Connacht

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The Irish Rugby Football Union [IRFU] has confirmed that a provincial 'A' championship will return next month.

The competition will see second string sides from each of the four provinces meet each other home and away between November and May in an effort to give those not featuring regularly in the United Rugby Championship game-time through the season.

"We’re delighted to kickstart the men’s ‘A’ Interprovincial championship which will provide a host of players with a further means of developing in a meaningful competition," said the IRFU's performance director David Humphreys.

"With the success of the Emerging Ireland tours, coupled with the return of an ‘A’ international against England next year, it is vital that we continue to provide players at provincial and club levels with opportunities to impress outside of the traditional URC and EPCR fixture windows.

"Discussions have been ongoing for some time to provide players with meaningful games and all four provinces are unanimously supportive of this competition."

Ulster will start their campaign by welcoming Connacht to Ballymacarn Park, the home of Ballynahinch RFC, on 22 November with Humphreys adding it is hoped the competition will benefit All-Ireland League clubs.

"It is also great to see provinces taking matches around their local clubs," he said.

"It is anticipated that as the competition progresses over the coming seasons these fixtures won’t clash with Energia All-Ireland League fixtures for the most part, thus potentially also offering players from the club game with an opportunity to impress.

"This competition will form another important part of the representative pathway from Energia AIL to URC levels for Academy players upwards over the coming seasons."

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Ulster head coach Richie Murphy says his side's hard-earned 32-27 win over Connacht at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday was "massive for us".

Ulster scored five tries to Connacht's four in an action-packed Irish interprovincial derby to end a two-game losing run.

"Five points at home was exactly what we needed to get back into the competition, which was made very difficult by a really good Connacht team," Murphy told BBC Sport NI.

"Some of their attack stuff has been excellent this year so far and they didn’t disappoint tonight again."

Murphy was particularly pleased with the way his team went about their task.

"Our toughness and fight and commitment was really good.

"There are things we need to be way better at - like overplaying in our area and not looking after the ball well enough at those times which caused us a lot of trouble – in fairness to Connacht they capitalised on that - but we're delighted with the win."

The northern province used the rolling maul to good effect against their western counterparts.

"To get a couple of maul tries is big for us, something that Ulster would have been built on back in the day, but we haven’t been able to capitalise on those in the past while.

"It was really nice to see the lads get over the line there. The last couple of weeks once we’ve got in and around that goal-line we haven’t been finishing off some of those tries but I thought we did really well today."

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Ulster fly-half Aidan Morgan says he is "super-excited" for the province's first Irish interprovincial game of the season against Connacht at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday night, a contest which will be broadcast live on BBC Two NI and BBC iPlayer.

The 23-year-old New Zealand native joined the Irish province from the Hurricanes on a two-year contract at the start of the campaign.

Ulster began their United Rugby Championship term with a narrow win over Glasgow in Belfast, followed by reverses on the road at the hands of the Lions and the Bulls.

"I know how important these interpro games are for the club and the senior boys are really leading the week in terms of what a win will mean for the team and for the fans," said Morgan.

"We ground out a really hard victory last time here [against Glasgow at Kingspan Stadium] so we’re looking to do the same.

"Although the results in South Africa weren't what we were looking for, it was nice to spend some time with the lads and get to know them a bit better.

"We’re working really hard as a team to fix up the few areas where we probably let ourselves down in South Africa. We know it’s a really big challenge this weekend but the boys are ready to step up."

'Parts of my game to improve on'

Irish-qualified Morgan cites a desire to further develop his game as one of the reasons for his move from New Zealand to Ulster.

"There are always improvements to be made to my game and the big thing Richie is working with me is leading the team around and leading the attack especially.

"I feel there are parts of my game that I’m really happy with but there’s a lot to improve on as well that I’m working on behind the scenes."

Saturday's encounter could see Morgan lock horns with All Black Josh Ioane, a fellow number 10, who also plays at full-back and centre. He joined Connacht from the Chiefs in the summer.

“I know Josh [Ioane] really well. He’s a top player, a really skilful first five and a really good ball carrier too," reflected Morgan.

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Ulster back row Nick Timoney believes the new wave of talent in the Irish province's squad is "really exciting and really good".

Following the retirements of several senior players in recent years, the 29-year-old finds himself as one of the more experienced members of Richie Murphy's panel.

The Ireland international says that while defeats by the Lions and the Bulls on Ulster's tour of South Africa were disappointing, the trip offered up an opportunity for younger players to learn and gain valuable match-time.

James McCormick, Ben Carson and academy lock Charlie Irvine made their first Ulster starts in Saturday's 47-21 loss to the Bulls, with hooker Tadgh McElroy and development fly-half, James Humphreys also making their debuts off the bench.

Carson scored a try while Humphreys kicked two conversions.

"It sometimes feels like not a lot [what you get out of a tour with two defeats] but then there’s the blooding of young lads getting their first chance and from a squad point of view you get used to playing with some new faces and get to spend more time with each other," said Timoney.

"There’s been a huge turnover in the squad over the last couple of years so it’s good from an off-the-field perspective too, getting to know some of the younger lads.

"I don’t really feel old but you look around and the rest of the lads are 21 or 22 and then you maybe do feel a bit old. I think loads of them are really exciting and really good. We have loads of talent coming through and I will try and help those lads come through as best as possible and put the club in the best place we possibly can."

Before travelling to South Africa, Ulster began their United Rugby Championship campaign with a last-gasp home win over Glasgow and Murphy's side next face Connacht in their first interprovincial game of the season on Saturday.

"You know exactly what’s coming [playing Connacht], you play them so often and you watch all their games, whereas you go to South Africa you may get different players playing, you have to do a bit more research,” explained Timoney.

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Former Ulster fly-half Billy Burns is one of three new signings to make their competitive debut for Munster in their United Rugby Championship opener against Connacht.

Tom Farrell, who arrived from Connacht, starts against his former club with Thaakir Abrahams also included by Graham Rowntree.

Jean Kleyn starts in the second row, returning after 10 months out due to an eye injury.

Hooker Diarmuid Barron captains the side with Ireland international Tadhg Beirne absent.

Munster: Mike Haley; Thaakir Abrahams, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly; Billy Burns, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron (C), John Ryan; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Ruadhan Quinn, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Josh Wycherley, Oli Jager, Alex Kendellen, Jack O’Donoghue, Ethan Coughlan, Tony Butler, Sean O’Brien.

Hansen makes long awaited return for Connacht

Mack Hansen returns for Connacht for the trip to Thomand Park, playing his first game since a serious shoulder injury sustained on New Year's Day.

Santiago Cordero starts after playing for Argentina in the Rugby Championship and Josh Murphy will play his first game since May 2023.

New arrivals Ben Murphy, Josh Ioane and Piers O’Conor are included as Cian Prendergast captains the side for the first time.

Connacht: Santiago Cordero, Mack Hansen, Piers O’Conor, Cathal Forde, Shayne Bolton, Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy, Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Jack Aungie, Joe Joyce, Darragh Murray, Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, Cian Prendergast (C).

Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Peter Dooley, Sam Illo, Oisin Dowling, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Caolin Blade, David Hawkshaw, Sean Jansen.