United Rugby Championship preview: How the four provinces shape up ahead of new competition
Pictured (L-R) Kieran Treadwell (Ulster), Chris Farrell (Munster), Garry Ringrose (Leinster) and Paul Boyle (Connacht) at the launch of the United Rugby Championship. Picture:Â INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Finished top of the PRO14’s Conference B to progress straight to the final, which didn’t end well, a 16-6 defeat to old foes Leinster at the RDS in April’s title decider. The following week saw Johann van Graan’s side eliminated from the Champions Cup at the round of 16 stage. Eventual champions Toulouse were the victors at Thomond Park and though Munster were much improved though eventually outmuscled and overpowered, 40-33.
The return home of Simon Zebo from Racing 92 was the headline-grabbing signing, augmenting an already strong pool of back-three options but the most significant incoming player could be South African lock/flanker Jason Jenkins on a one-year deal from Japan, bringing some much-needed heft to fill the void left by surprise retiree CJ Stander.
Also arriving were scrum-half Rowan Osborne from Leinster and Irish-qualified former Melbourne Rebels hooker Declan Moore on a season-long deal. Â
The summer saw a huge amount of experience leave the province with Billy Holland, Tommy O’Donnell and CJ Stander all retiring from the game while James Cronin (Biarritz), JJ Hanrahan (Clermont Auvergne) and Darren Sweetnam (Oyonnax) moved to France. Scrum-half Nick McCarthy rejoined Leinster while hooker Rhys Marshall returned to New Zealand having signed for North Harbour.
There is not much we don’t know about what Joey Carbery can bring to the table but even with Hanrahan’s departure, the fly-half options look mouth-watering with the main man now fit again after 18 months of injury frustration and three young guns all vying to fill the Ireland international’s boots. Ben Healy made last season’s big leap forward but expect both Jack Crowley and Jake Flannery to advance their claims this time around.
Head coach Van Graan is proud of last season’s 80% win record but with the ante upped in a much-changed United Rugby Championship format and qualification for Europe less assured, he will need to get even more consistency from his squad this time around and start matching up to the big guns of both the URC and European competitions.
There were times last season when Munster’s quality backline got a chance to shine, when the ball went wide, backs and forwards looked comfortable in each other’s company and the attacking variety looked unstoppable, not least in that remarkable comeback against Clermont Auvergne last December.
It is a strength that needs to be showcased more often and there have been hints that could be the case with senior coach Stephen Larkham increasing his influence on the gameplan.
When it comes to the power game, Munster have so often been found wanting against the big beasts, as mentioned above against Toulouse and often at the hands of serial winners Leinster. They have been unlucky in that regard with RG Snyman’s serious knee injury denying them a serious physical threat while the loss of CJ Stander is another major concern, placing the onus on rising star and newly-minted Ireland cap Gavin Coombes to deliver a powerhouse second season as a regular. With another bruiser in Jenkins currently injured, the spotlight on the Skibbereen man to give his side that crucial go-forward will be even brighter.
There are so many different paths for Munster’s season to take but in the final year of van Graan’s current contract, let’s be optimistic that all the pieces will finally fall into place and silverware will be delivered to end an 11-year trophy drought.
Topped Conference A of the PRO14 and then claimed a fourth successive title with a 16-6 win over Munster in the final at the RDS. Beaten by La Rochelle at the semi-final stage of the Heineken Champions Cup Players in: Not the busiest of fronts this summer. Samoa captain Michael Alaalatoa has arrived from the Crusaders at the same time as Michael Bent has retired, but there were other areas of the squad that appeared to be in greater need of a big foreign signing.
Scrum-half Nick McCarthy is back at the province after a two-year spell at Munster while tighthead Thomas Clarkson, versatile back David Hawkshaw and looseheadMichael Milne, all of whom have played senior already, make the step up from the academy squad.
The biggest loss is undoubtedly that of Scott Fardy whose talents, experience and versatility between the second and back rows will be missed. Bent joins him in retirement after an underrated ten-year stint at the club. Scrum-halves Rowan Osborne and Paddy Patterson have switched the blue for Munster red. Hugh O’Sullivan, another nine, has joined London Irish, Cian Kelleher has taken his back three skills to Ealing Trailfinders and Greg McGrath is now a Connacht prop.
 Jamie Osborne was just a matter of seconds into his senior debut when he latched onto Johnny McNicholl and sent the Scarlets back trundling backwards last February. Not bad for an undersized 19-year old plucked from the club game. Leinster look lightish in terms of their back three so the likes of Osborne, who played full-back with the Ireland U20s this year too, should get to experience yet more senior rugby. Now a part of the academy, the Naas RFC man already has six provincial caps.
 Johnny Sexton is back in the cockpit for another season but he will be 37 when the clock winds down next July.
Ross Byrne has been a superb deputy at club level and fingers will be crossed that his brother Harry can escape injuries this year and push for more time.
 If the back row is Irish rugby’s breadbasket then Leinster is where they harvest most of the crop these days. There are at least nine contenders for the three spots available but you could question whether any are at Sean O’Brien or Jamie Heaslip-like levels. The province is similarly stocked at tight-head. So much so that Talk persists of Andrew Porter making the return journey back to loosehead where Cian Healy’s advancing age leaves the question as to who can hope to match his influence when he finally calls it a day.
Few club teams around Europe can match Leinster for the quantity and quality of their group but the manner in which they have fallen shy in Europe the last three years feeds the perception that they are lacking in some departments. Fardy’s departure leaves them without the kind of southern hemisphere second-row enforcer that worked to their advantage so many times in the past. With Devin Toner nearing the exit too, they need Ryan Baird to continue his meteoric rise and James Ryan to frank his initial impact. The back three and scrum-half are other areas where the collective could be weakened by the odd injury or two though there is more than sufficient cover all round to make up for that in the URC. It’s Europe again where they might be slightly shy.
Champions.
Finished second in Conference B but were 19 points off leaders Munster. Eight wins and eight losses summed up their mixed season. Lost 26-22 away to Racing 92 and 27-18 at home to Pat Lam’s Bristol Bears and that ended their interest in the Champions Cup after the final two rounds were cancelled.
Lock Leva Fifita has been brought from Grenoble by new forwards coach Dewald Senekal in an effort to replace Irish international Quinn Roux.
Irish-qualified full-back Mack Hansen has been brought in from the Brumbies, while another Irish-qualified utility back, 21-year old Shayne Bolton, arrives from South Africa. Tighthead Sam Illo and Greg McGrath, who can prop either side, both arrive from Leinster and another loosehead could soon be announced with Denis Buckley out with a cruciate.
Roux’s move to Toulon is the biggest loss, while losing promising centre Sean O’Brien from Westmeath to Exeter Chiefs is also a blow. The other Sean O’Brien, local back-rower, has had to retire due to persistent injury, while Stephen Fitzgerald and Cillian Gallagher have both had their careers ended prematurely. Prop Conor Kenny from Ferbane was released but signed for Newcastle Falcons, while loosehead Paddy McAllister has retired and academy products Stephen Kerins from Sligo (now with Ealing Trailfinders) and Colm de Buitléar from Connemara were also released, along with out-half Conor Dean.
 Cian Prendergast. The former Newbridge College player moves up from the academy and his graph is heading only one way. A superb young flanker, ideally a blindside, but can play anywhere in the back five, the 21-year old made his debut against Edinburgh last October and played in nine other games after that. The former Irish U20 has been tipped as a senior international.
The Irish derbies take on added significance for the next two years. Champions Cup qualification has moved up several notches for Connacht. Munster and Ulster signing World Cup winners cranks it up more. Andy Friend knows they need a decent return from the six inter-pro games if they are to make the knockout stages of the URC.
Decent squad with cover in most areas, sum of the total often greater than the individual parts. New coaching team should bring some freshness but they need a few, particularly some of the new signings, to just burn it up. Bundee Aki is probably the only nailed-on starter, every other position has a genuine battle — e.g. Kieran Marmion or Caolin Blade at scrum-half, or Jack Carty or Conor Fitzgerald at 10? — but that could be a weakness as much as a strength. Effort will never be questioned. Andy Friend has created a happy environment at the Sportsground and guys there are enjoying their rugby.
Lineout was poor in pre-season and defending lineout mauls has been an issue for some time. Depth of the squad, especially compared to the Irish sides, must be a concern. Home form was surprisingly poor last season but crowds back at the Sportsground could swing that back in their favour. That said, it’s a difficult venue to play good rugby in, even for the home side and the €30m revamp, whenever it happens, ain’t going to solve the wind problem.
Making the knockout stages of the URC would be an achievement and it’s within range. Bonus territory after that. Leicester Tigers and Stade Francais are the opponents in the Champions Cup.
Won 14 out of 16 games in Conference A of the PRO14 but once again found Leinster ahead of them. The absence of play-offs rankled having performed so consistently in the regular season. Defeats to Toulouse and Gloucester in the Heineken Cup group stages saw them drop into the Challenge Cup for the first time and were instantly installed as favourites but lost to Leicester Tigers in the semi-finals.
When Marcell Coetzee announced he was returning to South Africa, Ulster fans were left wondering how he could ever be replaced. Originally they turned to Fijian Leone Nakarawa to provide the magic but when his move was scuppered over a medical report, Ulster’s head of operations and recruitment Bryn Cunningham was charged with finding an influential, big-bodied back-rower. Duane Vermeulen may be 35 but the Springbok World Cup winner was player of the match in a World Cup final and could provide the leadership and dynamism that Ulster are after.
He won’t arrive until late November, having missed the Lions tour of South Africa with injury, but there is already a buzz about the potential he could unlock around him. The signing of former Connacht, Leinster and Zebre lock Mick Kearney did not attract the same fanfare but the 30-year-old should be a valuable acquisition.
Australian winger Matt Faddes never caught fire in Belfast and has left after two years while scrum-half Alby Mathewson is also gone after one campaign. Academy product Kyle McCall left after eight years while fellow front-rower Adam McBurney joined Edinburgh with former Munster fly-half Bill Johnston also departing. Marcell Coetzee is an obvious miss while long-serving back Louis Ludik has retired.
After a try-scoring debut for Ireland against USA in the summer, Rob Baloucoune (pictured) will be excited about this season for club and country having already scored 15 tries in 29 appearances for Ulster. London-born, Offaly-raised lock Cormac Izuchukwu has starred since joining the Academy and could make a big breakthrough this season.
Can Ulster end their 15-year wait for silverware? For too long Ulster’s success has been measured in how they have fared against Leinster in an uncompetitive league but the arrival of the South African teams and the increased competition of the new 16-team United Rugby Championship should help Ulster as much as anybody.
The rolling maul has provided so many tries in recent seasons and should again be a key tactic. If Will Addison gets fit, they have enough firepower behind the scrum to trouble anyone.
The scrum creaked and groaned last season and Ulster will need a stronger platform here to unleash the talent behind.
A home quarter-final is more than achievable target before getting down to the serious business of trying to end the trophy drought.
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