In a congested URC table, there is much to gain for Saturday’s protagonists Munster and Connacht when they square up at Thomond Park (7.35pm).
Only a single point separates the sides in the bottom half of the URC table, ensuring this derby has much at stake to start this post-autumn international period.
Both sides know what to expect from the other and are likely to feature players involved in the November games, although Andy Friend’s side is likely to be missing Mack Hansen, who remains a “long shot” after taking a heavy knock in the win over Australia.
“The guidance we’ve been given is that we can play [internationals] in seven of the next nine, and we can pick and choose when they are,” he says.
And Saturday could well be the right time for Ireland prop Finlay Bealham, who Friend says enjoyed “good dominance” in the scrum and “was heavily involved in winning that penalty” against the Wallabies.
“It was great to see Cian Prendergast get his first cap during that block, and to see Gavin Thornbury and Caolan Blade staying with the senior squad through that programme. So I think it was a good autumn series for our fellas, and I thought Mack was a centimetre away from one of the great Irish tries, but it wasn’t to be unfortunately.”
After a 10-day break during the international window, Connacht’s focus ahead of Munster has been on “tidying up a few areas that need sharpening up”, particularly attack.
“We need to be far more clinical as a side that is the sixth best to get into the 22, but we’re certainly sitting down the bottom in terms of points scores, so that tells you that we are making errors when we get in the 22, and that has been a key focus, to tidy that up.
“We know we have a lot of work to do if we are going to come away with a win, and we’ve got a lot of work to do to make sure that happens,” says Friend, who has officially confirmed his departure from the province at the end of this fifth season.
With both sides desperate to make their way into the top half of the table, this fixture has an expected greater intensity despite the fact it’s not yet halfway in the competition.
After a poor start to the season, Connacht finished round seven with three wins in the last four, including a 20-11 victory over Munster at the Sportsground, ensuring this return fixture will have plenty of bite.
“We are all very aware of the first seven games, and I feel like we dug our way out of what was a little bit of a hole. Yet at the eight-game mark everyone is looking at it, saying, ‘Jesus, if you can win that one, or if you don’t win, it can put you in either a healthy spot or a place of real disadvantage.
“So our intention is to go there and win, and I believe we have a game plan to be able to do that. It’s now up to us to get the players in the right head space and go there and execute.”
