Munster

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Ireland forwards coach Paul O'Connell has ruled himself out of taking over the vacant head coach position at Munster Rugby.

The former Munster captain won a pair of Heineken Cups and three league titles as a player at Thomond Park.

Former England prop Graham Rowntree left his position as Munster head coach in October after three consecutive United Rugby Championship [URC] defeats.

The 45-year-old O'Connell had been one of the names linked as his successor but said he will not be taking the position "in the short term" as he continues to prepare Ireland for their final Test match of the year against Australia on Saturday.

“No, I have no interest in it,” he said.

“Certainly in the short term, anyway. I just hope they get the right man.”

Two of Rowntree's assistants, Denis Leamy and Mike Prendergast, signed contact extensions until 2027 this week, but there has been no announcement on who will head up the ticket moving forward, while forwards coach Andi Kyriacou also left the province last week.

Head of rugby operations Ian Costello is currently acting as head coach on an interim basis, while Alex Codling has been brought in as forwards coach consultant until the end of season but will also remain in his current role as forwards coach for the Ireland women's team.

Munster host the Lions in URC action on Saturday evening.

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Munster forwards coach Andi Kyriacou has left the Irish province with immediate effect, the club has announced.

His departure, said to be for family reasons, comes after head coach Graham Rowntree's surprise exit in late October.

Former Munster hooker Kyriacou joined as an elite player development officer in 2021 and in his first season as forwards coach in 2022-23, the club secured the United Rugby Championship (URC) title.

After topping the United Rugby Championship (URC) table last season, Munster's hopes of retaining the title were ended by their play-offs semi-final home defeat by Glasgow.

They have suffered four losses in six URC games this season and currently sit 12th in the 16-team table.

"I would like to thank the players, management, and fans for the warm welcome throughout both my times at Munster," said Kyriacou.

"However, I have lived apart from my young family for several years now and we felt it timely to continue our rugby journey back in the UK."

Backs coach Mike Prendergast is among the contenders to succeed Rowntree as head coach, with the province's head of rugby operations Ian Costello currently in interim charge.

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Ireland international Peter O'Mahony has returned from injury to start for Munster against the All Blacks XV at Thomand Park on Saturday.

The 35-year-old flanker, who has also been named in the Ireland squad for next week’s meeting with New Zealand in Dublin, opted to miss the warm weather training camp in Portugal to stay home and regain match fitness with his club.

This will be O'Mahony's second appearance of the season after a hamstring injury against Ospreys at the start of the month kept him out of the last three games.

His inclusion is one of eight changes made by interim head coach Ian Costello from Saturday's 41-24 URC defeat by the Sharks.

That game proved to be Graham Rowntree's last in charge after five years with the province.

Diarmuid Barron captains the side, while Diarmuid Kilgallen will make his long-awaited Munster debut on the left wing after he missed the start of the season through injury.

With regular starters Craig Casey and Jack Crowley away with Ireland, Ethan Coughlan and Billy Burns start as the new half-back combination.

Scrum-half Paddy Patterson is in line for his first appearance since New Year's Day as he returns from a long-term knee injury after being named among the replacements.

Six academy players are included in the 23-man squad with Evan O'Connell poised for his first Munster appearance off the bench.

Munster: Mike Haley; Shay McCarthy, Tom Farrell, Rory Scannell, Diarmuid Kilgallen; Billy Burns, Ethan Coughlan; John Ryan, Diarmuid Barron (capt), Stephen Archer; Fineen Wycherley, Tom Ahern; Peter O'Mahony, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Kieran Ryan, Ronan Foxe, Evan O'Connell, Ruadhán Quinn, Paddy Patterson, Tony Butler, Ben O'Connor.

All Blacks XV: George Bower, Brodie McAlister, George Dyer, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Fabian Holland, Oliver Haig, Du'Plessis Kirifi (capt), Devan Flanders, Finlay Christie, Harry Plummer, Kini Naholo, Quinn Tupaea, AJ Lam, Chay Fihaki, Shaun Stevenson.

Replacements: Bradley Slater, Xavier Numia, Marcel Renata, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Corey Kellow, Noah Hotham, Josh Jacomb, Ruben Love

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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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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.

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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.

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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.

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James Ryan returns to the Leinster side to partner former Munster player RG Snyman in the second row for Saturday's sold-out interprovincial United Rugby Championship game at Croke Park (17:45 BST).

Ryan's inclusion is one of three changes from the team which started last weekend's 35-5 win over Benetton in Italy.

Liam Turner is selected on the wing, replacing the injured Jimmy O'Brien, and hooker Lee Barron comes in at hooker.

Munster make four personnel changes and one positional switch after securing a bonus-point win over Ospreys last week.

Fit-again centre Alex Nankivell returns from a shoulder injury after missing his side's last two games.

Sean O'Brien starts on the wing after returning from Emerging Ireland's tour to South Africa.

Prop Stephen Archer makes his first start of the season in place of injured tight-head Oli Jager, with Gavin Coombes returning to the starting XV at number eight and Jack O'Donoghue moving to blindside flanker in the absence of the injured Peter O'Mahony.

Mike Haley is fit to start at full-back while Tom Ahern is named among the replacements after recovering from an ankle injury suffered against Ulster in June.

Three academy players are included among the Munster replacements - prop Kieran Ryan, flanker Ruadhán Quinn and winger Shay McCarthy.

Leinster are top of the URC table after winning their opening three games while third-placed Munster are four points behind.

The match will be played in front of a sold-out crowd of 82,000 at the home of gaelic games in Ireland as Leinster's RDS home is being redeveloped.

Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Liam Turner, Garry Ringrose, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe; Ciaran Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Lee Barron, Tadhg Furlong; RG Snyman, James Ryan; Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).

Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Cian Healy, Thomas Clarkson, Ryan Baird, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Harry Byrne.

Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Seán O’Brien; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne (capt); Jack O’Donoghue, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Kieran Ryan, John Ryan, Tom Ahern, Ruadhán Quinn, Conor Murray, Tony Butler, Shay McCarthy.

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Munster flanker Peter O'Mahony will miss Saturday's United Rugby Championship showdown with rivals Leinster because of a hamstring injury.

The 35-year-old Ireland captain picked up the injury in last weekend's 23-0 victory over Ospreys in Cork.

O'Mahony and prop Oli Jager, who hurt his neck against the Welsh side, were both forced off in the first half.

Munster issued a squad update for the Croke Park match on Tuesday and said O'Mahony and Jager "will go for scans and are both unavailable".

Leinster sit top of the URC table after winning their opening three games while third-placed Munster are four points behind.

More than 70,000 tickets have been sold for the game in Dublin, which kicks off at 17:45 BST.

O'Mahony's injury comes a month before Ireland's autumn internationals opener against New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium.

The All Blacks game is followed by Dublin encounters against Argentina, Fiji and Australia.

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Zebre (15) 42

Tries: Trulla 2, Fusco 2, Licata, Prisciantelli Cons: Montemauri 3 Pens: Montemauri, Da Re

Munster (28) 33

Tries: Coombes 2, Haley, Fitzgerald, McCarthy Cons: Butler 4

Zebre secured a stunning first-ever win over Munster as they recovered from a 13-point half-time deficit to cause a major upset by defeating the Irish province 42-33 in the United Rugby Championship match between the teams at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.

The Italian side ran in six tries to clinch a bonus point and end a 14-game losing streak in the competition since they drew 22-22 with Cardiff in November 2023.

Munster, narrow winners over Connacht in their season opener, had won all 20 of their previous meetings with Zebre and were unbeaten against Italian opposition in more than a decade before their loss in Parma.

The 2023 champions had a bonus point in the bag by the interval as tries from Gavin Coombes (2), Mike Haley and Bryan Fitzgerald helped their side lead 28-15.

Jacopo Trulla and Alessandro Fusco were the first-half try-scorers for the hosts.

Zebre put the next 24 points on the board as Trulla and Fusco registered their second tries and Giovanni Licata and Geronimo Prisciantelli also crossed for the home side.

Shay McCarthy's touchdown, followed by Tony Butler's fourth conversion, gave Munster hope of a recovery but a late Giacomo Da Re penalty eased any nerves for the home side and ensured that their opponents left empty-handed.

Giovanni Montemauri contributed a penalty and three conversions for the victors, who had lost 22-17 away to Cardiff on the opening weekend.

Zebre: Geronimo Prisciantelli, Jacopo Trulla, Giulio Bertaccini, Luca Morisi,Simone Gesi, Giovanni Montemauri, Alessandro Fusco, Danilo Fischetti (CAPT), Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, Matteo Nocera, Matteo Canali, Leonard Krumov, Davide Ruggeri, Samuele Locatelli, Giovanni Licata

Replacements: Giampietro Ribaldi, Luca Rizzoli, Juan Pitinari, Andrea Zambonin, Giacomo Ferrari, Patricio Baronio, Scott Gregory, Giacomo Da Re

Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Shane Daly, Tom Farrell, Thaakir Abrahams; Tony Butler, Craig Casey; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron (capt), Oli Jager; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Ruadhán Quinn, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Jeremy Loughman, John Ryan, Jack Daly, Jack O'Donoghue, Conor Murray, Bryan Fitzgerald, Shay McCarthy.

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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.