UNLIKE LAST SEASON when Connacht missed out on the play-offs, this weekend’s URC quarter-finals will involve all four of the Irish provinces.
Indeed, one of the four ties is an inter-provincial battle between Ulster and Connacht on Friday night.
Leinster have home advantage against South African opposition, while Munster travel to Scotland for their quarter-final.
Ulster v Connacht
Kingspan Stadium, Friday, 7.35pm, TG4/URC TV
Dan McFarland’s Ulster are at home in Belfast on Friday night for what could be a cracking all-Irish clash.
Connacht go in as the underdogs with little to lose but plenty of good form behind them. Andy Friend’s side had won six in a row before their narrow defeat to Glasgow on the last day of the regular season, with that superb run of results helping them to grab their play-off spot and, in all likelihood, Champions Cup qualification.
It’s wrong to say that Connacht are at their best when they throw caution to the wind and run everything. They have actually kicked the ball more often and for much more distance than any other team in the URC so far this season. Oftentimes, their kicking game helps to put them in good attacking positions.
Ulster, meanwhile, have been working hard to improve their attack with ball in hand after a season in which their undoubtedly skillful backline hasn’t always been as clinical, cohesive, and confident as it can be. McFarland’s men have one of the most dangerous mauls in club rugby and that is likely to be a weapon once again on Friday, but they’ll surely hope to play off it at times too.
Friend has had a healthy Connacht squad to pick from this week, with 41 players available in total so there’s no doubt the westerners can give this a good crack. But Ulster, who are without injured captain Iain Henderson, remain the favourites at home.
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Stormers v Bulls
DHL Stadium, Saturday, 2.30pm Irish time, TG4/URC TV
The Stormers have home advantage. Steve Haag Sports / Thinus Maritz/INPHO
Steve Haag Sports / Thinus Maritz/INPHO / Thinus Maritz/INPHO
The winner of the Irish inter-pro on Friday night will advance into a semi-final against the winner of Saturday afternoon’s all-South African affair. Ulster would have a home semi-final, but Connacht would be away if they get through.
With home advantage in Cape Town and as the reigning URC champions, the Stormers are fancied in this quarter-final against Jake White’s Bulls.
It has been a frustrating last month for the Stormers as they failed to really fire in their Champions Cup quarter-final against Exeter and then lost at home to Munster in the URC to give up second place in the table to Ulster, meaning that John Dobson’s men would have to travel to Belfast for that possible semi-final.
That said, the Stormers at their best bring an intoxicating blend of power, precision, and pageantry. They’re superbly coached and always come across as a united, focused group under Dobson.
This season has been up and down for the Bulls, with head coach White having a major health scare earlier this year, but they’ve regained some momentum in their last two games by hammering Zebre and Leinster to secure sixth place in the table. Knowing White, he’ll have them in a good place for this knock-out tie.
Leinster v Sharks
Aviva Stadium, Saturday, 5pm, RTÉ/URC TV
Leinster and the Sharks had a cracking game earlier this season. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
The Sharks’ last visit to Dublin was one of the most entertaining games of the season as they played their part in a 13-try thriller that did see Leinster pull well clear in the end. The South Africans will have a few more of their Springboks in tow this time, including Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi, but they’re the injured Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth.
Leinster’s team selection will be fascinating, with head coach Leo Cullen having indicated that they will be making changes after last weekend’s Champions Cup semi-final win over Toulouse.
Even when they do rotate, Leinster are usually still strong so their 18-point favouritism isn’t a shock. That margin is also a reflection of how poor the Sharks can be. They have brilliant days when they tear teams apart as they did against Munster in the Champions Cup round of 16, but they are often not the sum of their talented parts.
One man who will enjoy the challenge of trying to pick Leinster apart is Sharks attack coach Noel McNamara, the province’s former academy manager.
Leinster’s reward for a win on Saturday would be a home semi-final against Glasgow or Munster a week later, while the Sharks would have to travel again in the final four if they do pull off a major shock.
Glasgow v Munster
Scotstoun, Saturday, 7.35pm, RTÉ/URC TV
Munster boss Graham Rowntree. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
This could be the tie of the round. Glasgow are in red-hot form, having won 17 of their 18 games since December. Their rewards for that superb string of results are a home URC quarter-final and a place in the Challenge Cup final against Toulon in Dublin on 19 May.
Head coach Franco Smith has overseen the revival of the Glaswegian side, while Irish attack coach Nigel Carolan is deservedly earning big plaudits for how dangerous they are with the ball.
Munster know all about that threat, having been shredded by Glasgow at Thomond Park in a chastening 38-26 defeat in March. The Munster defence will simply have to be better this time around, but they do have some cause for optimism.
With their backs to the wall, Munster went on tour to South Africa in their final two games of the URC regular season and beat the Stormers, then drew with the Sharks. Graham Rowntree’s men could have won the latter tie after mounting a big second-half comeback.
There was another boost this week with confirmation that Ireland international Tadhg Beirne is fit again, meaning they now have both of their game-changing second rows available, with RG Snyman having completed his return-to-play protocols.
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The Irish derby, Leinster's team rotation, and Munster's red-hot hosts
UNLIKE LAST SEASON when Connacht missed out on the play-offs, this weekend’s URC quarter-finals will involve all four of the Irish provinces.
Indeed, one of the four ties is an inter-provincial battle between Ulster and Connacht on Friday night.
Leinster have home advantage against South African opposition, while Munster travel to Scotland for their quarter-final.
Ulster v Connacht
Kingspan Stadium, Friday, 7.35pm, TG4/URC TV
Dan McFarland’s Ulster are at home in Belfast on Friday night for what could be a cracking all-Irish clash.
Connacht go in as the underdogs with little to lose but plenty of good form behind them. Andy Friend’s side had won six in a row before their narrow defeat to Glasgow on the last day of the regular season, with that superb run of results helping them to grab their play-off spot and, in all likelihood, Champions Cup qualification.
It’s wrong to say that Connacht are at their best when they throw caution to the wind and run everything. They have actually kicked the ball more often and for much more distance than any other team in the URC so far this season. Oftentimes, their kicking game helps to put them in good attacking positions.
Ulster, meanwhile, have been working hard to improve their attack with ball in hand after a season in which their undoubtedly skillful backline hasn’t always been as clinical, cohesive, and confident as it can be. McFarland’s men have one of the most dangerous mauls in club rugby and that is likely to be a weapon once again on Friday, but they’ll surely hope to play off it at times too.
Friend has had a healthy Connacht squad to pick from this week, with 41 players available in total so there’s no doubt the westerners can give this a good crack. But Ulster, who are without injured captain Iain Henderson, remain the favourites at home.
Stormers v Bulls
DHL Stadium, Saturday, 2.30pm Irish time, TG4/URC TV
The winner of the Irish inter-pro on Friday night will advance into a semi-final against the winner of Saturday afternoon’s all-South African affair. Ulster would have a home semi-final, but Connacht would be away if they get through.
With home advantage in Cape Town and as the reigning URC champions, the Stormers are fancied in this quarter-final against Jake White’s Bulls.
It has been a frustrating last month for the Stormers as they failed to really fire in their Champions Cup quarter-final against Exeter and then lost at home to Munster in the URC to give up second place in the table to Ulster, meaning that John Dobson’s men would have to travel to Belfast for that possible semi-final.
That said, the Stormers at their best bring an intoxicating blend of power, precision, and pageantry. They’re superbly coached and always come across as a united, focused group under Dobson.
This season has been up and down for the Bulls, with head coach White having a major health scare earlier this year, but they’ve regained some momentum in their last two games by hammering Zebre and Leinster to secure sixth place in the table. Knowing White, he’ll have them in a good place for this knock-out tie.
Leinster v Sharks
Aviva Stadium, Saturday, 5pm, RTÉ/URC TV
The Sharks’ last visit to Dublin was one of the most entertaining games of the season as they played their part in a 13-try thriller that did see Leinster pull well clear in the end. The South Africans will have a few more of their Springboks in tow this time, including Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi, but they’re the injured Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth.
Leinster’s team selection will be fascinating, with head coach Leo Cullen having indicated that they will be making changes after last weekend’s Champions Cup semi-final win over Toulouse.
Even when they do rotate, Leinster are usually still strong so their 18-point favouritism isn’t a shock. That margin is also a reflection of how poor the Sharks can be. They have brilliant days when they tear teams apart as they did against Munster in the Champions Cup round of 16, but they are often not the sum of their talented parts.
One man who will enjoy the challenge of trying to pick Leinster apart is Sharks attack coach Noel McNamara, the province’s former academy manager.
Leinster’s reward for a win on Saturday would be a home semi-final against Glasgow or Munster a week later, while the Sharks would have to travel again in the final four if they do pull off a major shock.
Glasgow v Munster
Scotstoun, Saturday, 7.35pm, RTÉ/URC TV
This could be the tie of the round. Glasgow are in red-hot form, having won 17 of their 18 games since December. Their rewards for that superb string of results are a home URC quarter-final and a place in the Challenge Cup final against Toulon in Dublin on 19 May.
Head coach Franco Smith has overseen the revival of the Glaswegian side, while Irish attack coach Nigel Carolan is deservedly earning big plaudits for how dangerous they are with the ball.
Munster know all about that threat, having been shredded by Glasgow at Thomond Park in a chastening 38-26 defeat in March. The Munster defence will simply have to be better this time around, but they do have some cause for optimism.
With their backs to the wall, Munster went on tour to South Africa in their final two games of the URC regular season and beat the Stormers, then drew with the Sharks. Graham Rowntree’s men could have won the latter tie after mounting a big second-half comeback.
There was another boost this week with confirmation that Ireland international Tadhg Beirne is fit again, meaning they now have both of their game-changing second rows available, with RG Snyman having completed his return-to-play protocols.
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Connacht KNOCKOUTS Leinster Munster Play-offs Quarter finals Ulster URC