Beware the ire of the Irish
The weekend SA rugby steps into a brave new world as they move north to face the best of Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the United Rugby Championship. Here Independent Media looks at the franchises that make up our Irish rivals
CONNACHT
Founded: 1885
Stadium: Galway Sportsground, Galway
(Capacity: 8 129)
SPT: Andy Friend (Aus)
Captain: Jarrad Butler (Aus)
Team talk: The Westerners are the smallest – both in support and player-base – and youngest of the Irish unions, but don’t let that fool you. In recent years, they have worn the tag of underdog with pride, winning PRO Rugby – the precursor
to the URC – in 2016 by beating a much more fancied Leinster and making the quarter-finals in 2019. Last season they qualified for the European Rugby Championship by finishing second in their PRO14 pool.
SA connection: Current - Shayne Bolton
Player to watch: Bundee Aki
LEINSTER
Founded: 1879
Stadium: RDS Arena, Dublin (Capacity: 18 500) Coach: Leo Cullen (Ire)
Captain: Jonathan Sexton (Ire)
Team Talk: The Big Dog of Irish rugby, Leinster are the competition’s most successful outfit. The union has won eight PRO Rugby titles (2002, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) and have been runners-up on a further five occasions (2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016). They have also won four European Rugby Champions Cups, the most recent in 2018.
SA connection: Former – John Robbie; Zane Kirchner, Ollie le Roux, CJ van der Linde
Player to watch: Robbie Henshaw
MUNSTER
Founded: 1879
Stadiums: Thomond Park, Limerick (Capacity: 25600); Musgrave Park, Cork (8 000)
Coach: Johann van Graan (SA)
Captain: Peter O’Mahony (Ire)
Team Talk: Of all the non-SA teams, the Red Army has the most tangible connection to South Africa. A gaggle of SA players have donned the famous red jersey, and it is here where Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber gained valuable experience of European players, teams and conditions before going back to the Springboks. Munster have won three PRO Rugby titles (2003, 2009, 2011) and two European Rugby Champions Cups (2006, 2008). They have also been runners-up in the PRO14 on five occasions (2002, 2005, 2015, 2017, 2021).
SA connection: Current – Chris Cloete, Damian de Allende, Keynan Knox, Jason Jenkins, RG Snyman, Jean Kleyn; Head coach - Johann van Graan; Defence coach - JP Ferreira; Former – Arno Botha, BJ Botha, Jean de Villiers, Wian du Preez, Thomas du Toit, Gerbrandt Grobler, Trevor Halstead, Pat Howard, Shaun Payne, Anton
Pitout, Jaco Taute, Gerhard van den Heever; Defence coach: JP Ferreira.
Player to watch: Damian de Allende
ULSTER
Founded: 1879
Stadium: Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast (Capacity: 18 100)
Coach: Dan McFarland (Eng)
Captain: Iain Henderson (Ire)
Team Talk: Made up of clubs from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, Ulster have won the PRO Rugby title once, in 2006, and have enjoyed success in Europe twice (1999, 2012). In recent years they were the runners-up in the tournament in 2020 and semi-finalists in 2019, while in the Champions Cup in 2021 they reached the semi-finals of the competition, losing 33-24 to Leicester Tigers.
SA Connection: Current – Gareth Milasinovich, Bradley Roberts, Duane Vermeulen, Rob Herring; Former – Ruan Pienaar, Marcell Coetzee, BJ Botha.
Player to watch: Stuart McCloskey