Hello and welcome to our live coverage of tonight’s URC meeting of Ulster and Munster in Belfast, where the snow is falling.

Ciarán Kennedy here, and Murray Kinsella is at the Affidea Stadium for The 42, so between us we’ll have you covered across live updates, match report and reaction from both camps. 

It’s a 7.45pm kick-off tonight.

A reminder that Ulster beat Connacht 29-24 in Galway last time out, while Munster were on the wrong side of a 13-8 scoreline against Leinster in Limerick.

Ulster sit fifth in the URC table ahead of kick-off, even with a game in hand over three of the four teams ahead of them.

Munster are currently third, three points clear of their opponents tonight.

Here’s a snippet of Murray Kinsella’s match preview. You find the article in full here. 

McMillan has stressed that Munster are moving in the right direction, closing the gap to reigning champions Leinster, and getting into a winning habit. If his team can layer better rugby onto the solid results, they will be laughing.

Tonight gives Ulster the chance to round out a flurry of three consecutive inter-pros in style if they can beat Munster. Murphy’s charges were competitive in Dublin despite losing to Leinster, registered a good win on the road in Connacht last weekend, and now look to beat Munster for the first time since November 2023.

The southern province have won the last three meetings between these sides, including a dramatic victory on Munster’s visit to Belfast in December 2024 when Tom Farrell scored a hat-trick.

And here’s a reminder of how the two teams line out tonight – with Munster missing a number of key man as Clayton McMillan rotates his options. Mike Adamson is our referee, with kick-off five minutes away.

ULSTER: Jacob Stockdale; Werner Kok, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Zac Ward; Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak; Angus Bell, Tom Stewart, Tom O’Toole; Iain Henderson (captain), Joe Hopes; Cormac Izuchukwu, Nick Timoney, Bryn Ward.

Replacements: Rob Herring, Eric O’Sullivan, Scott Wilson, Harry Sheridan, David McCann, Conor McKee, Jake Flannery, Jude Postlethwaite

MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Dan Kelly, Alex Nankivell, Thaakir Abrahams; JJ Hanrahan, Paddy Patterson; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron (captain), Michael Ala’alatoa; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Tom Ahern, John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen.

Replacements: Lee Barron, Jeremy Loughman, Conor Bartley, Jack O’Donoghue, Brian Gleeson, Ethan Coughlan, Tony Butler, Seán O’Brien.

KICK-OFF:

Game on in Belfast, which is sold out for the first time in two years.

Penalty (Doak) Ulster 3 Munster 0

5mins – Ulster 3 Munster 0

Good kick chase from Ulster results in a penalty – great hang time on the kick from Jack Murphy with James Hume chasing. Nathan Doak slots it and Ulster have an early lead, good start for the home side.

8mins – Ulster 3 Munster 0

Munster finding it hard to make any real ground, with Ulster defending well – including a strong double-hit on Dan Kelly. Eventually a loose-ish Munster kick falls into Jacob Stockdale’s hands and Ulster clear to touch.

11mins – Ulster 3 Munster 0

Lot of ball in play in these early stages, with Ulster looking the more dangerous in possession. 

Werner Kok makes a break out wide after good work by Murphy and Stuart McCloskey, and Kok offloads to Doak before Munster get back into shape, with Mike Haley eventually forcing a turnover. Big play there, as Ulster were looking threatening. 

John Hodnett has left the pitch with what looked like a wrist problem, so Brian Gleeson is in.

15mins – Ulster 3 Munster 0

A somewhat loose passage of play sees Ulster kicking into the Munster backfield before the visitors counter with Mike Haley breaking from deep, but the play is called back for a forward pass from Haley to Tom Ahern. We go to a scrum, and Ulster are set up to attack in the Munster 22 again.

19mins – Ulster 3 Munster 0

Ulster applying all the pressure but they need to make it count. As I type that, they turn over possession through loose passing after attacking off a lineout. A frustrating one for the home side.

Penalty (Doak, 25mins) Ulster 6 Munster 0

25mins – Ulster 6 Munster 0

Ulster win a scrum penalty around halfway – the call going against Munster’s Michael Ala’alatoa. Ulster back attacking on the edge of the Ulster 22, win a penalty, and Doak kicks his second three-pointer of the night.

Jack Murphy spills the restart forward – knock-on, so Munster have a scrum in the Ulster 22.

28mins – Ulster 6 Munster 0

First real chance for Munster. Gleeson makes a big carry off the scrum before Munster move through the phases – great hands from Dan Kelly along the way – and get right up to the Ulster line. They don’t get over and the play is called back for a penalty.

Mike Adamson goes back to check if Munster did get the ball down through Gleeson, but decision is no try, so we go back for that penalty in front of the posts which JJ Hanrahan will kick.

Penalty (Hanrahan, 28mins) Ulster 6 Munster 3

29mins – Ulster 6 Munster 0

No problems for Hanrahan and Munster have their first points of the night.

35mins – Ulster 6 Munster 3

Calvin Nash initially does well to break away from a Munster scrum, but Kok gets back to make the tackle, and Munster can’t recycle, scrappy ball leading to an Ala’alatoa knock-on.

38mins – Ulster 6 Munster 3

Kok has been typically busy for Ulster. He tracks back to make a brilliant mark, and from the kick, Haley knocks the ball forward. Another annoying error from Munster.

HALFTIME – Ulster 6 Munster 3 

A Nash chips floats out of touch and that will be that for the first half. A decent start to the game in Belfast, but the error count started to rise as the sleeting snow picked up. 

We’ll be back with you in 15 for the second half.

40mins – Ulster 6 Munster 3

The second half has just kicked off.

Penalty (Doak, 42mins) Ulster 9 Munster 3

43mins – Ulster 9 Munster 3

Doak sinks his third penalty of the night, this one a fine effort from distance.

47mins – Ulster 9 Munster 3

It’s been all Ulster since the restart, and they go so close to getting the game’s first try. A powerful Bryn Ward carry gets them into a good position, before the ball is worked wide, where Stockdale charges and dives at the corner. On-field decision is no try, and after a TMO review, that decision stands.

Looked a close one…

TRY! (Stewart) Ulster 14 Munster 3

49mins – Ulster 16 Munster 3

Well there it is. After Stockdale went close, Tom Stewart makes no mistake from close range. It’s a great finish from Stewart. Doak converts and Ulster in a good position now.

TRY (Flannery, 55mins) Ulster 21 Munster 3

57mins – Ulster 21 Munster 3

Try number two for Ulster!

Munster lose the ball in their own 22, McCloskey winning the ball back at the breakdown, and Ulster quickly attack the space out wide, Kok playing a lovely pass under pressure to Jake Flannery, who has an easy finish. Doak can’t convert, but it’s a long way back for Munster now.

59mins – Ulster 21 Munster 3

Ulster nearly have a third try as Kok goes close, but Munster survive. Clayton McMillan’s men need to get a handle on the game as Ulster look like they are going to put this to bed.

67mins – Ulster 21 Munster 3

Munster just can’t get a look in, with Ulster putting huge pressure on defensively. Zac Ward the latest to win a penalty for the home side, and it sets them up with a lineout in the Munster 22.

70mins – Ulster 21 Munser 3

Sean O’Brien steals the ball back for Munster at the breakdown but is forced over his own tryline. Scrum Ulster.

TRY! (B Ward, 72mins) Ulster 26 Munster 3

72mins – Ulster 28 Munster 3

Well, that should be that.

Bryn Ward has been good tonight, and he’s now capped his performance with a try, muscling over from close range. Doak converts, and Ulster have about eight minutes to chase the bonus-point score.

78mins – Ulster 28 Munster 3

Ulster seeing this out really comfortably now. Such a disappointing night for Munster – Clayton McMillan’s men haven’t scored since the 28th minute and have had just 34% of the territory.

Premier Sports have just named Bryn Ward player of the match, no complaints here. Werner Kok would have been in the mix, too.

FULLTIME: Ulster 28 Munster 3

That’s it from Belfast, and a comprehensive win for Ulster.

Richie Murphy’s men were rather dominant overall, and once they started to pull clear early in the second half Munster never looked capable of turning the game around.

Murray Kinsella’s match report will be on The 42 imminently, and there will be full reaction to follow from both camps. Thanks for joining our live coverage and enjoy the rest of the weekend’s rugby!