Munster Rugby vs Leinster Preview
This week in the URC, Leinster travels to Limerick to face old rivals Munster in an important fixture. Kick-off is on Friday, December 27th at 7:35 pm. Can Munster get revenge after their poor performance in Dublin back in October? Or will it be business as usual for the best team in the United Rugby Championship?
Leinster has started this campaign with a point to prove. They fell short of silverware last season despite looking the most likely team to take home either the league or ERCC trophy. So far, they have been electric on the field, including easily dispatching Munster two months ago.
Munster, on the other hand, has been poor. The fans are running out of patience and each poor performance feels like a further step away from challenging the runaway league leaders. Will the festive period help Munster overcome a stop-start campaign?
Munster Rugby vs Leinster Predictions
Score Prediction: Munster 18-20 Leinster
While these two famous Irish rugby clubs faced off as recently as two months ago, a lot has changed. Leinster has improved considerably, including tightening up when out of possession. Munster has taken a nosedive after more sketchy performances, mainly on the road. Our rugby prediction is for the home crowd to lift the players, but not enough for a victory. We think Leinster will win this game by two points at the final whistle.
Munster has been horrendous on the road this season. They have lost five recent away games in the ERCC and URC, including matches against Zebre, the Sharks and Castres. They also lacked belief when facing teams like the Stormers and Leinster this campaign, which has put pressure on the Limerick club. Plus, considering the number of players in the treatment room, this looks like an impossible challenge to stop the league leaders.
Leinster has silenced all critics. Fans and pundits were calling for Leo Cullen’s head a few months ago. Now he sits on top of the table with a new deal freshly signed in November. They were right to back the manager as he has gone from strength to strength this season.
There have been moments where Leinster has looked timid. However, a strong defensive set-up has reduced opportunities for the opposition, meaning they are comfortably seeing out matches. Take the result against Munster in October as an example. Leinster blew the visitors out of the water in the first half, finishing with a 21-point lead. The second half had no scores from the Dublin side, but Munster only added a try and conversion to their tally. It finished 26-12 and no derby game should be that comfortable.
However, this time the Munster players can rely on the 16th man to see them at home. While they have been poor on the road, there is some consistency when they play at Thomond Park. Truthfully, they need all the help they can get plus more, as Munster is well off the pace in this campaign.
Our prediction for this game is for a closer match between Ireland’s best teams. Leinster will have to work harder than before to grind out a result as we expect every Munster player to leave it all out on the field at the full-time whistle. However, given how poor they have been this season, we still expect Leinster to win by a couple of points.
Munster Rugby vs Leinster Betting Tips
Betting on this rugby game will be difficult. We expect both teams to struggle to break each other down. Munster will use the support of their adoring fans to weather the Dublin storm. Leinster will be cautious not to give away needless penalties and will avoid giving the fans something to cheer about. The result will be cagey but entertaining for the neutral.
If you have been following either team recently, you would know that Leinster looks fantastic with and without the ball. Munster had moments where they looked like their best but must find a way to stabilise. Backup players need to make their mark on this game with the team working through an injury crisis. Placing prop bets in advance will be difficult in this match, as there is no way of knowing who will step up. Instead, wait until the game begins and place any bets live.
If you are betting on the URC, we could go for Leinster at this point in the season. We expect the Dublin side to beat Munster, but it will be tight. The last time these teams faced off, there were 14 points between them at the final whistle. It could have been a wider margin as Leinster looked leagues ahead of their provincial rivals.
Betting on Munster could be worth the risk, depending on the returns. Our online sports betting site will give Munster underdog status, but we will only place a bet if you stand to make double your money. Yes, they will have the support of the home crowd, but that is not enough to defeat this Leinster side. We expect the unbeaten run won’t last all season, but it should continue until 2025 at least.
We expect this fixture to be close and low-scoring. Betting on under 40 points is the right idea. The last five matches between these teams have seen the under come true. If the line for the over/under market is set for 30, we would take the over as there will be opportunities for Leinster to take the game away from the hosts.
Betting on Leinster to win is the right move this Friday. Leinster are the team to beat in the URC and they will fancy inflicting more pain on their local rivals. We would go for the winning margin of Leinster to win by 1 to 7 points. This is the most likely option as we expect Munster to put up a better performance. However, if they fall short of our expectations, the handicap market comes into play. The handicap offers players more security but smaller rewards than the winning margin.
Munster Rugby vs Leinster Head-To-Head and Key Stats
This is not the first meeting between the Irish rugby clubs this season. Leinster hosted Munster on October 12th and it was a one-sided game. It finished 26-12 but anyone watching would tell you the Dublin side was fantastic. They outplayed, outworked, and simply wanted it more than their Limerick counterparts.
Leinster blew Munster out of the water inside the first 15 minutes with three scores. Former Munster coach Graham Rowntree required a reshuffle, which looked to have worked when the visitors got their first points on the board. However, Leinster would finish the half the stronger side, registering a fourth try with the clock in the red.
The second half was incredibly disappointing from a Munster point of view. Leinster essentially downed its tools and wanted the opposition to take its best shot. The visitors hardly mounted a threat in the remaining 40 minutes, picking up one measly score with less than 15 minutes to play. It was a poor performance from Munster, one that sped up the process of sacking the manager as he left the club less than three weeks later.
Leinster has won the last three meetings in a row, and we don’t see that changing on Friday. Looking at recent form, Munster needs to steady the ship and put in a couple of excellent results in a row. However, Leinster has looked superb in the ERCC and URC this season. Our rugby prediction is for Leinster to win this game by two points, but if they smell blood, it could stretch into a double-digit defeat.