THE DUST IS still settling on a disappointing autumn for Andy Farrell’s Ireland, but the Irish provinces have been busy preparing for a hectic run of games over the coming months.
10 consecutive weekends of matches in the URC, Champions Cup, and Challenge Cup make up a bumper second block of the season.
As they prepare to get going again, here’s how things stand for each of the provinces.
Munster
Clayton McMillan’s men are looking to pick up where they left off in the opening block of the season, which saw them win five games from five in the URC and then beat Argentina XV in an entertaining exhibition match at Thomond Park.
Munster themselves have stressed that they didn’t always play great rugby in that period, but they had a signature performance with their brilliant win against Leinster at Croke Park.
That accurate, aggressive performance set a standard that they’ll be chasing again as they face into this crucial 10-week block.
It’s clear that McMillan has energised the entire organisation, meaning Ireland internationals Craig Casey, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Crowley, and Tom Farrell must have bounced back into Munster camp this week.
They return to action with a top-of-the-table URC clash against the Stormers [who lead them only on points difference] at Thomond Park this Saturday before an intriguing Champions Cup visit to Johann van Graan’s Bath and a home clash with Gloucester at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
More than 32,000 tickets have been sold for that game in Cork and a couple of good displays in the next few weeks could send it towards a 45,000 sell-out.
Munster are back in Páirc Uí Chaoimh in December. Ken Sutton / INPHO
Ken Sutton / INPHO / INPHO
Throw in the festive inter-pros against Leinster in Limerick and Ulster in Belfast before Champions Cup clashes with Toulon and Castres in January, and this is a thrilling time to be a Munster fan.
Those supporters might be facing this challenging run with more confidence than in the recent past, all the more so given that the likes of Thaakir Abrahams, John Hodnett, and Alex Kendellen are back from injury, while Edwin Edogbo is close to a return. Given the relentless schedule ahead until the end of January, Munster need fit bodies on deck, so it’s a shame that Brian Gleeson will be sidelined until the New Year.
It’s a results business and McMillan will never turn his nose up at a win of any kind, but the Munster boss will be targeting improved performances from his team in this demanding block.
If they can produce more showings of the nature of that day in Croker, McMillan’s men will keep themselves in a happy place heading into the Six Nations break.
Munster games in this block:
Stormers [H], URC
Bath [A], Champions Cup
Gloucester [H], Champions Cup
Ospreys [A], URC
Leinster [H], URC
Ulster [A], URC
Toulon [A], Champions Cup
Castres [H], Champions Cup
Dragons [H], URC
Glasgow [A], URC
Ulster
Given that they had a game postponed, Ulster head coach Richie Murphy must have been delighted that they left themselves in fifth position in the URC after the opening stanza of the season.
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Beating the Bulls in Belfast was probably the high point of the season so far, although there was pride in going to Durban and downing the Sharks before Ulster ran out of steam in the extreme heat of Johannesburg against the Lions.
There has been a real energy to Ulster’s attack, with new assistant coach Mark Sexton making an impact in that department, while Murphy must have been pleased to see lots of individuals starting the campaign in good form.
It’s a real shame that Stuart McCloskey has returned from Ireland camp injured, but Nick Timoney is back after a good campaign with Andy Farrell’s side, while senior men Iain Henderson and Jacob Stockdale will be eager to help Ulster build on their positive start.
Cormac Izuchukwu is due back from injury. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Farrell will be keeping a close eye on Cormac Izuchukwu’s return from the foot injury that meant he missed out on the November Tests, and there’s another boost for Ulster with South African powerhouse Juarno Augustus being passed fit after an arm injury.
Speaking of boosts, Wallabies loosehead Angus Bell has linked up with Ulster after his international commitments and he should add plenty of pop over the course of his short-term contract for the remainder of this season.
Bell’s sizzling solo try for Australia on his 50th cap last weekend against France was a timely reminder for Ulster supporters of the kind of player their province has secured. The 25-year-old’s destructive carrying and jackaling are sure to make him a fan favourite.
While Ulster didn’t have much representation in Farrell’s Ireland team this month, it was positive to see hooker Tom Stewart captaining the Ireland XV against Spain in a game that saw Rob Baloucoune continue his resurgence with two more tries.
Tom O’Toole started at tighthead and Jude Postlethwaite was at outside centre, while Scott Wilson, David McCann, Nathan Doak, and Zac Ward all featured off the bench. The only real negative for Ulster was that starting fullback Mike Lowry suffered an ankle injury.
In a similar story to Munster, there are lots of Ulster players with ambitions to kick on with Ireland, so their task is to keep helping the province to win games, while a run of three consecutive inter-pros in the URC will be a chance to make a statement.
Ulster games in this block:
Benetton [H], URC
Racing 92 [H], Challenge Cup
Cardiff [A], Challenge Cup
Leinster [A], URC
Connacht [A], URC
Munster [H], URC
Cheetahs [A], Challenge Cup
Stade Français [H], Challenge Cup
Scarlets [A], URC
Cardiff [H], URC
Leinster
Leo Cullen and Jacques Nienaber’s side will be intent on making this a much happier block than the opening period of the season. Three defeats in five games wasn’t what Leinster hoped for, but some poor performances caused as much concern as the results.
The challenge of three distinct groups returning for pre-season at different stages meant it was likely to be a challenging start to the campaign, but Leinster didn’t manage it well. And now they have the task of reintegrating their large international contingent as usual.
They resume with a visit to the Dragons this weekend before two Champions Cup games against English opposition in Harlequins and Leicester, three consecutive URC inter-pros, back-to-back Champions Cup matches against French clubs in La Rochelle and Bayonne, then another inter-pro in the URC.
Leinster are usually good at mixing and matching their team selections in this period, but Cullen and Nienaber will be keen to inject more momentum into the campaign with cohesive and confrontational displays that position them well for the latter stages of the season. They’re currently seventh in the URC table, so have ground to make up.
As well as welcoming back their Ireland players, Leinster are saying hello to Rieko Ioane as he joins after playing a minor role in the All Blacks’ autumn tour, with just one appearance against Wales.
That means Ioane should be fresher than might have been the case, but Leinster will hope he can get back to his best form with the fresh change of scene.
Some Leinster fans were unhappy to see and hear senior coach Nienaber discussing how much he misses the Springboks group in an interview in the South African media last week.
Nienaber is contracted to Leinster until the end of the 2026/27 season, but he certainly didn’t shut down the idea of re-joining the Springboks at that stage ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
That has only added to a sense of frustration around this Leinster set-up. They ended their trophy wait with the URC title last season, but still have unfinished business in the Champions Cup.
The best way to improve the vibes is to get on a winning run and play excellent rugby. Amid the busy upcoming schedule, Leinster’s chance for revenge over Munster at Thomond Park on 27 December stands out as a key game.
Leinster games in this block:
Dragons [A], URC
Harlequins [H], Champions Cup
Leicester [A], Champions Cup
Ulster [H], URC
Munster [A], URC
Connacht [H], URC
La Rochelle [H], Champions Cup
Bayonne [A], Champions Cup
Connacht [A], URC
Edinburgh [H], URC
Connacht
After the flurry of excitement and optimism around the unexpected appointment of Stuart Lancaster, Connacht went through a frustrating start to their season as they lost three of their four URC games and saw the other one postponed.
New signing Sam Gilbert at Connacht training. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
The three defeats have been on narrow margins, with the home loss to the Bulls particularly galling for Connacht, who played some slick rugby at times in that first block, but failed to fully control any of their games aside from the impressive season opener against Benetton.
Lancaster will be looking for more consistent performances from his side, so it doesn’t help that star man Mack Hansen returned from Ireland camp with another recurrence of his foot injury and a fresh finger injury to boot.
Given that frontline Ireland internationals are sparsely available anyway, Connacht could really do with Hansen getting a run of injury luck from here on.
But captain Cian Prendergast, Bundee Aki, Finlay Bealham, Caolin Blade and Darragh Murray are all back fit and available after being in the Ireland set-up, so Lancaster will be looking for them to bring energy.
The Connacht boss also needs his non-Ireland internationals to keep offering punch, with the likes of centre Cathal Forde and number eight Sean Jansen having carried relentlessly so far this season.
Like Ulster and Leinster, the western province have an interesting new signing to welcome to the party in Kiwi fullback Sam Gilbert, who co-captained Otago all the way to the final of New Zealand’s NPC last month.
Otago won the Ranfurly Shield too and Gilbert was in superb form in the number 15 shirt. Although he didn’t have place-kicking duties for Otago in that campaign, Gilbert is an accurate kicker off the tee – something Connacht have missed – and he even landed a long-range drop-goal in the NPC quarter-finals.
Improving on their current standing of 12th in the URC is the clear priority for Connacht, but their Challenge Cup campaign involves some novel, fresh opposition in Georgia’s Black Lions and Montauban of the French Top 14, as well as a trip to Montpellier.
Lancaster will hope his side can give a truer reflection of their ability in this busy period.
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Munster riding high as Irish provinces head into bumper block
THE DUST IS still settling on a disappointing autumn for Andy Farrell’s Ireland, but the Irish provinces have been busy preparing for a hectic run of games over the coming months.
10 consecutive weekends of matches in the URC, Champions Cup, and Challenge Cup make up a bumper second block of the season.
As they prepare to get going again, here’s how things stand for each of the provinces.
Munster
Clayton McMillan’s men are looking to pick up where they left off in the opening block of the season, which saw them win five games from five in the URC and then beat Argentina XV in an entertaining exhibition match at Thomond Park.
Munster themselves have stressed that they didn’t always play great rugby in that period, but they had a signature performance with their brilliant win against Leinster at Croke Park.
That accurate, aggressive performance set a standard that they’ll be chasing again as they face into this crucial 10-week block.
It’s clear that McMillan has energised the entire organisation, meaning Ireland internationals Craig Casey, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Crowley, and Tom Farrell must have bounced back into Munster camp this week.
They return to action with a top-of-the-table URC clash against the Stormers [who lead them only on points difference] at Thomond Park this Saturday before an intriguing Champions Cup visit to Johann van Graan’s Bath and a home clash with Gloucester at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
More than 32,000 tickets have been sold for that game in Cork and a couple of good displays in the next few weeks could send it towards a 45,000 sell-out.
Throw in the festive inter-pros against Leinster in Limerick and Ulster in Belfast before Champions Cup clashes with Toulon and Castres in January, and this is a thrilling time to be a Munster fan.
Those supporters might be facing this challenging run with more confidence than in the recent past, all the more so given that the likes of Thaakir Abrahams, John Hodnett, and Alex Kendellen are back from injury, while Edwin Edogbo is close to a return. Given the relentless schedule ahead until the end of January, Munster need fit bodies on deck, so it’s a shame that Brian Gleeson will be sidelined until the New Year.
It’s a results business and McMillan will never turn his nose up at a win of any kind, but the Munster boss will be targeting improved performances from his team in this demanding block.
If they can produce more showings of the nature of that day in Croker, McMillan’s men will keep themselves in a happy place heading into the Six Nations break.
Munster games in this block:
Ulster
Given that they had a game postponed, Ulster head coach Richie Murphy must have been delighted that they left themselves in fifth position in the URC after the opening stanza of the season.
Beating the Bulls in Belfast was probably the high point of the season so far, although there was pride in going to Durban and downing the Sharks before Ulster ran out of steam in the extreme heat of Johannesburg against the Lions.
There has been a real energy to Ulster’s attack, with new assistant coach Mark Sexton making an impact in that department, while Murphy must have been pleased to see lots of individuals starting the campaign in good form.
It’s a real shame that Stuart McCloskey has returned from Ireland camp injured, but Nick Timoney is back after a good campaign with Andy Farrell’s side, while senior men Iain Henderson and Jacob Stockdale will be eager to help Ulster build on their positive start.
Farrell will be keeping a close eye on Cormac Izuchukwu’s return from the foot injury that meant he missed out on the November Tests, and there’s another boost for Ulster with South African powerhouse Juarno Augustus being passed fit after an arm injury.
Speaking of boosts, Wallabies loosehead Angus Bell has linked up with Ulster after his international commitments and he should add plenty of pop over the course of his short-term contract for the remainder of this season.
Bell’s sizzling solo try for Australia on his 50th cap last weekend against France was a timely reminder for Ulster supporters of the kind of player their province has secured. The 25-year-old’s destructive carrying and jackaling are sure to make him a fan favourite.
While Ulster didn’t have much representation in Farrell’s Ireland team this month, it was positive to see hooker Tom Stewart captaining the Ireland XV against Spain in a game that saw Rob Baloucoune continue his resurgence with two more tries.
Tom O’Toole started at tighthead and Jude Postlethwaite was at outside centre, while Scott Wilson, David McCann, Nathan Doak, and Zac Ward all featured off the bench. The only real negative for Ulster was that starting fullback Mike Lowry suffered an ankle injury.
In a similar story to Munster, there are lots of Ulster players with ambitions to kick on with Ireland, so their task is to keep helping the province to win games, while a run of three consecutive inter-pros in the URC will be a chance to make a statement.
Ulster games in this block:
Leinster
Leo Cullen and Jacques Nienaber’s side will be intent on making this a much happier block than the opening period of the season. Three defeats in five games wasn’t what Leinster hoped for, but some poor performances caused as much concern as the results.
The challenge of three distinct groups returning for pre-season at different stages meant it was likely to be a challenging start to the campaign, but Leinster didn’t manage it well. And now they have the task of reintegrating their large international contingent as usual.
They resume with a visit to the Dragons this weekend before two Champions Cup games against English opposition in Harlequins and Leicester, three consecutive URC inter-pros, back-to-back Champions Cup matches against French clubs in La Rochelle and Bayonne, then another inter-pro in the URC.
Leinster are usually good at mixing and matching their team selections in this period, but Cullen and Nienaber will be keen to inject more momentum into the campaign with cohesive and confrontational displays that position them well for the latter stages of the season. They’re currently seventh in the URC table, so have ground to make up.
As well as welcoming back their Ireland players, Leinster are saying hello to Rieko Ioane as he joins after playing a minor role in the All Blacks’ autumn tour, with just one appearance against Wales.
That means Ioane should be fresher than might have been the case, but Leinster will hope he can get back to his best form with the fresh change of scene.
Some Leinster fans were unhappy to see and hear senior coach Nienaber discussing how much he misses the Springboks group in an interview in the South African media last week.
Nienaber is contracted to Leinster until the end of the 2026/27 season, but he certainly didn’t shut down the idea of re-joining the Springboks at that stage ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
That has only added to a sense of frustration around this Leinster set-up. They ended their trophy wait with the URC title last season, but still have unfinished business in the Champions Cup.
The best way to improve the vibes is to get on a winning run and play excellent rugby. Amid the busy upcoming schedule, Leinster’s chance for revenge over Munster at Thomond Park on 27 December stands out as a key game.
Leinster games in this block:
Connacht
After the flurry of excitement and optimism around the unexpected appointment of Stuart Lancaster, Connacht went through a frustrating start to their season as they lost three of their four URC games and saw the other one postponed.
The three defeats have been on narrow margins, with the home loss to the Bulls particularly galling for Connacht, who played some slick rugby at times in that first block, but failed to fully control any of their games aside from the impressive season opener against Benetton.
Lancaster will be looking for more consistent performances from his side, so it doesn’t help that star man Mack Hansen returned from Ireland camp with another recurrence of his foot injury and a fresh finger injury to boot.
Given that frontline Ireland internationals are sparsely available anyway, Connacht could really do with Hansen getting a run of injury luck from here on.
But captain Cian Prendergast, Bundee Aki, Finlay Bealham, Caolin Blade and Darragh Murray are all back fit and available after being in the Ireland set-up, so Lancaster will be looking for them to bring energy.
The Connacht boss also needs his non-Ireland internationals to keep offering punch, with the likes of centre Cathal Forde and number eight Sean Jansen having carried relentlessly so far this season.
Like Ulster and Leinster, the western province have an interesting new signing to welcome to the party in Kiwi fullback Sam Gilbert, who co-captained Otago all the way to the final of New Zealand’s NPC last month.
Otago won the Ranfurly Shield too and Gilbert was in superb form in the number 15 shirt. Although he didn’t have place-kicking duties for Otago in that campaign, Gilbert is an accurate kicker off the tee – something Connacht have missed – and he even landed a long-range drop-goal in the NPC quarter-finals.
Improving on their current standing of 12th in the URC is the clear priority for Connacht, but their Challenge Cup campaign involves some novel, fresh opposition in Georgia’s Black Lions and Montauban of the French Top 14, as well as a trip to Montpellier.
Lancaster will hope his side can give a truer reflection of their ability in this busy period.
Connacht games in this block:
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