Munster

Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Munster (10) 13

Tries: Abrahams Con: Crowley Pens: Crowley 2

Bulls (10) 16

Tries: Coetzee Con: Goosen Pens: Goosen 2, Johannes

Keagan Johannes kicked a late penalty as the Bulls edged past Munster with a gritty 16-13 win in the United Rugby Championship.

After Jack Crowley landed an early penalty, the Bulls scored the first try of the game when Marcell Coetzee flew over the line from close range and Johan Goosen converted.

The Bulls extended their lead when Goosen landed a long-range penalty as the rain began to fall in Limerick.

Backed by their vocal home support, Munster pushed for a score before the break and their pressure was rewarded when Thaakir Abrahams skipped over in the corner, and Crowley curled in a superb conversion to level the game two minutes before the break.

Goosen's penalty nudged the Bulls back in front but the South Africans had Embrose Papier sent to the sin-bin for not retreating 10 metres as Munster looked to take a quick penalty.

Crowley soon levelled the game with a kick of his own and there was nothing to separate the sides heading into the final 10 minutes, as the game was interrupted by a period of 14 against 14 and uncontested scrums after an injury to Munster's replacement prop Stephen Archer.

Referee Andrea Piardi and his officials then deemed it should have been 15-a-side and both teams were restored to their full compliment, with uncontested scrums still in place.

Replacement Johannes pulled a penalty wide as the Bulls missed an opportunity to retake the lead, but he made no mistake at the second time of asking with seven minutes to play after Alex Kendellen's high tackle on Ruan Nortje.

It was a first defeat in 11 home matches against South African opposition in the URC and leaves Munster in eighth place, while the Bulls remain third.

Munster: T Abrahams; S O'Brien; T Farrell, A Nankivell; A Smith; J Crowley; C Murray; J Wycherley, N Scannell, O Jager; J Kleyn, T Beirne; T Ahern, J O'Donoghue, A Kendellen.

Replacements: L Barron, M Donnelly, S Archer, F Wycherley, R Scannell, P Patterson, D Kilgallen, R Quinn.

Bulls: D Williams; C Moodie; D Kriel, H Vorster; S de Klerk; J Goosen, E Papier; JH Wessels, A van der Merwe, W Louw; C Wiese, R Nortje; M Coetzee, J Kirsten, C Hanekom.

Replacements: J Grobbelaar, S Matanzima, M Smith, JF van Heerden, N Carr, Z Burger, K Johannes, S Jacobs.

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI Senior Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Wednesday morning served up a startling reminder of the different worlds Leinster and the other Irish provinces currently inhabit.

Merely an hour after All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane announced his shock move to Leinster for the 2025-26 season, Connacht confirmed the departure of head coach Pete Wilkins.

Leinster are living under a cloudless, blue sky. They are top of the United Rugby Championship, are favourites to win the Investec Champions Cup and have an enviable squad that already includes an All Blacks star in Jordie Barrett - who will be gone by the time Ioane arrives - and a two-time World Cup winner in RG Snyman.

The reality for Munster, Ulster and Connacht is quite different. In the past 12 months, all three have parted ways with their head coach mid-season. While Leinster target the biggest prizes, their Irish rivals are scrapping to even qualify for Europe's top competition next season.

Even without the Wilkins news - which comes four days after Connacht's European Challenge Cup exit - the timing of the Ioane announcement is striking.

On Tuesday, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) revealed another significant tweak to their central contract model: from August 2026, provinces must contribute 40% to central deals. Given that the union fully funded these deals up until a 30% requirement was introduced last year, it is significant.

It was said that the IRFU "intends" that the funds generated by the change will be invested into the player pathways of Connacht, Munster and Ulster.

The new model will certainly hit Leinster the hardest. As of next season, Leinster have 11 centrally contracted players, Connacht have two, Munster have one and Ulster none.

Leinster will be contributing a healthy chunk of budget to those 11 Ireland internationals, but with Ioane taking Barrett's place next season, the anticipated increase to their wage bill has clearly not hampered their ability to recruit in the short-term.

As well as Snyman, Leinster already have French prop Rabah Slimani on the books.

With Ioane replacing Barrett next season, Leo Cullen will again be able to name a matchday 23 where reserve scrum-half is the only position not occupied by a current international from one of the game's four highest ranked Test teams.

After losing three Champions Cup finals in three years, it is true that Leinster's change in approach to non-Irish qualified (NIQ) signings has been brought about their quest to win European rugby's biggest prize for a first time since 2018.

But while the moves will draw envious glances from those in other countries trying to compete for the same trophies, there can be little doubt there will be a similar response much closer to home too.

Image source, Inpho & Getty Images

Munster centre Alex Nankivell will start Saturday's Champions Cup quarter-final against Bordeaux after his suspension was lifted.

Nankivell was handed a two-game suspension following his red card against Connacht last month and while he remained banned for last week's win over La Rochelle, his appeal was upheld on Thursday.

The New Zealand-born centre replaces Sean O'Brien in midfield with Josh Wycherley replacing the injured Jeremy Loughman at loose-head prop in the only other change from the win over La Rochelle.

Prolific France wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey returns to the Bordeaux XV after missing the club's last-16 win over Ulster, but former Munster and Ireland fly-half Joey Carbery is not included in the squad as Matthieu Jalibert regains the 10 shirt.

Thaakir Abrahams, Calvin Nash and Andrew Smith form an unchanged back three while Jack Crowley, fresh off signing a contract extension, continues his half-back partnership with Craig Casey.

Wycherley joins Diarmuid Barron and Oli Jager in the front row, while Jean Kleyn and captain Tadhg Beirne continue in the second row.

Peter O'Mahony, John Hodnett and Gavin Coombes form the back row, while Mark Donnelly is included as one of the six forward replacements.

Donnelly has not played in the Champions Cup since December 2021, while prop Stephen Archer will earn his 300th Munster cap if called upon.

Bordeaux: J Echegaray; D Penaud, Y Moeffana, J Van Rensburg, L Bielle-Biarrey; M Jalibert, M Lucu; J Poirot, M Lamothe, B Tameifuna; A Coleman, C Cazeaux; M Diaby, G Petti, P Samu.

Replacements: C Sa, M Perchaud, S Falatea, P Bochaton, M Gazzotti, B Vergnes-Taillefer, Y Lesgourgues, P Uberti.

Munster: T Abrahams; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, A Smith; J Crowley, C Casey; J Wycherley, D Barron, O Jager; J Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne (capt); P O'Mahony, J Hodnett, G Coombes.

Replacements: N Scannell, M Donnelly, S Archer, F Wycherley, T Ahern, C Murray, S O'Brien, A Kendellen.

Image source, Inpho

Munster's Alex Nankivell has been cleared to face Bordeaux-Begles in Saturday's Champions Cup quarter-final (15:00 BST).

Nankivell was handed a two-game suspension following his red card against Connacht last month, and while he remained banned for last week's win over La Rochelle, he is available this weekend after his appeal was upheld.

The New Zealand-born centre, 28, was dismissed in Munster's United Rugby Championship win over Connacht by referee Craig Evans after making head contact with Cian Prendergast.

An appeal panel consisting of chair Rod McKenzie (Scotland), Achille Reali (Italy) and Rory Bannerman (Scotland) upheld Nankivell's appeal after reviewing the case on Wednesday.

Munster travel to Stade Chaban Delmas on Saturday after edging La Rochelle in a gripping encounter in France last weekend.

The Irish province have not reached the Champions Cup semi-finals since 2019.

Munster will name their team to face Bordeaux at 13:00 BST on Friday.

Image source, Inpho

Ireland fly-half Jack Crowley has agreed a two-year contract extension with Munster Rugby and the Irish Rugby Football Union which will keep him at the province until at least 2027.

The 25-year-old has won 24 Ireland caps to date, had been linked with English Premiership club Leicester Tigers.

Crowley's only start in the recent Six Nations campaign came in the final game of against Italy on 15 March, having come off the bench in the previous four matches which saw Sam Prendergast handed the starting role.

The Cork Constitution clubman became part of the senior Munster squad ahead of the 2021-22 season and started his first United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup games for Munster during that term.

In the 2022-23 campaign he helped Munster win the URC title and made his Ireland Test debut against Fiji.

Crowley featured at his first World Cup in 2023 and went on to start seven consecutive games for Ireland during the victorious 2024 Six Nations campaign and the summer tour to South Africa.

He has made 11 appearances for Munster this season and won consecutive player of the match awards in the away wins over La Rochelle and Connacht over the past two weeks.

Last weekend the number 10 scored the winning drop goal against La Rochelle in a 25-24 victory in the last 16 of the Champions Cup.

To date Crowley has scored 305 points in 65 appearances for Munster since making his debut against Ulster.

Last season he was named 2023-24 URC Players' Player of the Year, URC Next-Gen Player of the Year and was named on the URC Elite XV.

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI Journalist

Image source, Inpho

After what he called a "special day" in La Rochelle on Saturday, Munster's head of rugby operations Ian Costello said the province are targeting three more such occasions in the Investec Champions Cup this season.

The 25-24 win over Ronan O'Gara's side in the last-16 stage set up a quarter-final away to Bordeaux-Begles this Saturday and Costello wants to ensure that the win in La Rochelle is not viewed as a "cup final" for the group.

"The reality is now we want to have three more days like this," he said after the dramatic win in the Stade Marcel-Deflandre.

"You take one game at a time, but there's no point in this being our cup final. It would nearly disrespect what the club have done.

"We've three matches left to have a crack at winning a trophy."

Costello praised the visiting Munster supporters who travelled to La Rochelle in huge numbers

"I went down to meet a few friends just to get out of the hotel for an hour and it was shivers down your neck stuff," he said.

"I hadn't seen anything like that for a long, long time.

"That set the tone. What it means to our supporters.

"There was talk of 2,000 [Munster fans] here, there were way more than 2,000."

With only seven days between visits to France, it is unlikely the Munster support will travel in such numbers to the Stade Chaban-Delmas this weekend, although Costello is sure some will try.

"There'll be kids' piggybanks raided," he joked.

"There'll be people here, that's the magic of it.

"There's people that would prefer not to go on summer holidays to get two weekends like this. That's what's special about the club."

Image source, Getty Images

Munster flanker Peter O'Mahony could face La Rochelle in the last 16 of the Investec Champions Cup this weekend after returning from injury.

The Irish province will face the two-time champions at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre on Saturday (17:30 BST), with the French side coached by Munster legend Ronan O'Gara.

O'Mahony missed the side's win over Connacht on Saturday and has not played since his final Test appearance for Ireland in their Six Nations victory against Italy last month.

The 35-year-old has not featured for Munster since their Champions Cup loss to Northampton Saints in January, but a statement from the province said his availability for Saturday will be determined "based on how he gets through the week's training".

Against Connacht, Irish international scrum-half Craig Casey was playing for the first time since knee surgery in December and the 25-year-old came through the game unscathed.

Forwards Oli Jager, Jean Kleyn and Niall Scannell also returned from injury in the inter-provincial derby and are fit to face La Rochelle.

Flanker John Hodnett was forced off with a thigh contusion in Castlebar, however, and is a doubt for the game.

Image source, Inpho

Connacht and Munster welcome back Irish internationals for the United Rugby Championship interprovincial showdown at MacHale Park on Saturday (14:30 GMT).

The hosts bring in Mack Hansen, Bundee Aki, Finlay Bealham and captain Cian Prendergast for what will be the first time a professional Connacht game is held in County Mayo, and the first time rugby is played at the Castlebar venue in its 95-year history.

The Ireland quartet are among seven Connacht changes from the 43-40 defeat by Ospreys in Wales.

Chay Mullins, Jordan Duggan and Sean Jansen also come into the starting XV.

Munster have three Irish internationals back in their side as Tadhg Beirne, Jack Crowley and Calvin Nash return.

The visitors are also boosted by the return of Oli Jager and Craig Casey from injury as they make five changes from the 28-25 defeat by Glasgow Warriors last weekend.

Munster sit sixth in the standings and three points above 12th-placed Connacht.

Connacht: Hansen; Mullins, Gavin, Aki, Treacy; Ioane, Blade; Duggan, Heffernan, Bealham; Joyce, Murray, Prendergast (capt), Hurley-Langton, Jansen.

Replacements: Tierney-Martin, Buckley, Aungier, Murphy, Boyle, Devine, Hanrahan, Cordero.

Munster: O'Connor; Nash, Farrell, Nankivell, O'Brien; Crowley, Casey; Loughman, Barron, Jager; Wycherley, Beirne (capt); Ahern, Hodnett, Coombes.

Replacements: N Scannell, Wycherley, Archer, Kleyn, Quinn, Murray, R Scannell, Kendellen.