Ulster, Leinster, Munster, Connacht locked and loaded

Match previews in this post will be updated with match reports 

All four provinces have picked near full strength sides, allowing for injuries, in preparation for their third last regular season matches in the United Rugby Championship. The table is spectacularly tight right now, and every last point could be crucial in determining who ends up in the 8 play-off places. If the Sharks beat Gloucester in the Challenge Cup final, only the top seven will qualify for next season’s European Cup in addition to the Sharks.

Scarlets vs. Ulster: 3.05pm, Premier Sports

Scarlets have announced they are letting 14 players – including 4 of the match day squad – go at the end of the season, so it is difficult to know what their morale will be like. Stuck in 14^th. Place in the table, they have nothing to play for except their future careers if they want to attract the attention of another club. However, this is precisely the sort of match in which Ulster, in the past, have struggled to impose themselves on the opposition. Let’s hope it is the Ulster side we saw against Benetton rather than Cardiff, who show up for this match.

Ulster have announced the recruitment of Werner Kok from the Sharks and the promotion of Lorcan McLoughlin, James McNabney and Scott Wilson from their academy with Wilson starting this match at tight head. With Steven Kitshoff and Billy Burns off to join Stormers and Munster respectively, and Angus Curtis and Luke Marshall retiring, there are still some holes in their squad to be filled, notably at 10 and loose head. Prediction: Ulster to Win.

ULSTER: Mike Lowry; Ethan McIlroy, Will Addison, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Billy Burns, John Cooney; Eric O’Sullivan, Rob Herring, Scott Wilson; Kieran Treadwell, Alan O’Connor (capt); Cormac Izuchukwu, David McCann, Nick Timoney.

Replacements: Tom Stewart, Andrew Warwick, James French, Harry Sheridan, Reuben Crothers, Nathan Doak, Stewart Moore, Dave Ewers.

Match report to follow

Munster vs. Connacht: 5.15pm RTE, Premier Sports

Munster are still in with a shout of topping the regular season table and thereby gaining home advantage all the way to the final, so they will not be lacking motivation for this match. Missing only Mike Haley and long term injury absentees Dave Kilcoyne and Jean Kleyn, they have picked a particularly strong bench. For next season Munster have recruited Billy Burns from Ulster and Diarmuid Killgallen from Connacht but will be losing Joey Carbury and RG Snyman to Bordeaux and Leinster, respectively.

Connacht are still missing Mack Hansen and Santiago Cordero, and with JJ Hanrahan and Cian Prendergast added to their injury list and may not have quite the same strength in depth as Munster.  Connacht have been active in the transfer market for next season and have recruited ex-Ulster player Adam McBurney from Edinburgh, Piers O’Conor from Bristol Bears, David O’Connor from Ealing Trailfinders, and Temi Lasisi and Ben Murphy from the Leinster academy. Matthew Devine and Hugh Gavin have been promoted from their own Academy. Tiernan O’Halloran is retiring after 15 seasons and 236 appearances for Connacht; he also has 6 caps for Ireland in a distinguished career.

These inter-provincials are traditionally extremely competitive and quite feisty affairs and Connacht badly need a win to secure their place in the play-offs and European Championship next season. Nevertheless, I expect Munster to win.

MUNSTER: Simon Zebo; Calvin Nash, Alex Nankivell, Seán O’Brien, Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; RG Snyman, Tadhg Beirne (capt); Peter O’Mahony, Alex Kendellen, Jack O’Donoghue.

Replacements: Eoghan Clarke, Mark Donnelly, Oli Jager, Tom Ahern, Gavin Coombes, Conor Murray, Joey Carbery, Antoine Frisch.

CONNACHT: Tiernan O’Halloran; Shane Jennings, Tom Farrell, Bundee Aki, Byron Ralston; Jack Carty (capt), Matthew Devine; Peter Dooley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham; Joe Joyce, Oisín Dowling; Shamus Hurley-Langton, Conor Oliver, Paul Boyle.

Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Jordan Duggan, Jack Aungier, Niall Murray, Sean Jansen, Caolin Blade, Cathal Forde, Jarrad Butler.

Leinster vs. Ospreys: 7.35pm TG4, Premiersports

Leo Cullen has made good his pledge to field strong teams for the remainder of the URC with just five changes to the starting team that beat Northampton. Jimmy O’Brien makes his first start of the year and Jimmy O’Brien is also back from injury, but there is still no sign of Garry Ringrose or Hugo Keenan coming back from injury.

Ospreys are 10^th. In the table overall and still very much in the hunt for a play-off and Champions league place. They will undoubtedly give this match a good rattle, but it is hard to see them staying with Leinster, especially when the respective benches come on. Leinster will be hoping that Glasgow come a cropper against the Bulls in Johannesburg to allow them to reclaim top spot in the table. Prediction: Leinster to win

For next season Leinster have recruited RG Snyman and Jordie Barrett (from December to the end of the season) and promoted loose head Jack Boyle, tight head Paddy McCarthy, and back row James Culhane from their academy. Michael Ala’alatoa (Clermont), Jason Jenkins (Sharks), Ross Molony (Bath), and Ed Byrne (Cardiff) will be leaving the club. A pity another Irish club couldn’t have picked them up. There is, as yet no sign of any major signing of a tight head – the most glaring weakness in the Leinster squad.

LEINSTER: Ciarán Frawley; Jordan Larmour, Jamie Osborne, Robbie Henshaw, Jimmy O’Brien; Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; Ross Molony, Jason Jenkins; Ryan Baird, Will Connors, Caelan Doris (capt).

Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Michael Milne, Thomas Clarkson, Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Charlie Ngatai, Tommy O’Brien.

Frank Schnittger is the author of Sovereignty 2040, a future history of how Irish re-unification might work out. He has worked in business in Dublin and London and, on a voluntary basis, for charities in community development, education, restorative justice and addiction services.