Leinster Rugby vs Munster Rugby Preview
This week, one of the most intense rivalries in the United Rugby Championship takes place. Leinster host Munster on Saturday, November 25, at 6:30 PM. Leinster started the season with a surprise defeat to Glasgow but bounced back strongly in the next few matches. Munster Rugby has also lost one game this season to Ulster and struggled to a draw with Benetton. Both clubs want to win this weekend for the points and bragging rights.
The Aviva Stadium in Dublin is the perfect venue for one of the biggest clashes of the season so far. Both teams enter this game week in winning form, with Leinster unbeaten in four matches. Last week, the team from Dublin scored eight tries to dispatch a poor Scarlets side. Munster did enough to edge out a narrow victory over the Stormers, who were suffering the effects of a four-week tour. With three points separating two of the biggest clubs in the URC, there is a lot to play for this weekend.
Leinster Rugby vs Munster Rugby Head-To-Head and Key Stats
The Leinster versus Munster rivalry dates back as far as 1879. It is one of the fiercest rivalries in rugby, and the sides have met 110 times since 1946. Out of those 110 games, Leinster has won 60 times and lost 45 both home and away. On five occasions, the two sides have drawn. The most recent meetings between the clubs have all been in the United Rugby Championship, including a URC Playoff semifinal.
The last time Leinster hosted Munster was in the middle of May 2023. One point was the difference between the clubs and Munster did enough to get into the Grand Final. Leinster was the heavy favourite on the day, and they started strongly. After 40 minutes, they had a 10-6 lead thanks to a Jason Howell Jenkins try on the stroke of halftime. The away side responded and took a 10-13 advantage in the second half. Leinster thought they did enough to secure the victory with a Joe McCarthy try in the 65th minute. However, they missed the conversion, and that proved to be a costly mistake. A penalty in the last minute of the game was enough to secure a 15-16 victory for Munster.
The teams also faced off at the end of December 2022. This time Munster was the home side, and they suffered a one-point defeat. The first half was an even contest, with Munster holding a 7-6 lead. Three minutes into the second half a penalty try saw a yellow card for the visitors and Munster led 14-6. With 14 men, Leinster fought back brilliantly to take the lead by six points. A score by Patrick Campbell in the 64th minute brought hope back to the Munster fans, but when they missed the conversion, the chance to win the game slipped away.
In the ten most recent meetings between Leinster and Munster, it is the Dublin side that has tasted more success. Leinster has won eight of the last ten games, including a league semi-final and league final. The two times Munster has won have both been away from home. However, the two victories have come on big occasions, such as the Rainbow Cup or last season’s league semi-final. You must go back to the 2018-19 season for a Munster victory in the United Rugby Championship.
| Team | P | W | D | L | Diff | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leinster | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | +84 | 20 |
| Glasgow | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | +43 | 20 |
| Ulster | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | +23 | 18 |
| Connacht | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | +16 | 18 |
| Edinburgh | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | +8 | 17 |
| Munster | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +44 | 17 |
| Bulls | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | +58 | 15 |
| Benetton | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | -5 | 14 |
| Stormers | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | +26 | 12 |
| Zebre | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -30 | 11 |
| Ospreys | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | -14 | 10 |
| Cardiff | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -6 | 9 |
| Lions | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | -14 | 9 |
| Dragons | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | -51 | 6 |
| Scarlets | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | -131 | 6 |
| Sharks | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | -51 | 2 |
Looking at the performances this season, both teams have already suffered one defeat. In the first game of the season, Leinster lost 43-25 to Glasgow. Since then, they have convincingly won the next four games against the Sharks, Edinburgh, the Dragons, and the Scarlets. Munster has faced tougher opposition so far this season, including a narrow defeat on the road to Ulster. The Red Army also drew the second fixture of the season to Benetton. However, last weekend they held off the Stormers 10-3 at the final whistle.
Betting on Leinster to continue their fine form this season seems like the obvious pick, but there are more aspects to consider. So far, they have played multiple teams that have struggled this season. The next two fixtures will be a much tougher test for the high-flying Leinster, as they take on Irish rivals Munster and Connacht. It would be a statement of intent if they won both of their next United Rugby Championship games.
Leinster Rugby vs Munster Rugby Predictions
The rugby betting markets at Novibet show a clear favourite for this matchup. Leinster has odds of 2/13, which will return €11.54 from a ten-euro wager. Munster has reasonable odds as the underdog. Any bet on them to win will return five times your stake as they sit at 5/1. A draw between these two clubs seems unlikely, and the bookies agree. They have a draw at 30/1, six times higher paying than a wager on the underdogs.
While most rugby fans enjoy an underdog story, it does not seem like Munster will stop Leinster this weekend. We predict Leinster will win on Saturday, but the margin will be tight. Looking at the past two results between these clubs, the winner outscored the opposition by one point. It would be surprising if there was another one-point gap in this fixture, but we think it will be close. Our prediction is for Leinster to win by between five and ten points at the final whistle.
Before you decide to bet on the Rugby, we need to inspect the results both teams have managed so far. Leinster’s lowest-scoring game this season was the first match in Scotland, and they got 25 points on the board. The games against the Scarlets, Dragons, and Sharks all had significant winning margins. However, against Edinburgh, Leinster won by nine points and the final score was 36-27. While we would love to see a similar scoring game this weekend, we predict both defences will tighten. Our prediction of the total number of points scored will be less than 50.
If you are looking at form, Leinster are certainly the favourites for this match. They are on a four-game winning streak and have a superb point difference of +84. However, they have cruised past some weak opposition since their opening-day defeat, and this fixture will be a good barometer of where the team is in the league. The first few weeks of the season have seen many teams not include World Cup players, but now their break is over. Who has got what it takes to push for the title this year?
If you were to sign up at Novibet for the game between Leinster and Munster on the weekend, you would receive a welcome bonus. However, finding a wager on this rugby union fixture worth placing will be difficult, as Leinster are the clear favourites. Instead, you will need to look at other markets besides the outright winner. In the section below, we have some betting tips to help you find rewarding wagers.
Leinster Rugby vs Munster Rugby Betting Tips
Placing sports bets in rugby matches is often troublesome, as the most obvious result is always the least rewarding. However, there are several ways for players to maximise their returns at an online bookmaker. Look at the markets available and be prepared to make precise predictions. The more exact you are when placing the bet, the more you can win if your wager is a winner.
If you want to predict the outright winner of the contest, there are plenty of options for you to consider. For starters, you can choose a handicapped wager. This is where the online betting platform assigns a handicap to both teams. The underdogs receive a points boost, whereas the favourites must overcome a point deficit. In this match, the size of the handicap varies from 6.5 to 24.5. If you chose the Leinster -12.5 handicap, they must win the match by 13 or more points to win the bet. The odds of this wager coming true is 17/20, which means a ten-euro bet pays €18.50.
Handicap betting may sound confusing, but it is straightforward once you know what to look for. If you have a good idea of how many points will separate the two sides, you can choose the winning margin market instead. This is where you can predict the size of the winning margin for higher returns than betting on a team to win the contest. Leinster to win by 15 points or more has odds of 21/20. That is a significantly larger payday than the 2/13 offered if Leinster win by any margin.
Betting on Leinster is certainly the most sensible option. But, there are more ways to win than predicting the victor after 80 minutes. For example, you can choose which half will be the highest scoring and whether the total number of scores will be odd or even. You can also predict the leader at halftime. These markets all have better odds than betting on the home side.
For rugby union matches like this, it pays to spend a little more time researching before placing a wager. However, if none of these catch your eye, you can always wait until game day. Betting on live sports is a fantastic way to capitalise on the event as it transpires. Players can get sent off in matches, and in a big game like this, it could easily turn into a grudge match. Waiting until the match begins is a great way to avoid players making costly mistakes.
Leinster Rugby Lineup
Like many other teams in the division, Leinster has several players on the injury list. However, head coach, Leo Cullen, issued an update ahead of the clash with Munster. Ed Byrne has recovered from his hamstring injury and has returned to full training. He should be available for the Munster game this weekend. Michael Milne picked up a shoulder injury, and he remains a doubt for the next couple of weeks. Cian Healy is recovering from his shoulder trouble and has stepped up his rehabilitation. Healy, along with Tommy O’Brien, Cormac Foley, John McKee, Luke McGrath, and Alex Soroka, will all miss the next game.
- Leinster Predicted Lineup: A. Porter, R. Kelleher, T. Clarkson, J. McCarthy, J. Ryan, M. Deegan, J. van der Flier, C. Doris, J. Gibson-Park, S. Prendergast, J. O’Brien, J. Osborne, G. Ringrose, J. Larmour, and H. Keenan.
Munster Rugby Lineup
Graham Rowntree will be delighted with the narrow victory against the Stormers last weekend. But the win came at a price as two players picked up injuries. Peter O’Mahony and Jack O’Donoghue will undergo scans this week to assess the damage. In other news, Jean Kleyn returned to full training after his break from the World Cup, and Diarmuid Barron has passed the RTP protocols and is available for the Leinster match. Even with this good news, the Munster injury list remains sizeable. Liam Coombes, Joey Carbery, RG Snyman, Patrick Campbell, Mike Haley, Roman Salanoa, Cian Hurley, and Niall Scannell are all out.
- Munster Predicted Lineup: J. Loughman, S. Buckley, J. Ryan, E. Edogbo, T. Beirne, A. Kendellen, J. Hodnett, G. Coombes, C. Casey, J. Crowley, S. McCarthy, A. Nankivell, A. Frisch, C. Nash, and S. Daly.
