The Irish Eye: URC Round 13 Review
Round 13 of the United Rugby Championship proved to be unlucky for some, as the Irish provinces sleepwalked into a nightmare to restart their respective campaigns.
Round 13 of the United Rugby Championship proved to be unlucky for some, as the Irish provinces sleepwalked into a nightmare to restart their respective campaigns.
Munster suffered their biggest loss since 2009, Leinster fell at the knees of Glasgow, Ulster suffered their first home loss of the season, but in the only saving grace, it came to the only winning province, Connacht.
All of a sudden, after finishing the Six Nations on a high, we now have three provinces looking over their shoulder.
Ulster Rugby
Connacht Rugby
N. Doak (23'), Z. Ward (64'), A. Bell (75')
Tries
S. Jansen (18'), F. Bealham (56'), F. Treacy (60', 67')
N. Doak (24'), J. Murphy (75')
Conversions
S. Naughton (19', 57', 69')
Connacht: Finding Serious Form
If their neighbours are looking back, Connacht have their eyes on those in front of them. Having watched a number of top eight contenders drop points, Connacht have timed their four game winning streak to perfection.
Stuart Lancaster’s men delivered a tenacious defensive performance up in Belfast, spearheaded by Bundee Aki, to secure their first inter-provincial win since January 1st, 2024. Despite having just 41% of possession, the visitors made 239 tackles, and conceded just five penalties en route to victory.
The win sees the western province move up to ninth place, but trail fifth placed Cardiff by just five points, with a home tie with 10th ranked Ospreys to come next Saturday.
Munster: Lowest Ebb
When Clayton McMillan led Munster to five straight wins to start the season, few would have predicted this fall from grace. Heading to Durban seeking revenge, it all went pear shaped as they lost 45-0 to the Hollywoodbets Sharks.
A nilling and a drubbing tells the full picture of a side low on confidence, and lacking any blatant attacking structure, as they were left to rue scuppering multiple try scoring opportunities in the first half, where they only trailed 12-0 at the break.
With tired bodies and minds winning out, the Sharks stretched their legs late on; meaning Munster will now need to pick up at least two wins from their final five games to guarantee playoffs this season.
Leinster: Outduelled by Warriors
The walls may not be caving in at Leinster, but this frustrating loss leaves an unfamiliar taste in their mouths. Consecutive losses for the second time this season, and the earliest they have suffered defeat #5 since the 2014/15 season. It’s as dramatic for the neutral as it is unnerving for a blue fan.
Four tries in just 11 minutes practically wrote the script of this game, with Glasgow defeating the Irish juggernaut who ended both their domestic and European dreams last season.
Scarlets come to town next week, but for 4th placed Leinster, no more slip ups will be allowed if they want to welcome a URC final to Dublin for the second year in a row.
Ulster: Centre Stage Issues
One of the last unbeaten records in Europe went up in smoke on Friday as Ulster were finally toppled on home soil. Connacht replicated their 2023 URC Quarter-Final victory with another massive away scalp.
It was an Ulster squad shorn of a lot of talent, especially in midfield, and it showed. Ben Carson and Jacob Stockdale looked like an in cohesive duo, while Harry Sheridan and Cormac Izuchukwu were big losses in the pack.
Like the others, Ulster’s top 2 (or 4) push hinges on their final slate where they will need to re-find their home form to take down Leinster, Stormers and Glasgow, fellow playoff contenders.