Munster to host Leinster in Thomond on St Stephen’s Day
The teams will already have met at the Aviva Stadium at the beginning of October in what has now become a traditional date on the fixture list. However, pitting the two provinces against each other over the Christmas festival guarantees Munster CEO Garrett Fitzgerald something he has always coveted – a full house at Thomond Park and a monetary injection so essential to cope with the province’s parlous financial situation.
And this is by no means the only fixture before the New Year that will appeal to members of the Red Army with Ulster due at Thomond Park on Friday, November 18, while they will usher in the new year with the inevitably difficult journey to the Galway Sportsground and a clash with Connacht on January 1.
They open the campaign with three back-to-back Friday night encounters, at home to Edinburgh on September 5 followed by a visit to Treviso a week later before hosting Zebre in a game that will not be televised on September 19.
Another significant pre-Christmas encounter sees Anthony Foley’s men travel to Scotstoun Stadium to face Glasgow Warriors five days before Christmas as they seek to avenge their defeat by the Scots at the semi-final stage last season. This game could feature former Munster centre James Downey in the Glasgow colours.
But Downey will have an earlier opportunity to demonstrate to Munster what they are missing as the Warriors attempt to avenge their defeat by Leinster in last year’s decider when the teams clash in Glasgow on September 6.
As Musgrave Park is currently being extensively renovated, Munster’s pre-Christmas matches will take place at Thomond Park. But once work has been completed at the Cork venue nearing the end of 2014, four games will be slotted there for the new year fixture list.
It has been decided that all Friday matches involving the Irish provinces will be televised by TG4 with Sky Sports showing the Saturday games.
First team has home advantage. All times, Irish
ROUND 1
Munster v Edinburgh Thomond Park, (TG4); Ospreys v Benetton Treviso.
September 6: Scarlets v Ulster, 2.40pm, (Sky Sports); Connacht v Newport Gwent Dragons, 5pm; Glasgow Warriors v Leinster, 5.15pm, (Sky Sports).
September 7: Zebre v Cardiff Blues, 4pm.
September 12 (7.35pm): Edinburgh v Connacht; Newport Gwent Dragons v Ospreys; Ulster v Zebre; Benetton Treviso v Munster (TBA).
September 13: Leinster v Scarlets, RDS, 2.40pm, (Sky Sports); September 14: Cardiff Blues v Glasgow Warriors, 4pm.
September 19: Munster v Zebre, Thomond Park, 7.30pm; Cardiff Blues v Ulster, 7.35pm; Connacht v Leinster, 7.35pm, (TG4).
September 20: Newport Gwent Dragons v Glasgow Warriors, 2.40pm, (Sky Sports).
September 21: Ospreys v Edinburgh, 4pm. TBC: Scarlets v Benetton Treviso.
September 26 (7.35pm): Glasgow Warriors v Connacht; Edinburgh v Scarlets; Leinster v Cardiff Blues, RDS, (TG4).
September 27: Zebre v Ulster, 3pm; Munster v Ospreys, Thomond Park, 6.30pm, ( Sky Sports).
September 28: Newport Gwent Dragons v Benetton Treviso, 4pm.
October 3 (7.35pm): Connacht v Cardiff Blues, (TG4); Ulster v Edinburgh; Zebre v Ospreys; October 4: Leinster v Munster, Aviva Stadium, 6.30pm, (Sky Sports).
October 5: Benetton Treviso v Glasgow Warriors, 2pm; Scarlets v Newport Gwent Dragons, 4pm.
October 10: Munster v Scarlets, Thomond Park, 7.35pm, (TG4).
October 11: Edinburgh v Newport Gwent Dragons, 2.40pm, (Sky Sports); Zebre v Leinster, 3pm; Ulster v Glasgow Warriors, 5.05pm, (Sky Sports).
October 12: Ospreys v Cardiff Blues, 4pm. TBC: Benetton Treviso v Connacht.
October 31 (7.35pm): Glasgow Warriors v Benetton Treviso; Leinster v Edinburgh, RDS, (TG4); Ospreys v Connacht.
November 1: Cardiff Blues v Munster, 5.15pm, (Sky Sports); TBC: Ulster v Newport Gwent Dragons; Scarlets v Zebre.
November 21 (7.35pm): Scarlets v Glasgow Warriors; Ulster v Ospreys.
November 23: Benetton Treviso v Leinster, TBA; Edinburgh v Cardiff Blues, 4pm; TBC: Newport Gwent Dragons v Munster.
November 28 (7.35pm): Cardiff Blues v Benetton Treviso; Munster v Ulster, Thomond Park, (TG4).
November 29: Zebre v Edinburgh, 3pm; Leinster v Ospreys, RDS, 5.15pm, (TG4); Connacht v Scarlets, 7.30pm, (Sky Sports).
November 30: Glasgow Warriors v Newport Gwent Dragons, 4pm.
December 19 (7.35pm): Cardiff Blues v Scarlets; Edinburgh v Benetton Treviso; Leinster v Connacht, RDS, (TG4).
December 20: Glasgow Warriors v Munster, 2.40pm, (Sky Sports); Ospreys v Ulster, 5.15pm, (Sky Sports).
December 21: Newport Gwent Dragons v Zebre, 4pm.
December 26: Cardiff Blues v Newport Gwent Dragons, 2.05pm; Munster v Leinster Thomond Park, 5pm, (TG4).
December 27: Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh, 2.40pm, (Sky Sports); Zebre v Benetton Treviso, 3pm; Ospreys v Scarlets, 5.15pm, (Sky Sports); TBC: Ulster v Connacht, TBA.
January 1: Newport Gwent Dragons v Cardiff Blues, 2.05pm; Connacht v Munster, 5pm, (TG4).
January 2: Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors, 7.35pm; January 3: Leinster v Ulster, RDS, 2.40pm, (Sky Sports), Scarlets v Ospreys, 5.05pm; TBC: Benetton Treviso v Zebre
January 9 (7.45pm): Connacht v Edinburgh, (TG4); Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets.
January 10: Cardiff Blues v Leinster, 2.40pm, (Sky Sports); Zebre v Munster, 3pm.
January 11: Ospreys v Newport Gwent Dragons, 4pm; TBC: Benetton Treviso v Ulster.
February 13-15: Edinburgh v Ospreys; Leinster v Newport Gwent Dragons, RDS; Munster v Cardiff Blues, TBC; Scarlets v Connacht; Ulster v Benetton Treviso; Zebre v Glasgow Warriors
February 20-22: Benetton Treviso v Cardiff Blues; Edinburgh v Ulster; Glasgow Warriors v Ospreys; Leinster v Zebre, RDS; Newport Gwent Dragons v Connacht; Scarlets v Munster.
February 27-March 1: Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh; Connacht v Benetton Treviso; Munster v Glasgow Warriors, TBC; Ospreys v Leinster; Ulster v Scarlets; Zebre v Newport Gwent Dragons.
March 6-8: Benetton Treviso v Edinburgh, Cardiff Blues v Connacht, Glasgow Warriors v Zebre, Newport Gwent Dragons v Ulster, Ospreys v Munster, Scarlets v Leinster.
March 27-29: Benetton Treviso v Newport Gwent Dragons; Leinster v Glasgow Warriors, RDS; Munster v Connacht, TBC; Scarlets v Edinburgh; Ulster v Cardiff Blues; Ospreys v Zebre
April 10-12: Benetton Treviso v Ospreys; Connacht v Ulster; Edinburgh v Munster; Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff Blues; Newport Gwent Dragons v Leinster; Zebre v Scarlets
April 24-26: Cardiff Blues v Ospreys; Connacht v Glasgow Warriors; Edinburgh v Zebre; Munster v Benetton Treviso, TBC; Newport Gwent Dragons v Scarlets; Ulster v Leinster.
May 8-10: Leinster v Benetton Treviso, RDS; Newport Gwent Dragons v Edinburgh; Ospreys v Glasgow Warriors; Scarlets v Cardiff Blues; Ulster v Munster; Zebre v Connacht
May 15-17: Benetton Treviso v Scarlets; Cardiff Blues v Zebre; Connacht v Ospreys; Edinburgh v Leinster; Glasgow Warriors v Ulster; Munster v Newport Gwent Dragons, TBC;
May 22-23.
May 29-31
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
