Irish Rugby

Image source, Inpho

Connacht captain Cian Prendergast has signed a new three-year contract with the Irish province to keep him at the club until 2028.

The back-row forward has three caps for Ireland and was named in Andy Farrell's squad for the upcoming autumn internationals.

The 24-year-old made his Ireland debut in 2022 and was given the club captaincy in Galway at the start of the season.

"I’m thrilled to be committing my future to Connacht for a further three years, Prendergast told the Connacht Rugby website.

"I’ve enjoyed every minute since arriving four years ago, and with the new stadium and high performance centre on the way there’s a very exciting future ahead.

"I can’t wait to play my part in that and represent the people of Connacht for at least another three seasons, and give them the success we believe is possible.”

Image source, Getty Images

Leinster will go into the international break top of the United Rugby Championship after beating the Lions 24-6 at the Aviva Stadium for their sixth win from six games played this season.

Leo Cullen's men did, however, drop their first point of the campaign having failed to collect a four-try bonus for the first time in 2024-25.

All six points for the South African visitors, who came into this round second in the table, came from the boot of Kade Wolhunter.

Less than two weeks from Ireland meeting New Zealand at the same ground, Leinster were able to call on a healthy number of their Test contingent for the top of the table meeting.

It was one of those Irish internationals who scored the only try of the first-half, Josh van Der Flier wriggling his way across the whitewash after Caelan Doris had been stopped short just prior.

Before that try in the 32nd minute, the only scoring of the first half had come through penalties, one for Leinster's Sam Prendergast and a pair from the Lions' Wolhunter.

The second half proved to be a similarly tight affair as conditions worsened.

While James Lowe was just unable to ground Prendergast's grubber kick beyond the try line, it took until almost the hour mark for the first points after the turn.

With Doris having made the carry that preceded Van der Flier's score in the first half, this time it was the openside flanker swivelling to pass to his number eight to set up the try for the new Irish captain.

As the Lions' charge faded despite a battling performance, Leinster had already made the victory safe by the time, with the last play of the game, they were awarded a penalty try when their maul was illegally stopped when driving over the line.

Image source, Getty Images

Munster were heavily beaten by the Sharks in Durban but took a point from the United Rugby Championship contest thanks to Tadhg Beirne's 81st minute try.

The 41-22 reverse means that Munster go into the international break with three consecutive defeats and having lost four of their six URC games this season.

The Sharks, boasting a large contingent of Rassie Erasmus' Springbok squad for November, had their four-try bonus wrapped up by the half-time interval.

Aphelele Fassi had opened the scoring for the hosts with less than a minute on the clock and he was followed across the whitewash by Makazole Mapimpi, Grant Williams and Andre Esterhuizen in the opening 37 minutes.

Overpowered in the scrum and struggling with the Sharks pace out wide, Munster did respond through Tom Ahern and Mike Haley before the break.

The four-try bonus will certainly have been the goal for Graham Rowntree's men after the turn but they would concede the first ten points of the second half thanks to a Jordan Hendrikse penalty and Vincent Tshituka's chargedown score.

Calvin Nash's try off a Billy Burns kick-pass brought Munster within a score of the consolation bonus-point and it was left to captain Beirne to provide it from close range in the last play of the game.

Image source, Getty Images

Munster and Leinster have named strong teams boasting plenty of Ireland players for their United Rugby Championship matches against South African opposition on Saturday.

Munster have named Calvin Nash, Jack Crowley, Craig Casey and Tadhg Beirne to start against the Sharks in Durban (15:00 BST), while Leinster have included a host of their Test players for their top-of-the-table clash with the Lions at Aviva Stadium (17:15).

Munster boss Graham Rowntree makes four changes from last week's loss to the Stormers with Rory Scannell, Casey, Stephen Archer and John Hodnett all recalled.

Caelan Doris, who was this week named Ireland captain for next month's autumn internationals, skippers a Leinster side featuring Robbie Henshaw for the first time this season. Henshaw will be partnered in midfield by Hugh Cooney, who makes his first senior start.

With Ciaran Frawley not included after his injury against Connacht last weekend, Sam Prendergast - who was included in the Ireland squad this week - starts at fly-half for Leo Cullen's side.

Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Rory Scannell, Sean O’Brien; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; John Ryan, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne (capt); Tom Ahern, John Hodnett, Jack O’Donoghue.

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Kieran Ryan, Ronan Foxe, Fineen Wycherley, Ruadhan Quinn, Ethan Coughlan, Billy Burns, Alex Kendellen.

Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Andrew Osborne; Hugh Cooney, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Luke McGrath; Michael Milne, Gus McCarthy, Rabah Slimani; RG Snyman, Ryan Baird; Max Deegan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).

Replacements: Stephen Smyth, Andrew Porter, Thomas Clarkson, Brian Deeny, James Culhane, Cormac Foley, Ross Byrne, Charlie Tector.

Image source, Getty Images

Ulster coach Richie Murphy says Iain Henderson, Sean Reffell and Ethan McIlroy will all be available for Saturday's United Rugby Championship game against Cardiff after missing the home win over Ospreys.

Ireland lock Henderson was concussed after a challenge by Connacht's Dave Heffernan in Ulster's win over their fellow Irish province on 12 October.

Flanker Reffell and back McIlroy sustained ankle knocks in the same game which forced them out of the Ospreys contest.

"Sean Reffell, Ethan and Hendy are all coming back to fitness. They will all be available for selection this week," said Ulster coach Murphy.

Hookers Rob Herring and Tom Stewart are nearing a return to fitness but will not be considered for this week's game which means James McCormick, who started last weekend, and John Andrew will be in contention for the number two jersey.

After the opening five rounds of fixtures, Ulster sit fifth in the table, three points ahead of the ninth-placed Welsh club.

"It's a very important game for us. Four wins out of the first six matches would be quite satisfying. Three wins would be just sort of a pass," said Murphy.

Image source, Getty Images

Leinster coach Jacques Nienaber has clarified his comments about the prospect of him returning to South Africa's coaching set-up in the future.

Nienaber helped the Springboks win back-to-back Rugby World Cups in 2019 and 2023 before joining the Irish province as a senior coach last year.

Speaking to the Irish media on Monday before Leinster's United Rugby Championship game against South African side Lions on Saturday, Nienaber - who is under contract at Leinster until 2026 - appeared to indicate that he had no plans to rejoin the Springboks.

But posting on X, Nienaber said he is happy at Leinster without dismissing "what might come down the line".

He wrote: "Hey guys - I was asked yesterday in media about life at Leinster and being a club coach day to day...but headlines can be misleading.

"It is absolutely the right time for me, my family and my coaching journey, and being tested daily, to be here now.

"But that is not to dismiss what I did before now, what I loved to do before now or to dismiss what might come down the line.

"But for now, I am happy here at Leinster. My full quotes reflect that. Not the headlines!"

Image source, Inpho

Ireland will open their 2025 Women's World Cup campaign with a contest against Japan at Franklin's Gardens in Northampton on Sunday, 24 August.

Franklin's Gardens will again be the venue for the Ireland side's second Pool C contest against Spain on 31 August before they face defending world champions New Zealand at Brighton and Hove Albion Stadium on 7 September.

The top two teams in Pool C will progress to the quarter-finals.

Scott Bemand's Ireland side earned a surprise win over New Zealand in their opening WXV1 game in Vancouver earlier this month.

Supporters will be able to apply for World Cup tickets from 11:00 GMT on Tuesday, 5 November until Tuesday, 19 November.

IRELAND'S WORLD CUP POOL C FIXTURES

24 August - Ireland v Japan, Franklin's Gardens, 12:00 BST

31 August - Ireland v Spain, Franklin's Gardens, 12:00

7 September - Ireland v New Zealand, Brighton and Hove Albion Stadium, 14:45

Image source, Inpho

Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw will be available to make his seasonal debut when Leinster host the Lions at Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

The United Rugby Championship fixtures this weekend are the last provincial action before Ireland host New Zealand on 8 November.

Henshaw has not played since Ireland beat South Africa in Durban last July with what was described as a "minor injury".

Fly-half Ciaran Frawley, who delivered the winning drop goal in that game, sustained an ankle injury during Leinster's win over Connacht on Saturday.

His province have, however, described the knock as "not serious", although it will be further assessed this week with a view to whether he can feature at the Aviva on Saturday.

Connacht's Mack Hansen missed the same interprovincial derby with a hip injury sustained against Ulster this month but the 26-year-old is expected to train this week.

The winger missed both the Six Nations and Ireland's tour of South Africa so has not played for the national side since the World Cup quarter-final defeat to New Zealand over a year ago.

Andy Farrell will name his Ireland squad for November on Wednesday. His side will travel to Portugal for warm weather training before their autumn fixtures against the All Blacks, Argentina, Fiji and Australia.

Image source, Inpho

United Rugby Championship

Stormers: (14) 34

Tries: Hartzenberg, Theunissen, R Nel 2 Cons: Willemse 4 Pen: Willemse Drop goal: Willemse

Munster: (12) 19

Tries: Farrell, Clarke, Coombes Cons: Crowley 2

The Stormers moved off the bottom of the United Rugby Championship table as two Ruhan Nel tries helped earn a 34-19 victory over Munster in an entertaining but error-ridden contest in Cape Town.

Suleiman Hartzenberg's intercept try as he ran from Munster's 22 gave the Stormers a sixth-minute 7-0 lead.

But the visitors were 12-7 up by the 27th minute as Tom Farrell's try, after Shane Daly charged down a Damian Willemse clearance, was followed by replacement hooker Eoghan Clarke's score.

However the Stormers' pack dominated the remainder of the first half as Marcel Theunissen's try gave them a 14-12 interval advantage, with Willemse slotting his second conversion.

Although both line-outs continued to badly malfunction, the Stormers maintained their superiority immediately after the break with Nel's first try increasing their lead to 21-12 as fly-half Willemse again added the extras.

Back-row replacement Gavin Coombes' introduction noticeably boosted the visitors and his touchdown - converted by Crowley - cut the Stormers' lead to 21-19 with 12 minutes remaining.

However man of the match Willemse closed out the game as his 74th-minute penalty was quickly followed by his drop goal with Munster not helping themselves by botching two restarts, with replacement Billy Burns and Crowley both failing to reach the required 10 metres.

Nel's injury-time try compounded Munster's misery as they came away with nothing despite scoring three tries in what was their third defeat in five games this season.

The Stormers' win moved them up five places to 11th in the 16-team table, one spot behind Munster.