This weekend’s URC semi-finals will have an Irish team in both matches with Munster and Leinster fighting for a spot in the finals. Leinster are heading to Pretoria to face off against the Bulls in Loftus Versfeld stadium, with the match starting at 3pm as per Ireland’s local time on Saturday. Munster, on the other hand, will contest Glasgow Warriors at 6pm on the same day in Thomond Park.
The finals will be held on the turf of the highest ranking team after the semi-final outcomes. Leinster’s match can be watched via RTÉ, and TG4 will broadcast Munster’s later match.
For supporters who can reach Pretoria, tickets are available on the Bulls’ website. For those choosing to cheer on Munster at home, tickets can be purchased from Ticketmaster, with the lowest price being €25.
News about the team lineups will be out on Friday. Post their recommencement of training, Garry Ringrose and Jack Conan of Leinster are ready to play. Ringrose hasn’t been active since the Six Nations’ final weekend while Conan had to leave the Connacht match at half-time about two weeks ago and neglected the Ulster quarter-final.
On the other side, Munster are monitoring the recovery of Alex Nankivell, who’s been down with an ankle injury. Joey Carbery went through surgery for an issue with his thumb, and so did Tom Ahern for his trouble with an ankle. These two players are likely done for this season.
As far as the road to the semis is concerned, Munster, being top of the URC table, had the luxury of playing at home for all of the knockout stage games, their quarter-final being against Ospreys. As for Leinster, they finished third in the regular season and got a home quarter-final versus Ulster at the Aviva Stadium. Nevertheless, the Bulls, finishing second, claimed the hosting rights to the fixture against Leinster, obliging them to travel to South Africa.
If Munster emerges victorious in the upcoming match, regardless of the results in Pretoria, Thomond Park will host the final. However, if Munster faces defeat, the season’s end match location will hinge on the victor between the Bulls and Leinster; with the game taking place on the home turf of the winning team, as both have a higher seeding than Glasgow.