Match Officials

Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU, 89th competition game) Assistant: Chris Busby, Paul Haycock (both IRFU)
TMO: Sean Brickell (WRU)

Recent meetings

Date	Venue	C	E	Connacht scorers	Edinburgh scorers
Fri 23 Mar 18	Sportsground	22	29	Tiernan O’Halloran(T) Tom Farrell(T) Jack Carty(2C/P) Finlay Bealham(T)	Duncan Weir(T/C/3P) Duhan van der Merwe(T) Jaco van der Walt(P) Dougie Fife(T)
Fri 14 Sep 18	BT Murrayfield	10	17	Jack Carty(C/P) Niyi Adeolokun(T)	Pierre Schoeman(T) Duhan van der Merwe(T) Jaco van der Walt(2C/P)
Fri 21 Feb 20	BT Murrayfield	14	41	Tiernan O’Halloran(2T) Jack Carty(2C)	Pierre Schoeman(T) Duhan van der Merwe(T) Simon Berghan(T) Simon Hickey(3C/2P) Penalty Try(2T)
Sun 25 Oct 20	BT Murrayfield	37	26	Tom Daly(3C/P) Caolin Blade(T) Sammy Arnold(T) Shane Delahunt(T) Conor Fitzgerald(P) Alex Wootton(2T)	Mike Willemse(2T) Jaco van der Walt(3C) Nic Groom(T) Andrew Davidson(T)
Sat 13 Mar 21	Sportsground	14	15	Jack Carty(2C) Shane Delahunt(T) Sean O’Brien(T)	Nathan Chamberlain(T/C/P) Magnus Bradbury(T)
Fri 4 Mar 22	DAM Health Stadium	8	56	Peter Sullivan(T) Jack Carty(P)	Glen Young(T) Ramiro Moyano Joya(T) Dave Cherry(T) Ben Vellacott(T) Emiliano Boffelli(T/8C) Blair Kinghorn(T) Henry Immelman(2T)

Overall record

Played 35, Connacht won 14, Edinburgh won 19 with 2 matches drawn.

Did you know?

• Connacht Rugby have won their last four BKT United Rugby Championship fixtures since their defeat to Leinster in Dublin on New Year’s Day.
• The Irishmen have not won five in succession in the Championship since they were Champions in 2015/16.
• Connacht have lost their last three matches against Scottish opponents.
• Edinburgh Rugby’s only victory in their last eight BKT United Rugby Championship encounters was 24-17 at home to Zebre Parma in Round 12.
• The Scotsmen have won just twice away from home in the Championship this campaign, both in October, beating Zebre in Parma and Cardiff at the Arms Park.
• Edinburgh have beaten an Irish province just three times since November 2019 and all were against today’s opponents, Connacht.
• Connacht have won only one of their last seven clashes with Edinburgh: 37-26 at BT Murrayfield in October 2020.
• Edinburgh have won on their last two visits to Galway.

URC Form

COMPARISON	Connacht	Edinburgh
Last 3 URC results:	28 Jan – Lions (H) W 43-24	28 Jan – Sharks (H) L 19-22
	18 Feb – Zebre (A) W 57-34	18 Feb – Scarlets (A) L 14-42
	4 Mar – Dragons (A) W 22-20	4 Mar – Leinster (H) L 27-47
URC 2022/23	8th – W8 D0 L7 – 39pts	12th – W5 D0 L10 – 32pts
URC form	LlWWww (20pts)	lLWLlL (9pts)
Top try scorer	8 – Caolin Blade	9 – Darcy Graham
Top points scorer	69 – Jack Carty	60 – Emiliano Boffelli

Content & Images from – Edinburgh Rugby

The Munster squad continued their training schedule at the HPC on Monday morning as preparations continue for Saturday evening’s vital URC clash against Glasgow Warriors at Thomond Park (5.15pm).

It is our final home game of the URC regular season with tickets available here.

See the state of play in the URC ahead of round 16 here.

On the senior international front, Peter O’Mahony and Conor Murray helped Ireland to a Grand Slam-clinching victory over England in Dublin on Saturday.

Tadhg Beirne, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley and Dave Kilcoyne also featured during the successful campaign. Joey Carbery, Gavin Coombes, Keith Earls and Roman Salanoa were part of the squad at different stages over the past two months.

Ben Healy made his Scotland debut as a replacement on Saturday, steering the team to victory over Italy at Murrayfield.

Academy player Ruadhán Quinn (Old Crescent) and fellow Munster men Brian Gleeson (Garryowen) and Danny Sheahan (UCC) helped the Ireland U20s to their second Grand Slam in-a-row with a victory over England at Musgrave Park on Sunday. Gleeson picked up his second Player of the Match award of the campaign after another excellent display.

Academy man Evan O’Connell (UL Bohemian) and Jacob Sheahan (UCC) also featured over the campaign with Academy player Jack Oliver (Garryowen) and Conall Henchy (DUFC) part of the squad.

Craig Casey, Gavin Coombes, Jack Crowley, Dave Kilcoyne, Roman Salanoa and Ben Healy have returned to training at the HPC ahead of Munster v Glasgow.

Peter O’Mahony and Conor Murray are on a down week after both playing in all five games of Ireland’s 6 Nations campaign and will return to the HPC next week.

There is good news on the injury front for Tom Ahern (shoulder) and Mike Haley (ankle) as they both return to full team training this week.

On the Academy front, there is a similarly positive injury update for Edwin Edogbo (ankle) as he also returns to full team training.

Continuing to rehab: Niall Scannell (shoulder), Liam Coombes (thigh), Jeremy Loughman (thigh), Keith Earls (calf), Tadhg Beirne (ankle), Liam O’Connor (neck), Chris Moore (neck), Eoin O’Connor (shoulder), Paddy Kelly (head), Jack Daly (knee), Andrew Conway (knee).

Tickets

URC Round 16 – Saturday, March 25

Munster Rugby v Glasgow Warriors, Thomond Park, 5.15pm; Buy tickets here

Images & Content from Munster Rugby

Munster Rugby have submitted a planning application to Limerick City and County Council for the development of a new sports facility in Rosbrien, Limerick.

The proposed new facility would be built primarily for Munster’s underage and development sides, and the surrounding community with local clubs, schools and community groups set to benefit.

Incorporated into the plan is an indoor full-size pitch; a state-of-the-art artificial full-size pitch and grass training pitch, both of which will be floodlit; a gym; clubhouse and administration building. The proposal also makes provision for an amenity walkway, greenspace, secure bicycle parking and limited parking.

This development is hailed as a major expansion of the sports facilities available to the grassroots game and the sporting community across the province, and it will be available for use to a wide range of clubs, schools, and organisations in the region and beyond.

The province, with a base for the elite game at the High Performance Centre in the University of Limerick, is already progressing with a Centre of Excellence in Musgrave Park with work to commence later this year, and last year partnered with Fethard Town Park in establishing a Regional Centre of Excellence.

Commenting on the exciting plans, Munster Rugby CEO Ian Flanagan said, “We are always looking to develop our infrastructure across the province in ensuring we can develop and resource our grassroots game leading to further participation in sport.

“This is an ongoing strategic objective of ours and we believe a facility such as this, in the heartland of Limerick, will hugely benefit the local clubs and schools and ensure young people have access to world class facilities.

“The plans we are submitting will not only benefit rugby, but this development will also improve the sporting and recreational facilities available to the surrounding community and we are hopeful of a positive planning outcome.”

Images & Content from Munster Rugby