Provinces look to Europe again on back of mixed fortunes

Clayton McMillan’s Munster side has now been beaten in nine of its last 13 matches across both competitions.

Jack Crowley of Munster in action during the URC agaisnt the Vodacom Bulls. Pic: Nic Bothma/Sportsfile

The provinces return to European action this weekend with the lowest Irish representation in the Champions Cup knockout rounds since none of the four featured in the last eight a decade ago.

It’s a statistic all the more bleak for the fact that we now have a round of 16 in between those two stages, but Leinster fly that flag alone now that Munster have rerouted into the Challenge Cup.