Hello and welcome to our live coverage of today’s URC quarter-final meeting of the Bulls and Munster.

Kick-off in Pretoria is at noon, and we’ll bring you all the action as it happens.

A late change for the Bulls, as Wilco Louw drops out due to illness, so Francois Klopper takes his place at tighthead and Mornay Smith comes onto the bench.

Here’s the Bulls line-up:

Vodacom Bulls: Willie le Roux; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Harold Vorster, Stravino Jacobs; Handre Pollard, Embrose Papier; Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Francois Klopper; Ruan Vermaak, Ruan Nortje; Marcell Coetzee (capt), Elrigh Louw, Cameron Hanekom.

Replacements: Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Mornay Smith, Cobus Wiese, Jeandre Rudolph, Paul de Wet, Stedman Gans, Sergeal Petersen

‼️TEAM UPDATE‼️

Wilco Louw out (sickness), Francois Klopper takes his place and Mornay Smith joins the bench 🤝 @Vodacom #URC | @URCOfficial_RSA pic.twitter.com/QfeU9Jlctf

— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) May 30, 2026

And here’s your Munster team. A reminder that Jack Crowley and Tadhg Beirne both miss out. Edwin Edogbo, Oli Jager, Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Michael Milne and Lee Barron are some of the other names unavailable due to injury.

It’s a big ask for Munster – who also have no recognised out-half cover in their 23.

MUNSTER: Mike Haley, Andrew Smith, Alex Nankivell, Seán O’Brien, Shane Daly, JJ Hanrahan, Craig Casey (CAPT); Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Michael Ala’alatoa, Tom Ahern, Evan O’Connell, Jack O’Donoghue, John Hodnett, Brian Gleeson

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Josh Wycherley, Conor Bartley, Fineen Wycherley, Gavin Coombes, Ben O’Donovan, Dan Kelly, Alex Kendellen

The Bulls are coming out now, Munster already on the pitch, kick-off running slightly late.

KICK-OFF

We’re underway in Pretoria.

2mins: Bulls 0 Munster 0

First scrum of the game, following a forward pass from Michael Ala’alatoa.

Bulls get a good shove but Munster apply pressure to prevent the home side getting quick ball away.

They eventually manage to move it wide, where they have space to attack. Canan Moodie breaks the line and it should be the first try of the game, but Munster are let off the hook due to a clear forward pass. 

TRY – Bulls (Papier)

5mins: Bulls 7 Munster 0

Another worrying scrum for Munster as the Bulls force a penalty on a Munster put-in.

Playing with advantage, the Bulls go for the jugular with Munster scrambling and Embrose Papier skips through to score, following a nice offload from number eight Cameron Hanekom.

The try is converted and this is a worrying start for Clayton McMillan’s men.

TRY – Bulls (Arendse)

10mins: Bulls 14 Munster 0

Lethal from the Bulls on kick return. Shane Daly’s kick invites the Bulls to counter, Willie le Roux makes a sharp break and step which opens up the space for Kurt-Lee Arendse to score.

There’s a delay as Tom Ahern receives treatment on the pitch – he took a bang to the head from Ala’alatoa’s knee after tackling a Bulls player. As he makes his way off for a HIA, Handre Pollard kicks the conversion. Fineen Wycherley comes on for Ahern.

14mins: Bulls 14 Munster 0

Another scrum penalty for the Bulls, Munster pinged for standing up in the scrum. Pollard kicks his team back into the Munster half, the Bulls win the lineout but the attack breaks down with a penalty for crossing.

CLOSE!

Munster’s first real opportunity of the game ends with John Hodnett stopped just short of the line, although referee Andrea Piardi pulls the play back for a forward pass.

Still, that was much better from Munster as they win some gainline in the middle of the pack before stretching the Bulls with quick hands out wide. 

They’ll get another chance as there was an earlier penalty for offside. Munster decide against kicking for points and go to the corner.

18mins: Bulls 14 Munster 0

Munster win the lineout cleanly, with the Bulls not competing in the air.

The province go through 13 phases without making any real inroads, before winning a penalty.

It looks like Jack O’Donoghue might have powered over from that second penalty, we’re going for a TMO check.

TRY – Munster (O’Donoghue)

20mins: Bulls 14 Munster 7

The try is good!

How Munster needed that! JJ Hanrahan adds the conversion and Munster are back in the game.

PENALTY – Bulls (Pollard)

23mins: Bulls 17 Munster 7

The Bulls add three points with a Pollard penalty.

TRY – Munster (Nankivell)

32mins: Bulls 17 Munster 12

That’s brilliant from Munster. Nankivell had got his team moving with some excellent play, which leads a long, patient passage as Munster work their way toward the try line.

They win a couple of penalties and the passage ends with Nankivell getting over from close range, with Hanrahan converting.

TRY – Bulls (Grobbelaar)

36mins: Bulls 24 Munster 14

That’s so frustrating.

From the restart, the Bulls win a penalty, go to the corner and Johan Grobbelaar gets over from the lineout. Far too easy for the Bulls. Pollard kicks the extra two and it’s a 10-point game.

TRY – Bulls (Hanekom)

40mins: Bulls 31 Munster 14

It’s two in quick succession for the South African side.

Bulls win another penalty, go the lineout, win the ball and then it’s all about an explosive carry from Hanekom, who has been excellent. Hanrahan slips off a tackle before the big number eight shrugs off O’Brien and Hodnett to score.  

HALF TIME: Bulls 31 Munster 14

The second half has kicked off. Massive 40 minutes for Munster.

44mins: Bulls 31 Munster 14

The Bulls get moving again after another dominant scrum but it breaks down with a knock-on. The Bulls had penalty advantage from that scrum collapsing so we go back, and Pollard is going to kick for the posts.

Pollard gets the kick wrong and sends it wide.

51mins: Bulls 31 Munster 14

Massive kick from Mike Haley brings Munster deep into the Bulls 22.

From the lineout Munster move the ball right to left, but the Bulls defence is solid. The steal the ball back but quickly turn it over again and Munster win a penalty for a knock-on.

TRY – Bulls (Papier)

55mins: Bulls 38 Munster 14

Surely that’s the game. After a long period of Munster pressure, Papier picks off an inside pass to O’Brien and runs it home from the Bulls half.

An absolute killer for Munster.

58mins: Bulls 38 Munster 14

Jack O’Donoghue in a bit of bother here. He’s heading off and Brian Gleeson is back on.

As I type, the Bulls obliterate another Munster scrum.

TRY – Bulls (Jacobs)

60mins: Bulls 45 Munster 14

This game is done, and Munster are looking tired now. They get stretched and Stravino Jacobs shows a good turn of pace to score down the wing. 

It looked as though there was a possible forward pass in the build-up, but the score stands.

68mins: Bulls 45 Munster 14

It’s a little stop-start now. Munster have been warned about the amount of scrum penalties they’re conceding.

Bulls have another good opportunity in the Munster half but there’s a knock-on in the lineout.

73mins: Bulls 45 Munster 14

Craig Casey is now playing at 10 for Munster, with Ben O’Donovan on for JJ Hanrahan.

Sorry, Hanrahan is still on, O’Donovan came on for Gleeson.

80mins: Bulls 45 Munster 14

Canan Moodie thinks he has another try for the Bulls, but the whistle went before he crossed so it won’t stand.

Munster trying desperately to get back down the pitch, but they look exhausted, and a forward pass will be the last action of the game.

FULL-TIME: Bulls 45 Munster 14

So Munster’s season is over, and the Bulls are heading into a URC semi-final away to Glasgow next weekend.

This was always going to be a big ask for Clayton McMillan’s depleted Munster squad, and they were blown away by the Bulls, who were dominant in the scrum throughout. 

Thanks for joining our live coverage, we’ll have a report and reaction on The 42 shortly.