URC: Munster v Ulster, Thomond Park (5.15, live on RTÉ, Premier Sports)
Two teams in form, plenty at stake, an interprovincial derby that all but guarantees a feisty edge, and some interesting personal duels augurs well for a keenly contested and entertaining United Rugby Championship tussle in Limerick.
Munster know that if they keep winning over the next three matches, they will host the URC final, a significant fillip as they look to defend the title they won last season. There is no mathematical permutation required, beat Ulster and they will take the number one seeding into the knockout phase of the tournament.
Eight URC wins in succession underlines the home side’s excellent form and while they are without first choice centre pairing of Alex Nankivell and Antoine Frisch, both injured, the Munster playing group has proved capable of late in dealing with rugby’s diverse speed bumps.
Backs coach Mike Prendergast said: “Having two of the boys out isn’t ideal but having said that we have good depth there. Rory Scannell coming on against Edinburgh had a fine game I thought and Seán [O’Brien] has played a lot of rugby this year, most of it on the wing but any time he’s played in the midfield for us which I suppose is his natural position, he’s come out on top.”
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Graham Rowntree has made six changes and a positional switch from the side that beat Edinburgh. Simon Zebo, O’Brien, Scannell, Stephen Archer, RG Snyman and Peter O’Mahony are promoted to the starting team while Jack O’Donoghue switches to number eight. John Ryan will provide cover at loosehead rather than his normal tighthead prop role, for the first time in eight years.
Munster are forewarned, both in terms of Ulster’s victory at the RDS in their most recent outing, a season double over Leinster, but also the fact that this evening’s visitors won the corresponding fixture last year. Prendergast said: “In their interpros [this season] they [Ulster have] won four out of the five. They beat us in Thomond Park last year so they will come down full of confidence.
“They have won their last four games on the trot, and you would expect that as well with a new coach coming in; there was always going to be a reaction. They are a team that is in a good place, like ourselves, they’re confident and it will take a lot to break them down. In saying that we are in a good place.”
Ulster head coach Richie Murphy has announced an unchanged side from the one that beat Leinster in Dublin, a performance that showed both grit and no little attacking flair. In times past Ulster might have buckled a little when letting a host of early try scoring opportunities slip through their fingers but showed impressive resolve to force a winning penalty at the death.
They will need that resilience and more against Munster this evening. Murphy has put his own stamp both in terms of the way the team plays but also in the repositioning of players like Ethan McIlroy and Cormac Izuchukwu.
McIlroy’s footwork, balance, and pace are perfectly suited to the fullback role rather than the narrow confines of the wing, but he must improve a little aerially and in his kicking game. Ulster possess a cutting edge in the back three; there isn’t a better wing in Ireland going forward than Jacob Stockdale. His battle with Calvin Nash will be worth a look.
Jack Crowley’s maturing game includes a lovely variety to his kicking and punting and he’s likely to relish the chance for a cross-kick or two to exploit the height difference between Shane Daly and Michael Lowry.
Standing opposite Crowley is the man who will contest his Munster number 10 jersey next season, Ulster’s Billy Burns who switches province in the summer, an interesting sideshow. John Cooney won the man-of-the-match accolade against Leinster, and he’d like a similarly influential outing in Limerick against an in-form Craig Casey.
Forwards win matches, or at least that’s what their public relations team has been suggesting from time immemorial. The set piece, scrum, and lineout are key foundation stones, but it is the battle of the respective backrows that is potentially the most captivating game within the game.
Izuchukwu’s response to being moved to blindside flanker has been spectacular, while the respective opensides Alex Kendellen and David McCann are two of the best young backrows around; that’s without mentioning John Hodnett who is part of a six-two split on the Munster bench.
Ulster need two points from the match to guarantee a top eight finish and the benefits that accompany it. The best way seems to be positive in how they set up and play. It might not be good enough to win but it would be a bold statement of intent.
Munster: S Zebo; C Nash, S O’Brien, R Scannell, S Daly; J Crowley, C Casey; J Loughman, N Scannell, S Archer; RG Snyman, T Beirne (capt); P O’Mahony, A Kendellen, J O’Donoghue.
Replacements: E Clarke, J Ryan, O Jager, T Ahern, G Coombes, C Murray, J Carbery, J Hodnett.
Ulster: E McIlroy; M Lowry, W Addison, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; B Burns, J Cooney; E O’Sullivan, R Herring, T O’Toole; A O’Connor (capt), K Treadwell; C Izuchukwu, D McCann, N Timoney.
Replacements: T Stewart, A Warwick, S Wilson, H Sheridan, Matty Rea, N Doak, S Moore, J Postlethwaite.
Referee: F Murphy (IRFU)
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