Match Preview: Munster

Match Preview: Munster

Get the latest ahead of Friday night's United Rugby Championship Round 12 match against Munster at Thomond Park (18 February, kick-off 7.35pm) with this week's Match Preview.

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How to watch

The match will be broadcast live on Premier Sports.

You can also keep up with minute-by-minute updates via the Galbraith Match Centre.


Match officials

Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU, 79th competition game)

Assistant: Chris Busby, Oisin Quinn (both IRFU)

TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)


Team news

The Edinburgh Rugby team to face Munster at Thomond Park for Round 12 of the United Rugby Championship will be named at 12 noon on Thursday 17 February via the club's website and social channels.

Overall URC record

Played 37, Munster won 29, Edinburgh won 8.


Story of the match

Munster saw their four-game winning run in all competitions end with a 13-11 defeat against Glasgow last Friday.

But they now return to Thomond Park, where they have won their last seven matches since Connacht defeated them during last season's Rainbow Cup.

Edinburgh, though, are no strangers to winning in Limerick and they were the last Scottish side to achieve that feat with a 14-13 success just over seven years ago.

But their only victory over an Irish province in two years was by a solitary point against Connacht in March last year

Team comparison

ComparisonMunsterEdinburgh
Last 3 URC results8 Jan - Ulster (H) W 18-138 Jan - Cardiff Rugby (H) W 34-10
29 Jan - Zebre (A) W 34-1729 Jan - Ospreys (A) L 19-23
11 Feb - Glasgow (A) L 11-1311 Feb -Leinster (A) L 7-26
URC 2021/225th - W6 D0 L3 - 30pts4th - W6 D1 L3 - 34pts
URC FormWllWwl (15pts)wwWWll (21pts)
Top try scorer3 - Jack O'Donoghue, Chris Cloete4 - Ben Vellacott, Emiliano Boffelli, Boan Venter, Darcy Graham
Top points scorer32 - Ben Healy37 - Blair Kinghorn


Match stats and facts

Munster’s four game winning run in all tournaments ended with their 11-13 defeat in Glasgow on Friday night.

The Munstermen have won their last seven games at Thomond Park since Connacht beat them there in last season’s RainbowCup.

The last Scottish side to be victorious in Limerick was Edinburgh, 14-13 in September 2014

Edinburgh Rugby have lost their last two United Rugby Championship matches, both away from home, at Ospreys and at Leinster.

Edinburgh have won only twice on the road this season on visits to Zebre in Round 5 and Dragons in Round 6.

The capital club's only victory over an Irish province since February 2020 was by a solitary point over Connacht in March 2021.

Munster have lost just one of their last six fixtures against Edinburgh in all tournaments: 16-18 at Musgrave Park in November 2019.


Recent URC meetings

DateVenueMEMunster scorersEdinburgh scorers
Fri 16 Mar 18BT Murrayfield612JJ Hanrahan (2P) Duhan van der Merwe (2T) Jaco van der Walt (C)
Sat 5 May 18Thomond Park2016Rhys Marshall (T) Keith Earls (T) JJ Hanrahan (2C/2P) Nathan Fowles (T) Jaco van der Walt (C) Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (3P)
Fri 30 Nov 18Musgrave Park4414Chris Farrell (2T) Andrew Conway (2T) Tyler Bleyendaal (T) Keith Earls (3T) JJ Hanrahan (2C)Duhan van der Merwe (2T) Jaco van der Walt (C) Jason Baggott (C)
Fri 29 Nov 19Musgrave Park1618Ben Healy (C/3P) Tommy O'Donnell (T) Jaco van der Walt (C/P) Matt Scott (T) Simon Hickey (P) Eroni Sau (T)
Sat 10 Oct 20Thomond Park2523CJ Stander (T) Ben Healy (C/6P)Jaco van der Walt (2C/2P) Willem Nel (T) Mark Bennett (T/P)
Sat 20 Feb 21BT Murrayfield2210Jack O'Donoghue (T) Craig Casey (T) Gavin Coombes (T) JJ Hanrahan (2C/P) Jaco van der Walt (C/P) Viliame Mata (T)

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