas we thought we could. We’ve been really sharp recently and the feeling was if we got that part right, we’d put them under pressure. They’re a good defensive side, so we’ll have to be more clinical next week."

Glasgow got a boost this week with news that Scottish international center Huw Jones is re-signing with the club through 2021. 

Watch Live: Saturday, Dec. 29, Glasgow vs. Edinburgh (3 p.m.)

Top Of The Conferences

Leinster seems almost unbeatable these days, and scored three tries in the final 15 minutes to turn ignominious defeat into a famous victory last week.

That was against Connacht. Now, it's the might of Munster, sitting 7-4 and second in Conference A. A win for Munster and a loss for Glasgow could put those teams in a virtual tie atop that conference. Except, beating Leinster isn't that easy. 

Of course, had Munster not slipped up against Ulster last week, we could be talking about this game being for first.

Munster is healthy for this game, a pleasant surprise what with James Hart, Rhys Marshall and Chris Farrell all doubtful last week. It's also worth noting that Munster hasn't lost at home since the day after Christmas last year.

OK, so the team to win then was Leinster, but still.

Watch Live: Saturday, Dec. 29, Munster vs. Leinster (5:15 p.m.)

Playoff Cusp

The games involving the Welsh teams are all about staying in the playoff hunt. Scarlets are 6-5 and third. And in fact, with a win over the inconsistent Cardiff Blues, and with a loss by Ulster, they could even be second in Conference B.

Cardiff needs a win to get to the top four (or close to it) in Conference A. Head coach Dillon Lewis said that poor performances in the Heienken Champions Cup now means the team doesn't have to worry about that competition and can concentrate on a surge in the Guinness PRO14.

"The next two games, against Scarlets and Ospreys, are going to be tough, no doubt, but we know what to expect when we come up against these sides," Lewis said on the Blues website. "These are the fixtures that everyone wants to play in. The Scarlets have had a tough couple of weeks recently, so we can look forward to this game, and it's an exciting period for us as a team.

"I think we've left a few results on the field this season and have lost games we definitely could have won. The next four weeks are going to be huge, because we have to continue winning and picking up results to stay in touch with the top three."

Watch Live: Saturday, Dec. 29, Scarlets vs. Cardiff Blues (5:15 p.m.)

The Dragons have struggled and really are just looking to stay out of last place (currently occupied by the Southern Kings). But the Ospreys, holding onto third in Conference A, have to maintain some daylight between them and Connacht. 

Not so easy. Sam Davies continues to lead the Guinness PRO14 in points, and the Ospreys will need every one.

Watch Live: Sunday, Dec. 30, Dragons vs. Ospreys (3 p.m.)