URC: Ulster v Munster, Kingspan Stadium, Friday, 7.35 – Live on TG4 & Premier Sports
As is often the case, but perhaps more so than normally, the consequences of this interpro are as much about who loses as who wins it. That might seem a bit negative, but this is due to Ulster and Munster sitting 10th and 11th in the URC table respectively. So, whoever loses is destined to be bottom of the Irish tree come Christmas.
Alternatively, with five teams within two or three points, the winners of this derby are liable to move upward. But the losers are likely to fall farther as Benetton are just below them and host Zebre in the first of their festive back-to-back Italian derbies. Next weekend Munster host Leinster and Ulster take the tricky trek to Connacht.
Both sides are coming into this game on the back of Champions Cup defeats, and in Ulster’s case the two European thrashings away – to Toulouse and at home to Bordeaux-Bègles – compounded losses away to Cardiff (from 19-0 ahead) and at home to Leinster either side of the Autumn Nations Series.
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Away to Toulouse, Richie Murphy opted to load his bench in what seemed like an understandable admission that beating the fully loaded champions is about the toughest task in the competition.
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At home to Bordeaux-Bègles, Murphy loaded his starting team with a completely revamped pack and two enforced changes in the backline to lead at half-time, only for Ulster’s lack of depth to be exposed in the final quarter when the visitors scored 26 unanswered points.
Murphy’s hand has been forced for this game by Iain Henderson, Cormac Izuchukwu, Nick Timoney and Nathan Doak all joining the two casualties in Toulouse, Ben Carson and Stewart Moore, on an expanding injury list.
Alan O’Connor is recalled as lock and captain, while James McNabney and Marcus Rea return to the backrow. The return of John Cooney after his hamstring injury looks to be a timely injection of experience and calm.
Having made his Ulster debut last week, winger Zac Ward makes his URC bow, and ditto academy outside back Rory Telfer off the bench. Academy outhalf Jack Murphy is also in line for his debut off the bench.
It was revealing to hear Munster interim head coach Ian Costello cite the need to rotate his squad for their Champions Cup loss in Castres last week – witness the curious omission of Gavin Coombes. Immediately afterwards, Costello also cited the need for a win against an Ulster side just above them.
The return of Coombes is one of six changes to last week’s starting line-up, with Shane Daly also recalled, albeit Thaakir Abrahams joined Munster’s lengthy casualty list when suffering a dislocated shoulder in Castres.
Craig Casey, who has undergone surgery on the torn meniscus he suffered in Castres, is replaced by Paddy Patterson. With Dian Bleuler ruled out due to a head injury, experienced tight head John Ryan starts at loose head, while Tom Ahern and captain Jack O’Donoghue replace the rested duo of Tadgh Beirne and Peter O’Mahony.
Eoghan Clarke replaces injured Diarmuid Barron on the bench where Evan O’Connell and Ethan Coughlan are recalled as last week’s debutant, Brian Gleeson, completers a 6-2 split.
Admittedly, Ulster drew the shortest of short straws when they were paired against Toulouse and Bordeaux-Bègles. Even so, they conceded 15 tries and more than 100 points, which was only matched over the opening two weekends by Exeter, currently bottom of the Premiership.
In the URC, Ulster have also had a tough run of fixtures, including their trek to South Africa, but they have conceded 28 tries, which is the joint worst record with the Dragons, last in the URC table. That’s 43 tries leaked in nine games this season.
All in all, therefore, it’s very hard to dispute the assertion by former Ulster player Stephen Ferris that Ulster are simply too easy to play against.
The confidence of a relatively callow, injury-hit team must have been affected by a run of four successive defeats. They last tasted victory in the middle of October, and their mental and physical brittleness was evident in the way they were again blown away once they fell behind last weekend. It’s as if this Ulster side cannot prevent a tide enveloping them.
Granted, it shouldn’t come to that here. Munster simply aren’t that good themselves, but the return of Coombes is both a signal of intent and, from their viewpoint, a welcome injection of some hard, straight running to act as a go-forward reference point for an attack that was too elaborate and static in Castres – as well as, as Simon Zebo noted in his post-match punditry, too flat on the edges.
It’s liable to be another one-score game, like the last four meetings, but Munster’s faultlines seem more fixable, and they look to have a little more about them.
ULSTER (v Munster): Michael Lowry; Werner Kok, Jude Postlethwaite, Stuart McCloskey, Zac Ward; Aidan Morgan, John Cooney; Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole; Alan O’Connor (capt), Kieran Treadwell; James McNabney, Marcus Rea, David McCann.
Replacements: John Andrew, Eric O’Sullivan, Scott Wilson, Harry Sheridan, Matty Rea, Dave Shanahan, Jack Murphy, Rory Telfer.
MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Paddy Patterson; John Ryan, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Tom Ahern, Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue (capt), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Eoghan Clarke, Dave Kilcoyne, Oli Jager, Evan O’Connell, Alex Kendellen, Ethan Coughlan, Rory Scannell, Brian Gleeson.
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU).
Forecast: Munster to win.
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