United Rugby Championship

Munster stick with winning formula for vital visit of Benetton

Munster team news: Peter O’Mahony and Stephen Archer both start for final home game with province

Ulster and Connacht players have opportunity to show they can deliver

Players can use weekend to impress ahead of selection for Ireland squad for two-match summer Test series

Edinburgh sign Piers O’Conor on two-year deal from Connacht

Versatile Connacht player (29) can play centre, wing and fullback

Champions Cup without Munster is ‘inconceivable’, says Craig Casey ahead of important Benetton showdown

Munster's Craig Casey keen to channel disappointment of Lions omission into a match-winning performance

Munster will face probably the best Benetton side that has ever set foot on an Irish ground

Benetton’s core of Italian internationals is garnished with clever overseas acquisitions

Cullie Tucker calls on Connacht to ‘finish strong’ despite disappointing season

Connacht finish up URC campaign away to Zebre Parma on Saturday

Why bonus points may not be all that useful in deciding rugby competitions

Research on the English Premiership shows they make a major difference to 2.28% of positions over 24-year period

Rachael Blackmore: A trailblazing career from a ferociously determined jockey

New rules bringing back excitement in football, Ulster and Connacht on a worrying slide

Have rugby fans stopped caring about the URC?

The Counter Ruck Podcast

‘We don’t feel entitled’: Leinster must work hard to get past Glasgow in URC, says Bleyendaal

Leinster coach backs Andy Farrell’s decision to name 12 of his players in Lions squad despite Northampton loss

Results suggest Ulster and Connacht on a worrying slide

Provinces miss out on United Rugby Championship playoffs with both now consigned to next season’s Challenge Cup

Owen Doyle: On the knockout stage, referees need to deliver their best performance

Scotland’s Sam Grove-White, Ireland’s Eoghan Cross and Wales’s Adam Jones could all up their games in charge of the whistle

Munster v Benetton: A sell-out crowd, an emotional farewell and a chance of a top-eight finish

This is a playoff to reach the playoffs for next season’s Champions Cup as Peter O’Mahony, Stephen Archer and Conor Murray bow out

What Munster must do to guarantee URC playoff spot and Champions Cup rugby next season

Five teams are in contention for the final three places in the playoffs going into the final round of games

Connacht show plenty of fight against Edinburgh but URC playoff hopes are ended

Scottish side came away with five points to give themselves a shot at a top-eight finish

Leinster put 12 tries past Zebre to shake off European disappointment

Leinster’s winning margin at the Aviva was the biggest in URC history

Leo Cullen says that Leinster have turned the page after Champions Cup loss

‘Everyone is motivated to move forward’ says head coach after crushing win over Zebre

‘At this moment in time, we’re not good enough’: Ulster look to the future as Munster end URC hopes

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy believes experience will stand to his side next season

Win over Ulster a fitting Thomond Park farewell for Munster’s departing faithful

Former captain Peter O’Mahony gave the home crowd in Limerick a try-scoring goodby

James Ryan primed for Leinster return as province bid to bounce back from European disappointment against Zebre

Leo Cullen’s team stacked with Lions call-ups for URC clash

Peter O’Mahony scores on Thomond farewell as Munster secure bonus-point win over Ulster

Ulster facing a season without Champions Cup for first time in 31 years

Comings and goings aplenty as Connacht aim to end URC on a positive note

Western province confirms six departures from the squad

Munster and Ulster look to experience for match to decide Champions Cup place

Both sides presently sit outside the top eight that will make URC quarter-finals and next season’s Champions Cup

Gerry Thornley: Munster and Ulster have faced each other in bigger games, but this one is a must-win for both

The two sides could be missing from the Champions Cup next season for the first time in 31 years

Gordon D’Arcy: Leinster needed Jordie Barrett from the start, you should select your strongest team

By starting without Jordie Barrett in the Champions Cup semi-final, Leinster got too cute in their selection

Ulster aim to finish better in high-stakes Munster meeting

Playoff hopes in the balance in advance of of URC clash at Thomond Park

Connacht just concentrating on finishing with two wins, says Cullie Tucker

Injury-hit Westerners also relying on other teams’ results to go their way as they eye top-eight URC slot

Peter O’Mahony does not rule out coaching future but plans break after retirement

Munster forward is comfortable with decision to bring curtain on career

Will Leinster be the only Irish team in the URC knockouts?

The Counter Ruck Podcast: Ireland women’s defeat to Scotland wrapped up the Six Nations and an unusually glum 48 hours for Irish rugby

Connacht suffer worst away defeat of season to Lions in South Africa

Irish province struggled with both physicality of their opponents and the environment

Leinster fall to rare defeat in Wales as Scarlets triumph

Leo Cullen disappointed with rotational side who ‘didn’t really pitch up’

Munster’s discipline deserts them as Cardiff take full advantage of yellow cards

Munster conceded 26 points when they were reduced to 14 men during the contest

Ulster v Sharks: Tough shift ahead for Richie Murphy’s side as they face nine World Cup winners

Ulster bench will have six forwards, and Werner Kok makes a welcome return against his former South African side

Rónan Kelleher takes captaincy as Leinster change things up for trip to Scarlets

Ruben Moloney in line to make debut as Leo Cullen makes nine changes from Ulster win

Connacht vs Lions preview: Stakes high for both sides in Johannesburg clash

Both Connacht and Lions are looking to secure a place in URC top eight

Leinster’s James Culhane hoping for a change of fortune to consistently deliver on his talent

Talented backrow forward defined by two qualities: prowess on the pitch and resilience despite setbacks

Munster will need to dig deep to end Cardiff’s unbeaten home run at Arms Park

Interim head coach Ian Costello has made seven changes to the side that lost to the Bulls

Munster assistant coach Lawler is confident any problems can be ironed out before Cardiff on Friday

Munster expect their experience and possession-based game to carry them through at Arms Park

Leinster excel when it comes to refining link between attack and defence

Tyler Bleyendaal: ‘If I have something specific that I need done for a certain reason, I really push that’

Connacht eye victory against Lions in South Africa to keep top-eight hopes alive

With three matches remaining in URC, Connacht are seven points adrift of Stormers who are in eighth place

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