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The BKT United Rugby Championship is back, and what a tonic it is. The best league? Not for this biased writer to judge, but it is top quality.
As we head into the ‘winter block’ with five rounds of intense domestic action, and four European pool games between now and the start of the 2026 Six Nations, it would be easy to forget exactly where we were when we left off.
From an Irish perspective, there is a new top dog (for now), a rare slip off (for now), an excitement up north, and a rising force out west.
To jog the memory and get the excitement up to boil, here’s what you may forget and what you need to watch from each of the four Irish provinces.
Munster - 2nd
A perfect start under Kiwi Clayton McMillan means Munster re-enter the URC arena second in the table, only behind the Stormers on points difference. Their opponent upon arrival? The Stormers, in Limerick.
The Cape Tonians have yet to win in the Treaty City, and will be keen to turn over a Munster side on the ascension to URC and European contention.
Two inter-provincial triumphs, over Leinster and Connacht, two further bonus point wins over Scarlets and Edinburgh, and a scrappy clash with Cardiff leads to soaring optimism levels in spite of Ireland’s decrepit Autumn.
They did all that using 41 different players, handing out debuts and with Tom Ahern, Tom Farrell, Craig Casey and Tadhg Beirne featuring sparingly. Not bad.
Munster’s next slate of games turns a gentle slope into a steep rock climbing challenge. On paper, their easiest fixture in the next eight weeks is a home showdown with Gloucester in Europe, with three European contenders - Bath, Leinster and Toulon - all on the horizon.
This is where we will find out exactly how strong Clayton McMillan’s men really are.
Upcoming fixtures: DHL Stormers (H); Bath (A), Gloucester (H); Ospreys (A), Leinster (H), Ulster (A); RC Toulon (A), Castres (H).
Ulster - 5th
With a game less played, and the South African tour out of the way, Ulster are in a great place heading into the next few weeks. They’ve already taken down the Bulls and Sharks, and will be keen to pick up where they left off.
Richie Murphy’s men also roll back into Ravenhill, with a new shiny toy. Australian Angus Bell. The dynamic prop could face off against old friend Taniela Tupou on debut, but that is merely a side spectacle for a gruelling but rewarding run for Ulster.
Their first season in the Challenge Cup will allow them to test the second and third layer of their depth chart, while going all in for their URC games, especially against Cardiff, Connacht and Munster.
Three from four in Europe, and four from five in the URC would certainly alleviate any potential January blues in Belfast.
Upcoming Fixtures: Benetton (H); Racing 92 (H), Cardiff (A); Leinster (A), Connacht (A), Munster (H); Cheetahs (A), Stade Francais (H).
Leinster - 7th
Rumours of Leinster’s demise have been greatly exaggerated, but, we are in unfamiliar territory for the Dublin club. Just two wins from their opening five games sees them lurking just inside the top eight as we return to action.
The stirring loss to Munster in Croke Park and dropped points down in South Africa made for a languid start, but confidence will be high if history is anything to count for; given this is a time of the season where Leo Cullen’s squad depth usually comes to the fore.
It remains to be seen just how involved their test stars will be in this period, as Leinster usually focus on Champions Cup exploits, but they know that at least three wins are needed between now and when Andy Farrell recalls his cast.
Upcoming Fixtures: Dragons (A); Harlequins (H), Leicester Tigers (A); Ulster (H), Munster (A), Connacht (H); La Rochelle (H), Bayonne (A).
Connacht - 12th
Trailing their rivals after the first block is Connacht, who under the stewardship of Stuart Lancaster, will be keen to make up for lost time in the winter months.
A postponed clash with the Scarlets scuppered any momentum as they went on to lose to Cardiff, the Bulls and Munster in the subsequent weeks, leaving them slightly behind the eight-ball.
Lancaster, to his credit, has played about with squad selection and rotation, and will be hoping that he has a reinvigorated group returning this week.
Home ties with the Sharks and Ulster feel like ‘Playoff 8-Pointers’ already, but they also have the opportunity to build some valuable confidence with a more than winnable Challenge Cup pool.
Upcoming Fixtures: Sharks (H); Ospreys (A), Black Lion (H); Dragons (A), Ulster (H), Leinster (A); Montpellier (A), Montauban (H).
