Irish Rugby

Image source, Inpho

Benetton (0) 5

Tries: Manfredi

Leinster (28) 35

Tries: penalty try, Frawley, Conan, Doris Cons: Frawley 3, R Byrne

Leinster continued their winning start to the United Rugby Championship season as they scored five tries to make it three bonus-point victories from three by defeating Benetton 35-5 at Stadio di Monigo on Saturday.

The Irish province had their extra point in the bag before the half-hour mark courtesy of a penalty try and converted scores by Conor Frawley, Jack Conan and Caelan Doris to lead 28-0 at half-time.

Mirco Spagnolo was penalised and yellow-carded for pulling down a maul short of the line and on the resumption of play Frawley burst through the Benetton defence to touch down under the posts.

Conan dotted down in the corner for try number three and fellow Ireland international back row Doris crashed over from five metres out. Frawley added three conversions.

The second period was much more closely contested as the hosts passed up several scoring opportunities before Marco Manfredi touched down from a driving maul in the 66th minute after Ryan Baird had been sin-binned for a cynical foul.

Replacement hooker Lee Barron crashed over for Leinster's fifth try late on, with Ross Byrne adding the extras to restore their 28-point advantage.

Leinster next face Munster in an Irish interprovincial derby at Croke Park on 12 October, while Benetton host the Sharks as they continue to chase a first win of the campaign.

Team line-ups

Benetton Treviso: Gallagher, Mendy, Menoncello, Fekitoa, Odogwu, Umaga, Garbisi, Spagnolo, Maile, Ferrari, N. Cannone, Favretto, Negri, Zuliani, Lamaro.

Replacements: Manfredi, Aminu, Avaca, Ruzza, Marini, L. Cannone, Uren, Marin.

Leinster: Keenan, J. O'Brien, Ringrose, J. Osborne, Lowe, Frawley, Gibson-Park, Porter, Kelleher, Furlong, J. McCarthy, Snyman, Conan, van der Flier, Doris.

Replacements: Barron, Milne, Clarkson, Baird, Deeny, Gunne, R. Byrne, Penny.

Image source, Getty Images

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy has emphasised that his team must now "get settled into the league" after his youthful squad suffered back-to-back defeats by the Lions and the Bulls on their two-match tour to South Africa in the United Rugby Championship.

Prior to travelling to the southern hemisphere, the Irish province edged out Glasgow in their opening match in Belfast and will next host Connacht on their home patch on Saturday 12 October.

"It's a difficult time but we'll learn from it and move on. We're quite happy about the experience of South Africa, now it's about going home and getting settled into the league and try to build some league points because we need a win now," said Murphy after Saturday's 41-27 defeat by the Bulls in Pretoria.

"We have a skilful team and our set-piece will come on as we build into this and we'll get a little bit more comfortable.

"If we can get a little bit more primary possession we'll cause teams a lot of trouble."

The Bulls, runners-up in last year's URC, ran in seven tries, while Ulster fell just short of clinching a bonus point as they scored three, including a stunning individual effort by Jacob Stockdale and well-worked touchdowns by Ben Carson and Stewart Moore.

"I thought at times today we were really good. Some of our attack has moved on from last week," reflected Murphy.

"We were under pressure a lot in and around the scrum and at the set-piece. We've got a lot of young lads out there playing their second and third caps for their province. Towards the middle or the back end of the season it will stand to us."

Image source, Inpho

Summer arrival RG Snyman will make his debut for a much-changed Leinster in Saturday's United Rugby Championship game against Benetton in Treviso (17:15 BST).

Leo Cullen's starting side has 12 changes in personnel from last weekend's 34-6 home win over the Dragons.

Jimmy O'Brien, Jamie Osborne and Jack Conan are the players to retain starting roles although all three switch positions.

Ireland stars Hugo Keenan, Garry Ringrose, James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park and Ciaran Frawley are drafted into the backs as Jordan Larmour, Liam Turner, Charlie Tector, Luke McGrath and Ross Byrne drop out of the starting line-up.

Lowe's inclusion sees O'Brien switching wings with Osborne moving to centre as Keenan starts at full-back.

Back row Conan is the only member of last week's starting pack retained although he switches from number eight to flanker because of the return of skipper Caelan Doris.

Internationals Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher and Tadhg Furlong replace Cian Healy, Gus McCarthy and Thomas Clarkson in the front row.

Synman, who controversially moved from Munster to the Dublin-based side at the end of last season, will be partnered by Joe McCarthy in the second row as James Ryan and Brian Deeny drop out.

Doris and his fellow Ireland regular Josh van der Flier take over from Max Deegan and Will Connors in the back row.

Clarkson, Deeny and Ross Byrne are named on a replacements bench that includes Ireland player Ryan Baird.

Leinster comfortably beat the Dragons after edging out Edinburgh away in their opener while Benetton thumped 42-10 by champions Glasgow last weekend after a 20-20 draw with the Scarlets in their home opener.

Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Jimmy O'Brien, Garry Ringrose, James Lowe; Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, RG Snyman; Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).

Replacements: Lee Barron, Michael Milne, Thomas Clarkson, Ryan Baird, Brian Deeny, Fintan Gunne, Ross Byrne, Scott Penny.

Image source, Inpho

Ulster have made nine changes from last weekend's 35-22 defeat by the Lions for Saturday's United Rugby Championship game against the Bulls in Pretoria (15:00 BST).

Iain Henderson returns to the starting line-up to captain the Irish province as the pack shows six changes in personnel from a week ago.

James McCormick and Corrie Barrett, who scored a try after coming off the bench last weekend, take over from John Andrew and Tom O'Toole in the front row.

Henderson and Charlie Irwin replace Kieran Treadwell and last weekend's skipper Alan O'Connor in the lock positions with James McNabney and David McCann taking over from Matty Rea and Nick Timoney in the back row.

Behind the scrum, Mike Lowry comes in for Ethan McIlroy at full-back with Ben Carson named at centre in place of Stuart McCloskey and Nathan Doak taking over from John Cooney at scrum-half.

McCormick, Carson and academy lock Irvine will be making their first Ulster starts with hooker Tadgh McElroy and development fly-half, James Humphreys also in line to make their debut for the Irish province after being named in the replacements.

O'Toole, O'Connor and Timoney drop to a replacements bench that also includes Dave Shanahan as Cooney is not named in the matchday squad.

Henderson started in Ulster's opening home win over defending champions Glasgow and came on a 51st-minute replacement for Treadwell last weekend as Ulster secured a four-try losing bonus point.

The Bulls have only played one game so far which was last weekend's 22-16 home win over Edinburgh.

Ulster: Mike Lowry; Werner Kok, Stewart Moore, Ben Carson, Jacob Stockdale; Aidan Morgan, Nathan Doak; Andrew Warwick, James McCormick, Corrie Barrett; Iain Henderson(capt), Charlie Irwin; James McNabney, Sean Reffell, David McCann.

Replacements: Tadhg McElroy, Eric O’Sullivan, Tom O'Toole, Alan O'Connor, Nick Timoney, Dave Shanahan, James Humphreys, Ben Moxham.

Image source, Getty Images

Munster centre Enya Breen will skipper Ireland for the first time against Canada in Vancouver on Saturday (23:45 BST) in a game to be shown live on BBC iPlayer.

The change comes after usual captain Edel McMahon was ruled out of the WXV1 fixture against the world's second ranked side through an injury sustained in training.

For the second of three Tests in this year's competition, head coach Scott Bemand has made four changes in total from the side that had a shock win over New Zealand in their opener.

Hooker Neve Jones drops to the bench with Cliodhna Moloney starting in the front-row alongside Niamh O'Dowd and Linda Djougang.

Erin King, who scored two tries in that victory over the Black Ferns, replaces McMahon in the back-row, starting at six with Aoife Wafer shifting over to openside.

Eve Higgins takes the place of Aoife Dalton alongside Breen in midfield, with the Leinster centre to wear the number 23 jersey, while there is a first start for Emily Lane at scrum-half as Molly Scuffil-McCabe reverts to the bench.

Munster back-row Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird and Connacht fly-half Nicole Fowley both are among the replacements having not featured against the Black Ferns.

Ireland coach Bemand said a number of players had earned their opportunity to play this weekend "having worked hard" this week.

"There has been a real hunger within the group this week to reset the focus," said Bemand.

"We want to keep momentum going and be a bit better again this week. Character and performance will keep this moving forward."

Bemand said that captaining her country would be a "special moment" for Breen.

"A strong Canada outfit will provide a different challenge for us and we're looking forward to testing ourselves against one of the best teams in the world," added the Ireland coach.

After facing Canada, Ireland will round out their campaign by facing USA next weekend.

Ireland: Flood; Considine, Higgins, Breen, Murphy Crowe; O'Brien, Lane; O'Dowd, Moloney, Djougang; Wall, Tuite; King, Wafer, Hogan.

Replacements: Jones, McCarthy, Stock, Moore, Nic a Bhaird, Scuffil-McCabe, Fowley, Dalton.

Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI Journalist

Image source, Inpho

Pumas (7) 24

Tries: Msenge, Swanepoel 2, E Swart Cons: C Swart 2

Emerging Ireland (19) 36

Tries: Ward, Murray, Izuchukwu, Smyth, McCarthy, penalty try Cons: Prendergast 2

Emerging Ireland started their tour of South Africa with a strong 36-24 win over the Pumas in Bloemfontein.

Sevens star Zac Ward, who is transitioning back into the 15s game after impressing at the Paris Olympics, showed pace and power to score Ireland's first try in the 15th minute.

Darragh Murray crossed for a second Irish score, but the Pumas grew into the game and hit back when Lundi Msenge darted over.

Ulster forward Cormac Izuchukwu powered over in the final play of the half to give Ireland a 19-7 lead at the break.

Hooker Stephen Smyth crashed over and extended their lead in the opening stages of the second half after a superb break by Ulster's Harry Sheridan, but the South Africans kept in touch when the impressive Tino Swanepoel sprinted over in the corner.

Front rows Gus McCarthy and Eduan Swart exchanged scores, but the game was decided when a penalty try was awarded with six minutes to play.

Phiko Sobahle was sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on when Ireland had three players queuing up to score, and that gave the visitors the daylight required to see out the match despite a late consolation try by full-back Swanepoel.

Simon Easterby's side are back in action on Sunday against Western Force, and finish their tour against the Cheetahs on Wednesday, 9 October.

Image source, Inpho

Ulster assistant Jonny Bell believes his side will need to improve "technically" rather than physically in order to get the best of the Bulls in Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The northern province were beaten 35-22 by the Lions in Johannesburg last weekend with Bell describing the players as "bitterly disappointed" by their performance in the second game of their United Rugby Championship season.

The Bulls, who had a large contingent on Springboks duty during the Rugby Championship, are one of the most physical sides in the competition but Bell knows Ulster cannot simply try to match them "toe to toe" in that regard.

"Physically, they challenge you and then they've any number of players who like to get you one on one and are dangerous," said the side's defensive specialist.

"When you play a lot of these South African teams, trying to go toe to toe with very big men, we're never going to win a battle of size.

"You can't shirk away from that but we've got to be technically good.

"Otherwise you're just giving big carriers one on ones and that's what they want."

Ulster have now lost their last three matches on South African soil, and were beaten by the hosts on their only previous URC visit to the Bulls' iconic Loftus Versfeld venue in 2022.

"We're excited by that challenge at Loftus," added Bell. "They're a big set-piece team so we need to be on our mettle around that.

"It's no small challenge but it's a great challenge."