#MUNvOSP
Three changes from last week’s win over Ulster see Antoine Frisch, John Hodnett and Gavin Coombes come into the Munster side
Reuben Morgan-Williams starts at scrum half for Ospreys, with Owen Williams partnering him at out half
#BULvBEN
Sebastian de Klerk starts on the wing for Vodacom Bulls
Malakai Fekitoa returns alongside Ignacio Brex to make up Benetton’s centre pairing
#LEIvULS
James Ryan returns to Leinster’s starting XV for the first time since the R17 loss to Ulster and captains the side
Matty Rea set to make his 100th appearance for Ulster
#GLAvSTO
George Turner set for 100th appearance for Glasgow Warriors if called upon from the bench
Warrick Gelant and Paul de Wet make their return to DHL Stormers match-day squad

FRIDAY, JUNE 7

Munster v Ospreys
Thomond Park, Limerick – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU, 14th league game)
AR 1: Andrea Piardi (FIR) AR 2: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
TMO: Andrew McMenemy (SRU)
Live on: RTÉ, S4C, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Munster: Simon Zebo, Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Seán O’Brien, Shane Daly, Jack Crowley, Craig Casey, Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer, RG Snyman, Tadhg Beirne (CAPT), Peter O’Mahony, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes
Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, John Ryan, Oli Jager, Jack O’Donoghue, Alex Kendellen, Conor Murray, Tony Butler, Mike Haley

Ospreys: Max Nagy, Luke Morgan, Owen Watkin, Keiran Williams, Keelan Giles, Owen Williams, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake, Tom Botha, James Ratti, Huw Sutton, Jac Morgan, Justin Tipuric (CAPT), Morgan Morris
Replacements: Sam Parry, Gareth Thomas, Rhys Henry, Victor Sekekete, Morgan Morse, Luke Davies, Luke Scully, Harri Houston

Ospreys Head Coach Toby Booth said: “We’ve got ourselves to this window of opportunity and we’re excited about it, but we won’t underestimate how tough the game will be. Like us, Munster have got a tight group, with a lot of quality in it, and that makes them a very dangerous opponent.”

SATURDAY, JUNE 8

Vodacom Bulls v Benetton
Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria – KO 14.30 IRE & UK / 15.30 ITA & SA
Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU, 82nd game)
AR 1: Sam Grove-White (SRU) AR 2: Adam Jones (WRU)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
Live on: SuperSport, Sky Italia, TG4, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Vodacom Bulls: Willie Le Roux, Sebastian de Klerk, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier, Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Wilco Louw, Ruan Vermaak, Ruan Nortje (CAPT), Nizaam Carr, Elrigh Louw, Cameron Hanekom
Replacements: Akker van der Merwe, Simphiwe Matanzima, Francois Klopper, Reinhardt Ludwig, Jannes Kirsten, Keagan Johannes, Chris Smith, Sergeal Petersen

Benetton: Rhyno Smith, Tommaso Menoncello, Malakai Fekitoa, Ignacio Brex, Onisi Ratave, Tomas Albornoz, Andy Uren, Thomas Gallo, Bautista Bernasconi, Simione Ferrari, Edoardo Iachizzi, Federico Ruzza, Alessandro Izekor, Michele Lamaro (CAPT), Toa Halafihi
Replacements: Gianmarco Lucchesi, Mirco Spagnolo, Giosuè Zilocchi, Eli Snyman, Niccolò Cannone, Lorenzo Cannone, Alessandro Garbisi, Jacob Umaga

Vodacom Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White: “Canan injured his hand against the Sharks last weekend and will be going for surgery today. It is one of those where they will only be able to see how serious it is once they open him up. It is his index finger (that is fractured) which influences his passing, on top of his pinkie a few weeks ago which he has strapped before. I am not sure if it will be one of those that you can strap in a couple of weeks and play but he remains unavailable this week and the next. From the Boks point of view, I hope it is not that serious so that he is ready for the Irish series.”

Benetton Head Coach Marco Bortolami said: “The clash between the two forward packs will be decisive and for this reason we have opted to go to the bench with the 6 plus 2. There are also some changes to inject fresh and new energy from the first minute and the other boys will come off the bench to finish the job. Between the backs we chose to move Menoncello as a winger and insert Fekitoa in the centre to add the maximum physicality possible. Furthermore, Malakai gives us a lot of experience having already played matches of this caliber many times; I’m sure he will make a great contribution”

Leinster v Ulster
Aviva Stadium, Dublin – KO 17.00 IRE & UK / 18.00 ITA & SA
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU, 95th league game)
AR 1: Craig Evans (WRU) AR 2: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
TMO: Brain MacNeice (IRFU)
Live on: TG4, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Leinster: Jimmy O’Brien, Jordan Larmour, Robbie Henshaw, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe, Ross Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan (CAPT), Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Michael Ala’alatoa, Ross Molony, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Sam Prendergast, Ciarán Frawley

Ulster: Stewart Moore, Mike Lowry, Will Addison, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, John Cooney, Eric O’Sullivan, Rob Herring (CAPT), Tom O’Toole, Harry Sheridan, Cormac Izuchukwu, Matty Rea, David McCann, Nick Timoney
Replacements: Tom Stewart, Andy Warwick, Scott Wilson, Greg Jones, Dave Ewers, Nathan Doak, Ethan McIlroy, Jude Postlethwaite

Glasgow Warriors v DHL Stormers
Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA
Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU, 43rd league game)
AR 1: Frank Murphy (IRFU) AR 2: Peter Martin (IRFU)
TMO: Mark Patton (IRFU)
Live on: Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Glasgow Warriors: Josh McKay, Sebastian Cancelliere, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, Kyle Steyn (CAPT), Tom Jordan, George Horne, Jamie Bhatti, Johnny Matthews, Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings, Richie Gray, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey
Replacements: George Turner, Nathan McBeth, Oli Kebble, Max Williamson, Euan Ferrie, Henco Venter, Jamie Dobie, Ross Thompson

DHL Stormers: Warrick Gelant, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Dan du Plessis, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ben Loader, Manie Libbok, Herschel Jantjies, Brok Harris, Joseph Dweba, Frans Malherbe, Salmaan Moerat (CAPT), Ruben van Heerden, Willie Engelbrecht, Ben-Jason Dixon, Hacjivah Dayimani
Replacements: Andre-Hugo Venter, Sti Sithole, Neethling Fouche, Adre Smith, Marcel Theunissen, Connor Evans, Paul de Wet, Jean-Luc du Plessis

Glasgow Warriors Head Coach Franco Smith said: “The Stormers have a proud record in the BKT URC playoffs, and we know they will be coming to Scotstoun intent on continuing that record tomorrow night. They have some brilliant individuals who have the ability to hurt you from anywhere on the field, in addition to being a physical unit with and without the ball. We’re looking forward to the challenge and we know the Warrior Nation will make themselves known as they get behind us tomorrow night.”

DHL Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson said: “We know that it will take a top performance to stay alive in this competition and that is a challenge we have embraced. We will have to do it without a number of our frontline players due to injuries, but it is testament to the depth we have built and the quality of our squad that there is plenty of belief. Despite having almost a full team ruled out, we have built up some good momentum heading into the play-offs. This is our first BKT URC play-off match away from home after playing six at DHL Stadium and we want to show that we can rise to the occasion.”

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In the dynamic landscape of the BKT United Rugby Championship, Zebre Rugby stands at a crossroads, having lost twenty-one matches since their triumphant victory against Dragons RFC in April 2022. This article delves into the statistics and narratives surrounding Zebre Rugby’s journey, particularly against formidable opponents like Ulster Rugby.

Zebre’s Struggles: A Streak That Persists

Zebre Rugby’s fortunes have been challenging, with a notable statistic being their inability to secure a victory against Irish provinces since their win over Connacht in Galway back in February 2018. The Italians face a daunting task, aiming to break this streak and redefine their standing in the championship.

Round One Woes: An Unfavorable History for Zebre

Round one has proven to be a formidable hurdle for Zebre, having tasted victory only once before, notably against Southern Kings in 2018. The team faces an uphill battle each season opener, seeking to replicate the success achieved in that solitary triumph.

Stats

Ulster Rugby

•Sean Reffell made 42 tackles against Munster in Round 11 – 11 more than any other player managed in a single match last season
•Ulster scored a total of 16 maul tries in BKT URC 2, more than any other team. Their maul made 473 metres across the season
•Ulster made an average of 147 tackles per 80 minutes last season – more than any other team. They also averaged the second-most carries (122 per 80 minutes)

Ulster’s Dominance and Recent Setback

Ulster Rugby concluded the 2022/23 BKT United Rugby Championship regular season with a powerful statement, securing five consecutive victories. However, their journey was halted in the quarterfinals against Connacht. Notably, Ulster’s longstanding six-game winning streak against Italian opponents was broken with a 29-31 reversal to Benetton in Treviso in January.

Consistency in Season Openers: Ulster’s Strength

Ulster Rugby boasts an impressive record of not losing their opening game of a new season since 2013. This remarkable consistency sets the tone for their campaigns, reflecting the team’s resilience and strategic prowess.

Zebre’s Past Triumphs: A Glimmer of Hope

Zebre’s historical victories over Ulster, both occurring in Parma in 2014 and 2017, serve as a glimmer of hope for the Italian side. These past successes against formidable opponents highlight the potential for Zebre to spring surprises and upset the balance in their encounters with Ulster.

**Recent URC Meetings: A Look Back at the Battle of Titans**

**Introduction:**
Beyond the statistics and historical context, the recent encounters between Ulster Rugby and Zebre Rugby in the BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) add an extra layer of intrigue to their ongoing rivalry. Let’s dive into the match history and dissect the outcomes of their clashes in the recent seasons.

Head-to-Head Showdowns: URC Meetings Between Ulster and Zebre

*1. 23 February 2019 – Kingspan Stadium*
– Venue: Kingspan Stadium, Parma
– Result: Ulster Rugby 54 – 7 Zebre

*2. 01 November 2019 – Kingspan Stadium*
– Venue: Kingspan Stadium, Parma
– Result: Ulster Rugby 22 – 7 Zebre

*3. 16 November 2020 – Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi*
– Venue: Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
– Result: Zebre Parma 14 – 57 Ulster Rugby

*4. 19 March 2021 – Kingspan Stadium*
– Venue: Kingspan Stadium, Parma
– Result: Ulster Rugby 49 – 3 Zebre

*5. 02 October 2021 – Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi*
– Venue: Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
– Result: Zebre Parma 3 – 36 Ulster Rugby

*6. 25 November 2022 – Kingspan Stadium*
– Venue: Kingspan Stadium, Parma
– Result: Ulster Rugby 36 – 15 Zebre

Analysis: Patterns and Trends

Ulster Rugby has consistently demonstrated dominance in recent meetings, with impressive scorelines showcasing their offensive prowess. However, the 2020 clash at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi saw a significant reversal, indicating the unpredictability that makes each encounter compelling.

Predicted Score: Ulster Rugby 32 – 14 Zebre Rugby

Based on the historical trends, recent performances, and considering Ulster’s dominance in their encounters with Zebre, a predicted score of 32-14 in favor of Ulster seems plausible. Bookmakers expect Ulster to win by 15pts

Team News for Zebre v Ulster Rugby 

Ahead of Ulster’s opening URC game of the 2023-24 season, the following players are currently unavailable for selection:

Marty Moore (Knee)

Greg Jones (Shoulder)

John Cooney (Calf)

Eric O’Sullivan (Shoulder)

Sean Reffell (Ankle)

James McCormick (Shoulder)

Alan O’Connor (Ankle)

Luke Marshall (Following graduated return to play protocols following a recent concussion)

Steven Kitshoff (RWC, South Africa)

Rob Herring (IRFU Player Management Programme)

Tom O’Toole (IRFU Player Management Programme)

Stuart McCloskey (IRFU Player Management Programme)

Iain Henderson (IRFU Player Management Programme)

The post Zebre v Ulster Rugby – Preview, Stats and Starting Team News appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Enhancing Rugby Player Safety through Cutting-Edge Data Collection

In a pioneering move, the BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) has teamed up with Marker Diagnostics to implement an innovative data collection initiative, specifically designed to elevate elite player safety and build upon prior concussion research.

Comprehensive Research Involving All 16 Teams

After successful small-scale trials with Marker during the 2022/23 season, all 16 teams in the BKT URC have enthusiastically enrolled in this research for the 2023/24 season. This extensive collaboration with Marker involves leveraging their patented and CE marked salivary diagnostic concussion test, which stands as the sole approved biological diagnostic for mild traumatic brain injury in adult male athletes.

Marker’s Saliva Testing: A Game-Changer in Concussion Diagnosis

Marker’s revolutionary approach utilizes saliva testing for players entering the Head Injury Assessment protocols. By analyzing non-coding RNA biomarkers in saliva, this diagnostic test holds the potential to become a crucial component in accurately identifying concussions and monitoring the safe return to play.

Strategic Data Collection Process

Marker will commence the initiative by collecting baseline saliva samples from BKT URC players at the beginning of the season. Subsequent suspected and confirmed concussion incident samples will be collected during various stages of the mandatory Head Injury Assessment (HIA) evaluation process. This includes on-pitch assessment during HIA 1, post-game (HIA 2), 36-48 hours after the game (HIA 3), and when the player is set to return to play (HIA 4).

Advancing Research for Safer Return to Play

The collaborative effort aims to provide additional research data, expanding the test’s prognostic application within the HIA process. Dr. Mike Dunlop, United Rugby Championship Medical Advisor, expresses the league’s commitment to accelerating research related to player safety.

Endorsement from Thought Leaders

David Cohen, Chairman of Marker, acknowledges the visionary support received from thought leaders in rugby. The collaboration with BKT URC and Union medical teams signifies a meaningful expansion of Marker’s technology application, aiming to protect the brain health of players across genders and age groups.

URC starts Rugby Player Head Safety Initiative

Dr. Dunlop highlights the simplicity of Marker’s saliva testing approach and anticipates that extending this initiative across all teams during the season will yield a valuable dataset for researchers and the URC to consider.

This strategic collaboration represents a significant leap forward in advancing brain health and safety standards in the realm of rugby, showcasing the commitment of BKT URC and Marker Diagnostics to pioneering research for the well-being of athletes at every level of the game.

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The two 23-year-old hookers have had ample game time to show off their qualities this season and it seems that they are of a similar mould.

Dan Sheehan’s fantastic try (his fourth of the season for Leinster) against Connacht where he stepped Mack Hansen to send himself into a pocket of clear air with the try line in sight is reminiscent of what Kelleher brings to the game for both club and country.

Sheehan’s very presence in the wide channel to receive the ball draws similarities to how his fellow hooker plays and offers a glimpse into the future of Irish rugby.

Leinster assistant coach Stuart Lancaster is well aware of the depth of talent the side has at their disposal in the central front row position.

“There’s some very good, athletic forwards in the Leinster pack now,” Lancaster said. “Ronan [Kelleher] and Dan [Sheehan] are two players who epitomise what we want from our forwards – you know, good ball handlers, physical, abrasive, fit and they can play hooker but they can play multiple positional roles in phased attack and phased defence.”

Kelleher has often been seen in the same spot on a rugby pitch as Sheehan was on Friday, and with 29 carries to his name in just 164 minutes for Ireland during the Autumn Nations Series last month (14 against New Zealand), is clearly an attacking threat for any side he lines out for.

Sheehan, who only made his debut for Leinster last season, only has 313 minutes under his belt in competitive fixtures for the Pro 14 champions but has impressive attacking stats too – 187 metres from 58 carries among them.

With only 55 minutes to his name in green, Sheehan has looked the part, making 53 metres from a mere 11 carries in that time – an average of 4.82 metres per carry.

On top of this, their stats for the traditional roles of a hooker are impressive too – Kelleher missed only one lineout throw against both New Zealand and Argentina from 15 while Sheehan was perfect from 10 in the Autumn Internationals.

Their multi-faceted talents fall in line with what the province’s forwards coach Robin McBryde said about the ‘modern-day forward’ last month.

The competitiveness and experience that Leinster and Ireland veteran Sean Cronin and James Tracy has helped the two young hookers grow into the players they are today.

“It’s great to have [Kelleher and Sheehan] and they’ve got two very good hookers in, you know, James Tracy and Sean Cronin to learn from as well so it’s not like those two have just fallen away – they’re as competitive as the two lads.”

Lancaster is thrilled to see both Kelleher and Sheehan in such good form at the moments after watching their journey for several years but insists there is still work to be done.

“It’s great to see both come through – I’ve watched them both come from fourth-choice and being on the periphery and frustrated they’re not getting opportunities to force their way through to become first and second choice, in whatever order you pick them.

“There’s a lot of hard work gone into what they’ve achieved and a lot of credit must go to the two lads in particular but also to James and Sean for pushing them so hard as well.

“It’s a good position to be in, they’re both exciting players, but they’ve both got a lot to learn still and, you know, we’ll keep their feet on the ground for sure.”

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The teams are hoping to leave South Africa today after United Rugby Championship’s South African games for rounds six and seven were postponed.

The four South African sides in the competition have yet to play a home game in their new competition and the upcoming rounds of rugby were set to correct that.

Leinster are not due to travel to South Africa until later this season and instead have two interprovincial clashes to look forward to against Ulster and Connacht.

However, Head Coach Cullen acknowledged the situation in Friday’s pre-match press conference.

“It’s not great news, our thoughts are with the people trying to get themselves out of there, hopefully, that’ll all play out over the next couple of days,” Cullen said.

“Presumably there’ll be some sort of plan put in place to reschedule the games, at least there are plenty of free weekends during the Six Nations from a logistics point of view, so we’ll see how it plays out.”

Most teams in the competition currently face a 10-week-long stretch of games before the next international break.

Cullen said that he has not been made aware of any contingency plans in place regarding situations such as these, other than the previous talk of the South African ‘home’ games being held in Italy.

The URC organisers now face a scheduling headache as they scramble to fit the postponed fixtures into the season.

“There are bigger concerns than rugby matches I’m sure. We’ll see how it plays out but from our point of view we’re playing two interprovincial derbies in the next two weekends and then we’re into Europe so nothing changes drastically from our point of view.”

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His name has been a mainstay for years in matchday squads, with this season being his 17th with the province, and he was also an important member of the Irish national side in the previous decade – particularly under Joe Schmidt.

Head Coach Leo Cullen described him as a “hugely influential” figure in the squad at the beginning of the season, noting that he had given the side a talk ahead of their United Rugby Championship match against Glasgow Warriors in October.

The 35-year-old underlined how he sees his role within the squad at Monday’s press conference.

“I’m just a player in the squad, obviously,” Toner said. “Whenever I’m picked to play, I do my best.

“Whenever I’m not picked to play, I do my best to prepare the lads which is like obviously, whoever we’re playing, the opposition we’re playing, we have to prepare their lineouts and prepare them in the game and do what they can.

“I’d like to think the young lads would look up to what I’ve done and, you know, the games that I’ve played and see me as a source of knowledge if they like and ask me whatever they want.

“I’d like to think I’m a bit of an open book for the younger lads and I suppose an ear and a bit of knowledge for them. Hopefully anyway.”

Among the younger lads in the squad is lock Jack Dunne, a 23-year-old who shares the same position as Toner.

Dunne will play for the Barbarians this weekend in Twickenham where they will face Samoa.

The Trinity College forward is coming off of a major ankle injury and returned to action in the All-Ireland League last weekend, with the Baa-Baas now set to make up the next stage of his comeback.

“I’m absolutely delighted for Dunners. He’s had his time with injury in the last while after breaking his ankle and stuff.

“He is a great player and [he’s only 23] but it seems like he has been around for ages. He’s some character, man, and I think he definitely is one for the future.

“He used to be a bit of a lump to try and lift last year but I think, after he got injured he’s kind of leaned down and he you can fly him up in the air now anyway.

“I’d be delighted to see how he gets on with the Barbarians – him and Rob [Kearney] back together again.”

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The Irish international suffered a head injury in the national side’s 53-7 rout of Argentina at the weekend and has entered Leinster’s Return to Play protocols.

The second-rower will miss the team’s first interprovincial game of the season against Ulster on Saturday night but McBryde knows that it is for the best to put Ryan’s health first.

“We’ll be led by the medics. I don’t think it’s just confined to Leinster. It’s throughout world rugby at the moment with regards to trying to lessen these impacts and making sure that we look after the player. Put their health first,” McBryde said.

“You’ve just got to go through those protocols and trust that they’re in the best hands. I’m sure they are. We’ll just have to wait and see on that one.”

Leinster have a 10-game stretch on the horizon after the end of the international window and will tap into their depth throughout those ten weeks.

In the case of their first match of that block against Ulster, first-team players such as Ryan, Jack Conan (quad) and captain Jonathan Sexton (knee and ankle) will not be available for selection.

McBryde applauds the province’s strength-in-depth and believes it will shine positively on the most recent league champions in the coming weeks, with their European fixtures also set to kick-off soon.

“The guys back here have been working hard for this past month and I know they’re ready to take an opportunity if it comes their way.

“We’re fortunate that we’ve got good strength-in-depth, so we can afford to treat each individual case with regards to how much minutes they’ve played etc. Make sure they don’t get burn out.

“Because it’s going to be a busy schedule ahead of us, this next block of games for us. We’re into the interpros and then we’re into Europe.

“Back into the interpros and then they’re straight into the Six Nations after going back into Europe.

“It’s a big block of games, but we have got strength in depth. We’ve got quality. Hopefully, we’ll be able to manage everybody and make sure none of them get that burnt-out feeling.”

The game this week is Leinster’s first matchup of the United Rugby Championship’s new Irish Shield – points in this match go towards both the regular-season table and a smaller table with all four provinces.

Ulster come into the match against the unbeaten Pro 14 champions off the back of a heavy defeat to Connacht at the Aviva Stadium.

However, McBryde knows the quality of the opponent that his team are scheduled to face this weekend.

“They proved difficult in the last game we played them in the Rainbow Cup. They’re big men, they’ve got good go-forward.

“They carry hard, they make it really difficult for the opposition to get their game going as well.

“It will be a big test for us, but it will be hopefully one that we can stand up to and show some of the work we’ve done in the past month as well with these guys.

“We haven’t been standing still, we’ve been working on one or two things and hopefully we’ll see that come to the fore on Saturday.”

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Ospreys v Munster will kick off at 19:35 on Saturday 23rd October in the Swansea.com Stadium in Wales. Referee Hollie Davidson will take charge of the match while Mike Adamson will be on TMO.

This match will also be shown live on RTE 2, Premier Sports, URC TV, and S4C.

Munster will head to Wales with their tails up after a late 20-18 win over Connacht maintained their 100 percent winning start to the season.

Beaten finalists last term, Munster has triumphed in their last 11 matches against the Ospreys in all competitions since a defeat in Cork in February 2016.

The Stags will also be boosted by the long-awaited return of some of their international players, Conor Murray and Damien De Allende.

The Ospreys survived a Benetton fightback to claim a third victory in four matches but have won only twice in eight meetings against Irish provinces.

They have also beaten an Irish opponent just once at this stadium since April 2018 while Munster has prevailed on their last five visits.

What a moment for @Munsterrugby!

Diarmuid Barron gives his side the bragging rights and keeps their unbeaten streak going with this late try #URC | #MUNCON pic.twitter.com/XRUkN0hXws

— United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) October 16, 2021

Ospreys v Munster Starting Teams

Ospreys

Max Nagy; Alex Cuthbert, Owen Watkin, Keiran Williams, Mat Protheroe; Stephen Myler, Rhys Webb (C); Nicky Smith, Elvis Taione, Tom Botha, Bradley Davies, Rhys Davies, Sam Cross, Jac Morgan, Ethan Roots.

Replacements

Ifan Phillips, Gareth Thomas, Rhys Henry, Jack Regan, Morgan Morris, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Joe Hawkins, Dan Evans.

Injuries / Suspensions

N/A

Munster

Matt Gallagher; Andrew Conway, Liam Coombes, Dan Goggin, Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, John Ryan; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Tadhg Beirne, Peter O’Mahony (C), Jack O’Donoghue.

Replacements

Kevin O’Byrne, Josh Wycherley, Keynan Knox, Gavin Coombes, John Hodnett, Conor Murray, Ben Healy, Damian de Allende.

Injuries / Suspensions

RG Snyman, Jason Jenkins, James French, Chris Farrell, Roman Salanoa

On this day in 2017, @Munsterrugby edged a tight second round match to claim a win at Thomond Park

How far can they go in this years #HeinekenChampionsCup ? pic.twitter.com/rj73E0mEZ5

— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) October 21, 2021

Ospreys v Munster Betting

Outright Betting

Ospreys: 7/2

Draw: 25/1

Munster: 1/6

Handicap Betting:

Ospreys (+12): 10/11

Draw (+12): 22/1

Munster (-12): 10/11

Score Prediction

Munster are again the clear favorites for another URC match. They will be on high alert after complacency nearly lead to them losing last week. The Irish provincial side will push on once more this week especially with the return of some of their stars.

Expect Munster to win by 9 points with a victory bonus point secured.

To read more in-depth and up-to-date provincial and Irish rugby news, click here.

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This will be the second interprovincial of the season, after Connacht’s loss to Munster at Thomond Park last week.

Dan McFarland’s side have reeled off four successive bonus-point wins but they have failed to win on their previous five visits to this venue and have also lost their last five games against fellow Irish provinces – a record they need to curb if they want to win the Irish Shield this season.

Connacht suffered a late 20-18 defeat to Munster last week but will have been buoyed by their performance and beat Ulster 26-20 at the Aviva last August.

However, their patchy form so far this season pales in comparison to Ulster’s strong start and a performance similar to the one at Thomond will be needed if they are to come away from Dublin with at least four points to their name.

While Connacht have triumphed in just nine of their 37 meetings with Ulster, the last six have been shared with three wins apiece.

Team News

Connacht

15. Tiernan O’Halloran (194)
14. John Porch (43)
13. Sammy Arnold (20)
12. Tom Daly (52)
11. Mack Hansen (4)
10. Jack Carty (163) (C)
9. Kieran Marmion (190)
1. Matthew Burke (27)
2. Dave Heffernan (148)
3. Finlay Bealham (163)
4. Niall Murray (20)
5. Ultan Dillane (118)
6. Eoghan Masterson (112)
7. Conor Oliver (24)
8. Paul Boyle (61)

16. Shane Delahunt (104)
17. Jordan Duggan (16)
18. Jack Aungier (17)
19. Oisín Dowling (10)
20. Jarrad Butler (77)
21. Caolin Blade (134)
22. Conor Fitzgerald (38)
23. Diarmuid Kilgallen (2)

Ulster

(15-9) Ethan McIlroy, Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Craig Gilroy, Billy Burns, Nathan Doak;

(1-8) Eric O’Sullivan, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor, Iain Henderson (Capt.), Matty Rea, Nick Timoney, David McCann.

Replacements: Brad Roberts, Andrew Warwick, Ross Kane, Kieran Treadwell, Greg Jones, David Shanahan, Mike Lowry, Ben Moxham.

Odds

Connacht 7/5

Draw 17/1

Ulster 8/13

Where To Watch

The game will kick-off at 5:15 pm on Saturday evening and will be available to watch live on Premier Sports, URC TV and TG4.

The post Connacht v Ulster – Preview, Team News, Odds, Where To Watch appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Iain Henderson will lead the Ulster men in his first game for the province this season and will partner Alan O’Connor in the second row.

O’Sullivan is the only change to the starting front row that defeated Emirates Lions last week, with Rob Herring and Tom O’Toole retaining their places at hooker and tighthead.

The back row is unchanged as Matty Rea, Nick Timoney and David McCann are all named to start.

The backline sees two changes and two positional switches – Ethan McIlroy moves to full-back and Craig Gilroy shifts to the left-wing while Robert Baloucoune comes into the right-wing.

Stuart McCloskey returns to pair up with James Hume in midfield while Nathan Doak and Billy Burns are the starting half-backs for the fourth consecutive game.

Brad Roberts, Andrew Warwick, Ross Kane, Kieran Treadwell and Greg Jones provide the forward reinforcements from the bench, with David Shanahan, Mike Lowry and Ben Moxham named as the backline cover.

Ulster Team v Connacht

(15-9) Ethan McIlroy, Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Craig Gilroy, Billy Burns, Nathan Doak;

(1-8) Eric O’Sullivan, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor, Iain Henderson (Capt.), Matty Rea, Nick Timoney, David McCann.

Replacements: Brad Roberts, Andrew Warwick, Ross Kane, Kieran Treadwell, Greg Jones, David Shanahan, Mike Lowry, Ben Moxham.

The post Henderson returns as captain for Ulster against Connacht appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.