Munster close in on back-to-back interpro titles
rising star Cathal Forde as his starting inside centre for the past three games.
After an impressive showing at full-back against Brive last weekend, Mack Hansen gets another run in the No15 shirt for the Westerners.
Leinster will be looking to maintain their unbeaten run in all competitions when they welcome Racing 92 to Aviva Stadium this afternoon. Leo Cullen has named a strong line-up, stacked with 14 Ireland internationals, but Tadhg Furlong remains out of action with hamstring and calf injuries.
Ireland’s frontline tighthead has not featured for his province since the URC victory against Ulster at the RDS in early December, but Furlong is confident he will be fit and available for selection for his country ahead of the Six Nations opener against Wales on February 4. ‘I hope so,’ he said yesterday. ‘That’s the plan, or back available for selection anyway. We have to see how we go. You have to hit certain markers.’
With the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial title on the line, talented Tipperary teenager Kate Flannery steps up for her first start for Munster as they head to the Sportsground today with a five-point lead at the top of the table.
The 18-year-old Flannery, younger sister of Ulster and Emerging Ireland out-half Jake, slots in at inside centre in the continuing absence of injured Ireland star Enya Breen.
That is the only change made by Munster head coach Niamh Briggs, who is on the brink of guiding her province to a clean sweep of victories and back-toback Interpro crowns for the first time since 2015, when she was captain.
The title race could be decided by the time Ulster meet Leinster at Queen’s University’s ground in Upper Malone.
Emma Hooban and Elaine Anthony come into the Leinster five as the only alterations to the side that lost 26-17 to arch rivals Munster in Cork. VODAFONE WOMEN’S INTERPRO SERIES: Connacht v Munster, Sportsground, Galway, kick-off 1pm. LIVE ON TG4. Ulster v Leinster, Upper Malone, KO 5.30pm.