Ulster Rugby vs Munster

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www.ULSTERRUGBY.com 39
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
CONTACT
Thomond Park Stadium
Limerick, Cork
Tel+353 21 432 3563
TICKET OFFICE
Tel +353 61421103
MERCHANDISE
Tel +353 61318080
OPPOSITION
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.
MUNSTER RUGBY:
ALL EYES ON BELFAST
munster_rugby
@Munsterrugby
MunsterRugby