Providing rugby fans a great chance to preview a few stars of the Irish Six Nations squad before that competition kicks off in February, this clash of the north and west is bound to be intriguing post-Christmas viewing. With French interest in Connacht and Ireland centre Bundee Aki, the hard work that has gone into the province’s rebuild since they won the 2015-16 season may not have yielded further silverware, but they’re still formidable opposition. Up in Ulster, their hard work has been paying off in the Champions Cup, with consecutive wins over Bath and Clermont Auvergne in their opening two games.