Munster v Ulster: Trip to Ravenhill always one of the toughest games ...

MUNSTER travel to Belfast to face Ulster at Ravenhill Stadium this Friday evening hoping to extend their unbeaten run to nine matches in the United Rugby Championship.

This trip to Belfast is the first in a run of three extremely difficult looking games for the club, with the visit of the Stormers next weekend to Thomond Park before Munster travel to the Aviva Stadium to face Leinster on November 25. 

If they were to emerge from that sequence of games still undefeated it would be some statement of intent from the defending champions.

Confidence levels are high right now so it is exactly what they should be setting out to do, but likewise, it is the type of run of games that could easily go the other way, so this evening’s visit north is an extremely important one for Munster’s season.

This game comes just as the injury list is starting to build up. 

The injuries to Joey Carbery and RG Snyman made headlines, with both requiring surgery for wrist and chest/shoulder injuries, respectively, and the placing of Andrew Conway back on the rehab list with a knee injury, will not have come as welcome news either, while head coach Graham Rowntree will be crossing his fingers that the red-hot Calvin Nash only suffered a slight knock when scoring late on in last Saturday’s comfortable win over the Dragons at Musgrave Park.

That display in Cork showed that there is ample quality coming up through the ranks to cover for these injured internationals. 

Double World Cup winner Snyman has only made 10 appearances for Munster since joining the club in 2020, and Tom Ahern and Edwin Edogbo have already indicated that they can fill in when the likes of Tadhg Beirne and Jean Kleyn are not available, so Munster are well stocked at lock.

PROMISING

Tony Butler looked the part last weekend at out-half. The 21-year-old Ennis native was making only his second appearance for Munster, but with Carbery now out for the foreseeable future, he can expect to get plenty of game time this season. 

In saying that, Munster would appear to be one Jack Crowley injury away from an out-half crisis, so it would be no great surprise if the club were to land a medical joker in the position sometime soon.

Ironically, Munster could be facing former out-half Jake Flannery in this fixture, with the Tipperary native leaving the club last year due to there being a perceived bottleneck for the no 10 jersey. With Carbery injured and Ben Healy departed the picture looks very different now.

Ulster lost last weekend in Galway to league leaders Connacht by 22-20 after being 20-3 up early in the second half, so Munster can expect a backlash from Dan McFarland’s side.

Ulster have an injury crisis of their own at the moment, so tonight will see them really testing the depth of their squad. 

This surely presents Munster with a real opportunity to go for the jugular, although they will be well aware that wins in Ravenhill never come easily.