Rowntree expecting 'a hell of a battle' against Ulster in their first Interpro of the season

Graham Rowntree has resisted the temptation to bring the majority of Irish contingent, only loosehead prop Jeremy Loughman, lightly used in France in the last two months, returning for Munster’s first interpro of the new season in addition to last weekend’s returnees Craig Casey and Jack Crowley.

FIRST INTERPRO: Munster Head Coach Graham Rowntree is expecting a battle in their first Interpro of the season. Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie

Munster’s bid for continuing momentum following their BKT URC Grand Final success last May faces its stiffest challenge tonight when Graham Rowntree’s champions travel north to face Ulster at Kingspan Stadium (7:35pm).

Three games in, with two home wins racked up with try bonus points, Munster are already showing the away-day resilience which proved pivotal in that dramatic run of five consecutive road games unbeaten en route to a first trophy in a dozen seasons. Their round-two visit to Treviso in north-eastern Italy was not exactly a finest hour and two minutes for the men in red but the draw they scrambled against Benetton at the death points to a mentality that will serve them well in Belfast tonight, just as it did 11 months ago on January 1.