Munster Rugby vs Connacht Rugby Preview
It’s another huge week in the United Rugby Championship. Munster will host Connacht at Thomond Park in Limerick on Saturday 11 May 2024 at 5:15 pm. This is a big game for the provincial rivals who will both be desperate to win.
Munster is the big favourite to win this rugby game at home, but don’t tell Connacht. The Westerners already have bragging rights over southern foes after a victory in January. However, Munster will focus on the URC after they crashed out of the Champion’s Cup.
This is going to be an electrifying game with a great atmosphere. There’s so much at stake in this rugby match. Connacht knows this is a must-win match, but they’ve got to do it all if they want to beat Munster.
Munster Rugby vs Connacht Rugby Head-to-Head and Key Stats
These two teams know each other very well. In the past, Connacht was Ireland’s whipping boys, but they are a serious side now. They defeated Munster when the teams met in January at the Sportsground. They won that game 22-9 on a famous day for the province.
J. J. Hanrahan’s efficiency was crucial as he kicked five penalties. It was a crucial game for the Westerners as they snapped a five-game losing streak. Most analysts are crediting this victory with reviving their season. This was an injury-ravaged Munster without some key men. Eoghan Clarke and Fineen Wycherley were two late absentees. Meanwhile, the stormy Atlantic conditions suited Connacht far more than Munster.
It’s also worth noting that Munster still had Champion’s Cup ambitions. Graham Rowntree was desperately scrambling to keep his team competitive in both competitions. Now they only have the URC to worry about, this will be their full focus. That’s ominous for Connacht, who are brave but lack the same quality.
Munster is unbeaten in the URC since the Connacht defeat. They secured 29 out of 30 points in their last six URC games. Their recent two victories saw them overcome the Bulls and the Lions in South Africa. However, the Northampton defeat in the Champion’s Cup stung their pride.
Meanwhile, Connacht enters this game after two consecutive wins over Zebre and the Newport Dragons. They didn’t have it all their way at Rodney Parade, as the Welsh team made them fight hard. It was a gritty performance, but in the end, they had too much firepower for the Dragons in a 34-27 victory.
The Westerners sit on 44 points and know they must win this game. Nobody questions their motivation, but this may play into Munster’s hands. Simon Zebo and Liam Coombes may take advantage of open spaces on the field. J. J. Hanrahan is having a fantastic season for Connacht. He enters this game with the third-most points in the URC this season with 111. His consistency was crucial against the Dragons and Connacht will be hoping for him to play against Munster.
One of the most interesting talking points is the scrum-half position. The evergreen Conor Murray will start for Munster, but Connacht has a big decision. Caolin Blade is their team’s leading try scorer with eight this season. The captain was unlucky to lose his place to the rising star, Matthew Devine.
Antoine Frisch will want to leave Munster on a high note. The centre is departing for Toulon at the end of the season. The Irish-qualified star is superb and will be a dangerous threat against Connacht. Alex Nankievill is having a breakout season at Thomond Park and is turning up in big games. He was brilliant against Toulon earlier this year and is becoming an increasingly important figure for the men in red.
There will also be a battle of Irish internationals as Tadhg Beirne and Peter O’Mahony face Bundee Aki and Finlay Bealham. Pride is on the line for these stars and Munster will aim to avenge their loss earlier this year.
Munster Rugby vs Connacht Rugby Predictions
Correct Score Prediction: Munster 26 -18 Connacht
We expect Munster to win this URC rugby match, but we predict this game will be closer than the odds suggest. Both teams enter this game with injury concerns. Connacht is sweating on the fitness of J. J. Hanrahan, who left the Dragons game on a stretcher. There’s no overstating Hanrahan’s value to this Connacht team. He will be an enormous loss if he’s unable to play in this clash with Munster. Hanrahan has scored 17 penalties this season in the URC.
Munster enters this game as a firm 2/13 favourite at our betting site. Meanwhile, Connacht is 4/1 underdogs. This means a €10 stake in the former would see a €1.54 profit. A successful bet on Connacht to win would see returns of €50.
Munster’s Shane Daly is one of the most effective wingers in the competition. He has gained 824 metres for his province and will exploit the Connacht defence. In Gavin Coombes, Munster has one of the tournament’s best tacklers with 173.
The Southerners have won five of their last eight meetings with Connacht. Crucially, none of these defeats against Connacht came at Thomond Park. Connacht is also notoriously inconsistent and rarely wins three games in a row. However, they have been victorious in five of their last seven matches.
In this game, we predict Connacht will perform admirably and rise to the occasion, demonstrating their strength. However, Munster’s quality should be too much for their provincial rivals. That’s why we expect them to win by eight points in a relatively close game.
Munster Rugby vs Connacht Rugby Betting Tips
Betting on the URC has never been more exciting. Our betting site expects Munster to win this URC clash. That’s why betting on Munster to win this game outright is not the most profitable option. The odds are too weak, and the risk is quite high.
That’s why it’s more advisable to check out the winning margins. Betting on Munster to beat Connacht by 15 or more points is available at 11/10. A €10 bet would see a profit of €11. Meanwhile, if you bet on the underdog to win by 1 to 7 points at 13/2, you can make a profit of €65.
Munster is the third-overall favourite to win the URC outright. They’re currently available to bet on at 13/2. Remember, these odds may close if they emphatically defeat Connacht at Thomond Park. Connacht is a massive 40/1 to win the URC. A successful €10 would see a €400 profit. However, that’s going to be extremely difficult with Leinster to play in their last game of the season.
Other markets you can check include odd or even points and the highest-scoring half. The former may be a good one to remember if Jack Carty starts for Connacht. His kicking may be rusty because he’s spent time out with injuries.
Always check the live bets because it throws up some great markets. If Connacht takes a shock lead, it would be sensible to bet on Munster to win the second half. If you sign up for Novibet, you can claim a welcome bonus. You can use this to bet on rugby games and many other sports.
🗞️ SQUAD UPDATE | See the latest news from Munster camp ahead of Saturday's big Interpro derby against Connacht at Thomond Park ⤵️
It's a 5.15pm kick-off with ticket sales passing the 17,500 mark this afternoon.#MUNvCON #URC #SUAF 🔴
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) May 6, 2024
Munster Rugby Predicted Team News
Munster received terrible news ahead of this game. Their key flanker, John Hodnett, still has a leg injury and won’t recover in time for this game. Hodnett was in fantastic form, so this is a serious loss. But they will welcome back John Ryan who returns from a three-game suspension. He may replace Stephen Archer in the starting line-up.
Josh Wycherley is another doubt, but Munster will give him every chance to play. Dave Kilcoyne, Jean Kleyn and Diarmuid Barron remain among the absentees. It’s been a long season for Munster and they can’t afford more injuries against Connacht.
- Munster predicted lineup: Simon Zebo, Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Sean O’Brien, Shane Daly, Jack Crowley, Conor Murray, Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, John Ryan, RG Snyman, Tadhg Beirne, Peter O’Mahony, Alex Kendellen, and Jack O’Donoghue.
Connacht Rugby Predicted Team News
J. J. Hanrahan is the big story of Connacht. They stretchered the fly-half off the field against his former team in Newport. Jack Carty is just back from a hamstring injury and will replace him if he isn’t fit to play Munster. Cian Prendergast and Denis Buckley also went off against the Dragons.
Connacht went with a 6-2 bench against the Dragons, but this may be a risk against Munster. Scrum-half is Pete Wilkins’ biggest decision, with young Matthew Devine impressing. Captain Caolin Blade’s experience may see him return to the starting line-up against Munster.
- Connacht Predicted lineup: Tiernan O’Halloran, Shane Jennings, Tom Farrell, Bundee Aki, John Porch, Jack Carty, Caolin Blade, Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham, Joe Joyce, Gavin Thornbury, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Conor Oliver, and Cian Prendergast.
