FIVE YEARS ON from their last home knock-out game in this competition, Munster are ready to host a URC quarter-final at Thomond Park on Friday night.
They did it the hard way last season, winning all three of their play-off games away from home to secure the trophy but the prospect of the opposite run this time around is hugely appealing.
Graham Rowntree’s men will hope to have a big crowd roaring them on in Limerick for this quarter-final against the Ospreys, who edged into the play-offs with a thrilling 33-29 win over Cardiff last weekend.
Toby Booth’s men were major outsiders to get a quarter-final and they’ll be underdogs again on Friday, with Munster installed as the 13-point favourites early this week.
It’s no surprise Munster are fancied. Momentum is always key at this time of the season and the southern province have plenty of it. Their winning streak in the URC was extended to nine games with last weekend’s victory over Ulster. Munster weren’t perfect but they produced class when they needed it.
Calvin Nash’s try was a particularly brilliant passage of attack, a sweeping effort that started with a big scrum to earn penalty advantage and featured lightning-quick breakdowns, fizzing Craig Casey passes, sharp footwork from Joey Carbery and Jack Crowley, as well as a delightful offload from the Inishannon man. When they get into that flow, Munster are difficult to stop.
Some of their performances on this run have been patchy, particularly the last two against Edinburgh and Ulster, but Rowntree’s side have a habit of putting errors behind them swiftly to produce moments of excellence. Crowley’s ability to move on rapidly from mistakes is symbolic of this team.
They’ve been weakened by more bad luck with injuries, with Carbery, Tom Ahern, and Rory Scannell set to miss the rest of the season, while Alex Nankivell is among those still on the comeback trail. But it’s important to have creative centre Antoine Frisch returning this weekend, while hooker Diarmuid Barron is fit again too.
The expectation is that Munster will have too much quality for the Ospreys and if that’s the case, they advance into a home semi-final against either Glasgow or the Stormers.
Those are two dangerous sides but home advantage could be key for Munster, who beat Glasgow and the Stormers in last season’s away run to the title. Revenge will be on the minds of whoever visits Thomond Park.
And the tantalising prospect beyond that is a URC final at Thomond Park. 2011 was the last time Munster won a trophy in front of their own fans and it’s something that many clubs can only dream of.
There is the possibility that Leinster could be the ones visiting Limerick for that final but Leo Cullen’s side have their own tricky path to negotiate if they’re to be involved in the decider.
They’re 16-point favourites for Saturday evening’s quarter-final against Ulster at the Aviva Stadium, with their frontliners returning to action for the first time since the Champions Cup final defeat to Toulouse. Those Ireland internationals will surely be energised by the chance to start shaking off the disappointment.
Ulster have made steady progress under Richie Murphy, which is encouraging ahead of next season, and they won’t be turning up just to wave Leinster through to the semis. They’ve already beaten Leinster twice this season.
There is a new-found bounce in the Ulster squad and many players’ form has improved. Murphy has backed the impressive Cormac Izuchukwu to make an impact at blindside flanker and been rewarded with impactful performances. He looks set to be a key man in the coming seasons.
Kieran Treadwell, Alan O’Connor, Stuart McCloskey, and Ethan McIlroy are all injury doubts after last weekend’s game against Munster – the last two pulled out before the game – and Murphy needs all hands on deck if they’re to cause an upset. Even if they don’t win, it would be great for Ulster fans to see another combative, incisive display.
Leinster’s reward for winning would be either a visit to the Bulls in South Africa or a home tie against Benetton in the semi-finals.
It’s tough for the Italians having to trek back down to Pretoria for this Saturday’s quarter-final having visited only three weekends ago when they were beaten 56-35.
Jake White’s men are the deserved favourites. So if Leinster can get past Ulster, they may have to travel to South Africa for the semi-final and back up before the final the following weekend. That would be tough going.
There is still the prospect of Leinster having a home final if they reach the decider but that would require Munster being knocked out in the quarter-final or semi-final.
If Ulster managed to make it all the way to the final, the only way they’d be at home would be if the Ospreys shocked everyone to reach the decider too.
Munster versus Leinster in the URC final at Thomond Park would be an exciting way for the Irish provincial season to end, but both sides know the pathway to that point holds plenty of danger.
