Dec 20,2024
After an opening slate of Champions Cup games that didn't quite catch fire, it's back to the BKT United Rugby Championship, and the first round of the traditional Christmas Interpros.
Round 8 gets underway in Belfast on Friday night with a meeting of two sides desperate for a win, as Ulster host Munster at Kingspan Stadium, with both teams dealing with a lengthy injury list following a taxing Champions Cup defeat last weekend.
Then, on Saturday, Connacht will be hoping to do what no other side has done this season - beat Leinster. The pair meet at Aviva Stadium, with the hosts resting a number of their frontline internationals.
ONLINE
We'll have live updates, live scoring, reports and reaction from both Interpro games on rte.ie/sport.
TV
Ulster v Munster (Friday 7.35pm) is live on TG4 and Premier Sports.
All games are shown live on URC.tv.
RADIO
WEATHER
Belfast is set for light rain showers on Friday afternoon which will hopefully clear by the evening kick-off, with temperatures around 7C and light winds forecast.
It will be roughly 8C on Saturday evening for Leinster v Connacht, and while it's expected to be a dry day, there are strong winds forecast in Dublin, which will make for challenging conditions.
With both sides enduring a difficult start to the season, a lengthy injury list, and a disappointing Champions Cup defeat last week, whoever wins this Interpro in Belfast will certainly enjoy their Christmas.
Both sides may be shorn of some of their key Ireland internationals, but the need for a victory makes this a pretty compelling fixture.
After making a solid start to the season, Ulster's form has taken a dip since they gave away a healthy lead to lose away to Cardiff at the end of October, and they have now lost four in a row in all competitions.
It still leaves them a place and a point ahead of Munster, with Ian Costello's side seeing their mini-revival ended away to Castres last week.
The recent head-to-head in this Interpro is evenly split with three wins apiece, Ulster coming out on top the last time they met in Belfast in November 2023, although Munster have won two of their last four games at Kingspan Stadium.
Ulster are hoping to avoid a third straight defeat in all competitions at home, something they haven't endured since 2009.
Munster haven't won an Interpro away from home since beating Leinster in the URC semi-final in May 2023, while they have lost all five games away from home this season.
Ulster: 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)
With nine wins from nine games in all competitions this season, Leinster have already opened a seven point lead at the top of the URC table, and history suggests it will take a monumental Connacht performance for that 100% record to be broken on Saturday.
While Connacht have won away to Leinster as recently as January 2021, Leinster have now won 10 in a row against their neighbours, with two of those coming in the Champions Cup.
During that time, Connacht have ran Leinster close a couple of times in Galway, but it's been one-sided in Dublin, losing each of their last four games against Leinster by between 26 and 36 points.
Connacht come into the Christmas block eighth in the URC table, part of a crowded middle tier of teams looking to secure a play-off finish, and Pete Wilkins side have won three of their last four games in all competitions since losing their previous derby against Leinster back in October.
The league leaders have been miserly in defence this season, with just 111 points conceded in all competitions, averaging out at 12.3 points per game.
Team news: Friday 12pm
Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU)
Meanwhile, it's a full round of derby games in the URC over the coming days.
Benetton and Zebre Parma meet in an all-Italian clash at 1pm on Saturday, followed by Stormers v Lions (1.45pm) and Sharks v Bulls (4pm) in the South African derbies.
At 5.15pm on Saturday, the Ospreys are at home to the Scarlets, with the other Welsh derby pushed out to St Stephen's Day, as Dragons take on Cardiff.
On Sunday at 3pm, Hampden Park is the novel setting for Glasgow v Edinburgh, in the first leg of their annual 1872 Cup clash.
FULL LIST OF FIXTURES
