Ulster Rugby vs Munster

MUNSTER RUGBY: ALL EYES ON BELFAST

As part of Guinness PRO12's BIG WEEKEND of interprovincial action, Munster travel to Kingspan Stadium this evening… On the pitch it promises to be an exciting affair with Ulster's Charles Piutau claiming some of the most eye-catching performances of the season so far, while Munster have produced power up front and displayed class in the backs. The battle at 10 will make for interesting viewing. Paddy Jackson has scored 40 PRO12 points in the current campaign and his opposite number is also an expert from a kicking tee. Jackson slotted a last gasp drop-goal to secure victory for Ulster over Exeter while a man-of-the-match performance by another number 10, Tyler Bleyendaal, guided Munster to a 38-17 win over Glasgow in which he scored the opening try and landed five from five off the tee. Both sides boast a number of impressive PRO12 performers. In terms of the pack, CJ Stander has made the most carries of this season's Championship (82) while Billy Holland has made the most tackles (90). Out wide the fleet-footed Darren Sweetnam has made no less than 10 clean breaks. Nor is there any shortage of players to cause Munster serious headaches on the Ulster side. The experienced and assured head of scrum-half Ruan Pienaar will astutely assess options at breakdown while the Ulstermen's backline features the Championship's record try scorer in the form of Tommy Bowe. Bowe has scored more PRO12 tries than any other player with 64, while his team mate Andrew Trimble is in third on the all-time list with 44. Ulster's unbeaten start to the season finally came to an end in Round 6 where they met a resurgent Connacht side who, following a slow start, have returned to the form that netted them their first PRO12 title last season. Munster, despite their immense Champions Cup performance on Saturday, will still be keen to avenge their last PRO12 outing where basic errors in both defence and attack made it all too easy for Leinster to record a 25-14 win in round 6. Despite tripping up at the Aviva Stadium, the men in red have not lost back-to-back fixtures in the Championship since April with Ulster not losing successive PRO12 encounters since February. The size of Munster's task this weekend is evident in the host's home record of late - Ulster winning their last seven matches in Belfast in all tournaments. That said, Munster are unbeaten in their last four meetings with the Ulstermen and should Munster win or draw this weekend, they would go three games without defeat in Belfast for the first time since the Second World War. Either way, it's sure to be a hugely contested affair with no more than four points separating the sides in the last five encounters.

CLUB STATS Location Limerick, Ireland Founded 1879 Ground Thomond Park 25,600 Irish Independent Park 9,251 Capacity 20,570 Last Game Leinster Rugby (A) 25 - 14 (L) Saturday 8th Oct 2016, 14:05 Next Game Ospreys (H) Friday 4th Nov 2016, 19:35 Recent Form W W W L

OPPOSITION

CONTACT Thomond Park Stadium Limerick, Cork Tel +353 21 432 3563 TICKET OFFICE Tel +353 61421103

MERCHANDISE Tel +353 61318080

www.munsterrugby.ie

munster_rugby @Munsterrugby MunsterRugby

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www. ULSTERRUGBY .com