Munster new boy Carbery faces early return to Leinster

By Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh

A Joey Carbery v Johnny Sexton showdown could come as early as October after the release of next season’s Guinness PRO14 fixtures.

Munster travel to Aviva Stadium to face interprovincial rivals Leinster in round six of the competition, with a 6pm kick off set for the Saturday evening clash on October 6.

Carbery, Sexton’s understudy at international level, completed his stunning move from Leinster to Munster in May ahead of Ireland’s three-Test series in Australia, where he started in the opening defeat and made a late appearance off the bench in the second test.

Moving south ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup was done with the goal of pushing Sexton all the way in the green shirt, and proving his class against the Lions No 10 in Aviva Stadium will be high on his to-do list for the coming season.

Before that, Munster will face Cheetahs in their opening game on September 1, with Glasgow, Ospreys, Cardiff and Ulster to follow before the trip to Dublin, a game that will double as the ideal warm up ahead of the opening Champions Cup Pool games.

Defending champions Leinster will start their campaign away to Cardiff Blues, the Challenge Cup winners — a fixture that serves up a clash between the winners of both European titles last season.

New Connacht head coach Andy Friend, faces a tough start to his reign with the visit of Glasgow Warriors to Galway, while Ulster kick their season off against Scarlets at home, but they are likely to be without new coach Dan McFarland, who is serving out a notice period with the Scottish Rugby Union. Simon Easterby is on secondment from the IRFU as the northern province continue to try and get the former Connacht coach to Belfast before January.

Ulster head to South Africa for their double header against Southern Kings and Cheetahs in September, while Connacht will make the same trip in November. Munster and Leinster will play just one fixture each in South Africa this season — both on November 4.

But both sides will be significantly weakened given Ireland’s fixture against Italy in Chicago on November 3, the first of a four-test November series that includes games against Argentina, New Zealand and United States. The traditional St Stephen’s Day fixtures have been parked this season, with the trio of festive interprovincial games now played on December 21/22, December 28/29 and January 5.

Meanwhile Will Addison says he could not say no to Ulster when the province came calling earlier this year.

The Kingspan Stadium outfit finished the season without a head coach, struggled to qualify for Europe and endured one of the province’s toughest seasons on and off the pitch. But Addison’s dream of playing for Ireland meant he jumped at the chance — and the former England Junior World Cup player had planned for such an opportunity long in advance.

“I chatted to Dwayne Peel [the Ulster coach] back in April, and I had a clause in my contract that if an Irish team came calling then I’d the option to leave Sale,” he said.

“Talking to Peeley about the group we have here at Ulster, and the transition being made over the summer with a lot of really great senior players leaving, new coaching group, it felt like an exciting time I couldn’t miss out on.”

“I felt if I left it a bit later then maybe I’d miss the boat, so it felt like the right time for me, a fresh clean slate. Hopefully I can push myself to international honours at some point, but I think with the group we have here, the young coaching group, there’s an exciting time coming and we’re all excited for the first game of the season to get it under our belts.”

Guinness PRO14: Next season’s schedule

ROUND 1: Friday, August 31: 7.35pm: Cardiff Blues v Leinster, Cardiff Arms Park, 7.35pm: Ospreys Rugby v Edinburgh, Liberty Stadium; Saturday, September 1: 3pm: Connacht v Glasgow Warriors, The Sportsground, 5.15pm : Ulster v Scarlets, Kingspan Stadium, 5.15pm: Munster v Toyota Cheetahs (venue TBC), 7.35pm: Dragons v Benetton, Rodney Parade, 8.35pm: Zebre v Southern Kings, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.

ROUND 2: Friday, September 7: 7.35pm: Glasgow Warriors v Munster, Scotstoun Stadium, 7.35pm: Ulster v Edinburgh, Kingspan Stadium; Saturday, September 8: 3pm: Dragons v Southern Kings, Rodney Parade, 5.15pm: Connacht v Zebre, The Sportsground, 5.30pm: Ospreys v Toyota Cheetahs, Liberty Stadium, 7.35pm: Scarlets v Leinster, Parc y Scarlets, 8.35pm: Benetton v Cardiff Blues, Stadio Monigo.

ROUND 3: Friday, September 14: 7.35pm: Edinburgh v Connacht, BT Murrayfield, 7.35pm: Munster v Ospreys, Irish Independent Park; Saturday, September 15: 5.15pm: Scarlets v Benetton, Parc y Scarlets, 5.15pm: Leinster v Dragons, RDS Arena, 7.30pm: Toyota Cheetahs v Glasgow Warriors, Toyota Stadium, 8.35pm: Zebre v Cardiff Blues, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi; Sunday, September 16: 2.15pm: Southern Kings v Ulster, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

ROUND 4: Friday, September 21: 7.15pm: Toyota Cheetahs v Ulster, Toyota Stadium, 7.35pm: Cardiff Blues v Munster, Cardiff Arms Park; Saturday, September 22: 3pm: Southern Kings v Glasgow Warriors, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, 5.15pm: Connacht v Scarlets, The Sportsground, 5.15pm: Dragons v Zebre, Rodney Parade 7.35pm: Leinster v Edinburgh, RDS Arena, 7.35pm: Ospreys v Benetton, Liberty Stadium.

ROUND 5: Friday, September 28: 7.35pm: Cardiff Blues v Toyota Cheetahs, Cardiff Arms Park, 7.35pm: Edinburgh v Benetton, BT Murrayfield; Saturday, September 29: 4pm: Zebre v Ospreys, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, 5.15pm: Connacht v Leinster, 6.30pm: Scarlets v Southern Kings, 7.35pm: Glasgow Warriors v Dragons, 7.35pm: Munster v Ulster.

ROUND 6: Friday, October 5: 7.35pm: Edinburgh v Toyota Cheetahs, BT Murrayfield, 7.35pm: Glasgow Warriors v Zebre, Scotstoun Stadium, 7.35pm: Ulster v Connacht, Kingspan Stadium; Saturday, October 6: 3pm: Scarlets v Ospreys, Parc y Scarlets, 5.15pm: Dragons v Cardiff Blues, Rodney Parade, 6pm: Leinster v Munster, Aviva Stadium, 8pm: Benetton v Southern Kings, Stadio Monigo.

ROUND 7: Friday, October 26: 7pm: Southern Kings v Scarlets, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, 7.55pm: Ulster v Dragons, Kingspan Stadium, 8pm: Zebre v Edinburgh, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi; Saturday, October 27: 4pm: Benetton Rugby v Leinster Rugby, Stadio Monigo, 5.15pm: Munster v Glasgow Warriors, Thomond Park, 7.15pm: Toyota Cheetahs v Cardiff Blues, Toyota Stadium; October 26/27/28: TBC: Ospreys v Connacht, Liberty Stadium.

ROUND 8: Friday, November 2: 7.35pm: Edinburgh v Scarlets, BT Murrayfield, 7.35pm: Ospreys v Glasgow Warriors, Liberty Stadium; Saturday, November 3: 4pm: Benetton v Ulster, Stadio Monigo, 5.15pm: Connacht v Dragons, Sportsground; Sunday, November 4: 2.45pm: Cardiff Blues v Zebre, Cardiff Arms Park, 2.45pm: Southern Kings v Leinster, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, 4.45pm: Toyota Cheetahs v Munster Rugby, Toyota Stadium.

ROUND 9: Friday, November 23: 7.35pm: Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff Blues, Scotstoun, 7.35pm: Leinster Rugby v Ospreys Rugby, RDS Arena, 7.35pm: Scarlets v Ulster Rugby, Parc y Scarlets; Saturday, November 24: 2.30pm: Toyota Cheetahs v Benetton, Toyota Stadium; Sunday, November 25: 3pm: Southern Kings v Connacht, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium: 4.30pm: Zebre v Munster, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, 5.30pm: Dragons v Edinburgh, Rodney Parade.

ROUND 10: Friday, November 30: 7.35pm: Ospreys v Zebre, Liberty Stadium, 7.35pm: Munster v Edinburgh, Irish Independent Park; Saturday, December 1: 3pm: Ulster v Cardiff Blues, Kingspan Stadium, 5pm: Toyota Cheetahs v Connacht, Toyota Stadium, 5.15pm: Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets, Scotstoun Stadium, 5.15pm: Dragons v Leinster, Rodney Parade, 7.15pm: Southern Kings v Benetton, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

ROUND 11: Friday, December 21: 7.35pm: Ulster v Munster, Kingspan Stadium; Saturday, December 22: 3pm: Ospreys v Scarlets, Liberty Stadium, 5.15pm: Cardiff Blues v Dragons, Cardiff Arms Park, 5.15pm: Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors, BT Murrayfield Stadium, 7.45pm: Leinster v Connacht, RDS Arena, TBC: Zebre v Benetton, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.

ROUND 12: Friday, December 28: 7.35pm: Connacht v Ulster, Sportsground; Saturday, December 29: TBC: Benetton Rugby v Zebre, Stadio Monigo, 3pm: Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh Rugby, Scotstoun, 5.15pm: Munster v Leinster, Thomond Park, 5.15pm: Scarlets v Cardiff Blues, Parc y Scarlets; Sunday, December 30: 3pm: Dragons v Ospreys, Rodney Parade.

ROUND 13: Saturday, January 5: 3pm: Benetton v Glasgow Warriors, Stadio Monigo, 5.15pm: Leinster v Ulster, RDS Arena, 5.15pm: Scarlets v Dragons, Parc y Scarlets, 7.35pm: Edinburgh v Southern Kings, BT Murrayfield, 7.35pm: Connacht v Munster, Sportsground; Sunday, January 6: 2pm: Zebre v Toyota Cheetahs, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi; January 4/5/6: TBC: Ospreys v Cardiff Blues.

ROUND 11: Saturday, January 19: TBC: Southern Kings v Toyota Cheetahs, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

ROUND 14: Friday, January 25: 7.35pm: Glasgow Warriors v Ospreys, Scotstoun Stadium, 7.35pm: Leinster v Scarlets, RDS Arena, 7.35pm: Ulster v Benetton, Kingspan Stadium; Saturday, January 26: 3pm: Dragons v Munster, Rodney Parade, 3pm: Toyota Cheetahs v Zebre, Toyota Stadium, 5.15pm: Cardiff Blues v Connacht, Cardiff Arms Park, 5.15pm: Southern Kings v Edinburgh, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

ROUND 12: Saturday, February 2: 4pm: Toyota Cheetahs v Southern Kings, Toyota Stadium.

ROUND 15: Friday, February 15: 7.35pm: Edinburgh v Dragons, BT Murrayfield, 7.35pm: Munster v Southern Kings, Irish Independent Park; Saturday, February 16: 4pm: Zebre v Leinster, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, 5.30pm: Connacht v Toyota Cheetahs, Sportsground, 6.15pm: Benetton v Scarlets, Stadio Monigo, 7.35pm: Cardiff Blues v Glasgow Warriors, Cardiff Arms Park; February 15/16/17: TBC: Ospreys v Ulster, Liberty Stadium.

ROUND 16: Friday, February 22: 7.35pm: Glasgow Warriors v Connacht, Scotstoun Stadium, 7.35pm: Ospreys v Munster, Liberty Stadium, 7.55pm: Leinster v Southern Kings, RDS Arena; Saturday, February 23: 2pm: Benetton v Dragons, Stadio Monigo, 7.35pm: Edinburgh v Cardiff Blues, BT Murrayfield, 7.35pm: Ulster v Zebre, Kingspan Stadium; Sunday, February 24: TBC: Scarlets v Toyota Cheetahs, Parc y Scarlets.

ROUND 17: Friday, March 1: 7.35pm: Leinster v Toyota Cheetahs, RDS Arena; Saturday, March 2: 2.45pm: Connacht v Ospreys, Sportsground, 4pm: Benetton v Edinburgh, Stadio Monigo, 5pm: Scarlets v Munster, Parc y Scarlets, 6.15pm: Zebre v Glasgow Warriors, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, 7.35pm: Cardiff Blues v Southern Kings, Cardiff Arms Park; Sunday, March 3: 3pm: Dragons v Ulster, Rodney Parade.

ROUND 18: March 22/23/24: Cardiff Blues v Scarlets, Connacht v Benetton, Edinburgh v Leinster, Glasgow Warriors v Toyota Cheetahs, Munster v Zebre, Ospreys v Dragons, Ulster v Southern Kings.

ROUND 19: April 5/6/7: Toyota Cheetahs v Ospreys, Glasgow Warriors v Ulster, Southern Kings v Dragons, Leinster v Benetton, Munster v Cardiff Blues, Scarlets v Edinburgh, Zebre v Connacht.

ROUND 20: April 12/13/14: Toyota Cheetahs v Dragons, Connacht v Cardiff Blues, Edinburgh v Ulster, Southern Kings v Ospreys, Leinster v Glasgow Warriors, Scarlets v Zebre, Benetton v Munster.

ROUND 21: April 26/27/28: Cardiff Blues v Ospreys, Toyota Cheetahs v Southern Kings, Dragons v Scarlets, Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh, Munster v Connacht, Ulster v Leinster, Zebre v Benetton.

Quarter-final Stage: May 3/4/5.

Semi-Finals: May 17/18/19. 

Guinness PRO14 final: May 25.