Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has shaken up his starting XV for the BKT United Rugby Championship interpro clash with Ulster on New Year's Day. 

The anticipated showdown at the RDS promises to be a thrilling start to the year, with only Rob Russell retaining his spot from the team that secured a hard-fought 9-3 victory at Thomond Park on St Stephen's Day. 

The back three sees the return of Tommy O'Brien from injury, joining forces with Jimmy O'Brien and Rob Russell. The center partnership welcomes Robbie Henshaw and Liam Turner, while Jamison Gibson-Park, back in action after missing the Limerick trip, partners with the promising 20-year-old out-half Sam Prendergast. 

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Cullen has opted for experience and strength in the front row, with Cian Healy, Dan Sheehan and Thomas Clarkson forming a formidable trio. The second row comprises Jason Jenkins and captain James Ryan, with Ryan Baird and Will Connors securing starting spots in the back row alongside the dynamic Caelan Doris. 

The bench is equally promising, featuring Academy prop Jack Boyle and the seasoned Luke McGrath, who is on the brink of his 199th appearance. 

On the Ulster side, head coach Dan McFarland has made calculated changes to the XV that narrowly defeated Connacht. 

World Cup-winning Springbok Steven Kitshoff headlines a revamped front row, while the backline retains key players such as Jacob Stockdale, Rob Baloucoune, and Stuart McCloskey. 

The match promises to be a clash of titans, with both teams fielding formidable lineups. Ulster's 5:3 bench split showcases McFarland's strategic approach, ensuring depth and versatility in the squad. 

How To Watch United Rugby Championship Matches

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• Investec Champions Cup
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FloRugby also features match archives and match replays. 

What Is The URC Season Schedule?

Here is the weekly schedule: 

• Week 1: Oct. 21-22
• Week 2: Oct. 28-29
• Week 3: Nov. 3-5
• Week 4: Nov. 10-12
• Week 5: Nov. 17-18
• Week 6: Nov. 24-25
• Week 7: Dec. 1-2
• Week 8: Dec. 22-Jan. 6
• Week 9: Dec. 30-Jan. 27
• Week 10: Feb. 16-18
• Week 11: March 1-2
• Week 12: March 22-23
• Week 13: March 29-30
• Week 14: April 19-20
• Week 15: April 26-27
• Week: 16: May 10-11
• Week 17: May 17-18
• Week 18: May 31-June 1

When Are The 2024 United Rugby Championship Quarterfinals?

The URC quarterfinals are June 7-8. Currently, there are three games scheduled for June 8 and one on June 7. 

Times are to be announced. 

When Are The 2024 United Rugby Championship Semifinals?

The URC Semifinals are June 15.

Times are to be announced. 

When Is The United Rugby Championship Grand Final?

The URC Final is scheduled for June 22. 

Who Won The United Rugby Championship In 2023?

Munster beat the DHL Stormers 19-14 on May 27 in South Africa to win its third URC final overall and first since 2011. 

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Team Lineups

Leinster: Jimmy O'Brien; Tommy O'Brien, Liam Turner, Robbie Henshaw, Rob Russell; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park;

Cian Healy, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson; Jason Jenkins, James Ryan (capt); Ryan Baird, Will Connors, Caelan Doris. 

Replacements: Lee Barron, Jack Boyle, Michael Ala'alatoa, Joe McCarthy, Jack Conan, Luke McGrath, Harry Byrne, Josh van der Flier.

Ulster: Will Addison; Rob Baloucoune, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Billy Burns, John Cooney; Steven Kitshoff, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole; Kieran Treadwell, Iain Henderson; Matty Rea, Sean Reffell, Nick Timoney. 

Replacements: Tom Stewart, Andy Warwick, Scott Wilson, Alan O’Connor, Dave Ewers, Nathan Doak, Mike Lowry, Jude Postlethwaite.

Match Action

Leinster has made two late changes to its starting lineup, with Joe McCarthy coming in for James Ryan, while Ciaran Frawley comes in for Jimmy O'Brien.

📥 | 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐗𝐕!

Ciarán Frawley and Joe McCarthy come into the team in place of Jimmy O'Brien and captain James Ryan.

Ross Molony moves into the matchday 23, as Caelan Doris is named captain#LEIvULS #FromTheGroundUp pic.twitter.com/Tx8QKvJmTn

— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) January 1, 2024

First Half

Min 2: Two scrums in quick succession, as the two teams battle the biblical level of rain in Dublin this evening.

Min 3: Penalty to Ulster, as Springbok double World Cup-winner Steven Kitshoff gets one over Leinster's young Tighthead Tom Clarkson.

Min 4: TRY! Ulster strikes first, as Billy Burns puts in a clever chip kick over the top, and Nick Timoney pounces! Ulster beautifully exploited that Leinster rush defense. Conversion is good from John Cooney - LEI 0 - ULS 7.

Min 8: TRY! Ulster is in again! This time, it is Jacob Stockdale who bounces on yet another clever kick from Burns. Cooney misses the conversion, LEI 0 - ULS 12.

Min 11: TRY! Leinster pounces from a well-taken maul, as veteran prop Cian Healy barges over. Young Sam Prendergast converts, and the hosts are right back in it. LEI 7 - ULS 12.

Min 16: TRY! Will Connors gets over and brings Leinster back level with Ulster! It is another maul try for the table toppers! LEI 12 - ULS 12.

Min 16: NO TRY! The Leinster score is called back, as Tom Clarkson was in front of the Leinster ball carriers. LEI 7 - ULS 12.

Min 18: Penalty to Leinster, as Ryan Baird wreaks havoc on the Ulster line-out, and the men from Belfast concede a penalty and go to the corner.

Min 19: Leinster gets over from another maul but is held up. The hosts are really turning the screw here.

Min 23: TRY! Pressure and more pressure from Leinster, which launches an 18-phase attack from a scrum. In the end, it is a flukey kick from Jamison Gibson-Park, which bounces off the goalposts into the arms of Prendergast, who finds Tommy O'Brien, who shifts it on to Rob Russell, who goes into the corner. Prendergast nails a tough touchline conversion, as Leinster hits the front. LEI 14 - ULS 12.

Min 30: We have reverted to a bit of an arm wrestle for the past seven minutes, with both sides probing for territory. Ulster is in attack, but Billy Burns is forced into making a kick, as the Leinster defense shuts down Ulster. It is a superb kick from Burns but not what Ulster wanted.

Min 36: TRY! Burns and Timoney do it again! Another great kick from the fly-half with the backrow pouncing. Cooney converts, and Ulster is in front again. LEI 14 - ULS 19.

Min 40: Ulster wins a crucial penalty, as Leinster raced into a promising look attack. Burns kicks the ball off the pitch, and it is halftime here in Dublin.

Halftime Report

A captivating 40 minutes of rugby draws to a close in Dublin, with Ulster ending the action as it started it - with a brilliantly taken kick try, set up by Billy Burns and finished by Nick Timoney. 

Both sides have enjoyed purple patches throughout, with Ulster racing into a 12-0 lead inside 10 minutes. 

Leinster would dominate the next 20 minutes and claimed its first lead in the 23rd minute, as a flukey Jamison Gibson-Park kick bounced off the crossbar and was collected by Sam Prendergast, who shifted it wide, with Rob Russell finishing things off. 

From here, Ulster looked to be on the ropes, but following 13 minutes of back-and-forth play, it would be the visitors who would strike before halftime. 

Once again, it was Burns and Timoney who, this time, went crossfield with the kick to take a crucial lead into the break. With John Cooney's conversion Ulster leads Leinster 19 -14.

Second Half

Min 43: A fascinating opening few phases here to get the second half underway; neither side is truly in the ascendancy, but it is Leinster enjoying the bulk of the possession. Sam Prendergast continues to show that he is ready for this level of rugby with some brilliant kicks.

Min 47: Penalty. Ulster soaking up Leinster pressure here. Clearly, the halftime message from the Leinster coaches has been to mix in more short kicks, as Gibson-Park and Prendergast continue to probe, but Ulster has been up to the task thus far, with Will Addison covering the backfield masterfully.

Min 53: Burns exploits Leinster again with the cross-field kick! This time, the hosts just survived, but it was advantage to Ulster, which had a strong rolling maul going. They will go for posts to try and get out to an eight-point lead.

Min 54: PENLATY! Cooney gets the first points of the half, and Ulster stretches to an eight-point lead.

Min 55: Penalty here to Ulster, as Reffell wins a turnover, but it would appear as though referee Frank Murphy got that one wrong. Reffell was off his feet , but it is too late, and Ulster set up a strong attacking line-out position, only to lose the ball back to Leinster, which wins a penalty. Funny how things work themselves out.

Min 58: Baird knocks on at the line-out. Everything is soaking wet, and the ball bounces all over the show. 

Min 61: Penalty to Leinster here, and it all comes from the work rate of Joe McCarthy, who charged down Ulster and got his team on the front foot. Gibson-Park tries to grubber through for Robbie Henshaw, but Reffell covers back. 

Min 61: Double substitution here for Leinster, as Ross Moloney and Harry Byrne come in for Jason Jenkins and Sam Prendergast.

Min 62: TRY! Dan Sheehan crosses the whitewash from a well-taken Moloney line-out grab and mail. The hosts are right back into this one, with Byrne readying to take the conversion. LEI 19 - ULS 22.

Min 63: Conversion is good! LEI 21 - ULS 22.

Min 64: A superb kick from Byrne, who pushes Ulster back, but Stewart is accurate with his throw and sets up a maul. Following some messy ruck work, Cooney clears with a shirt up and under and ends with the ball again.

Min 67: Leinster captain Caelen Doris is substituted off, and on comes fellow Irish international Jack Conan.

Min 68: Outstanding effort from Gibson-Park, who pins Ulster back onto their 5-meter line with a great kick. Jacob Stockdale clears from a risky Ulster line-out, but the pressure is still firmly on here.

Min 72: Huge moment from Luke Marshall, who intercepts an impatient Gibson-Park and stops what looked to be a dangerous Leinster attack. Cooney clears the lines to outside the Ulster 22.

Min 74: Penalty to Ulster! Leinster looked to have won the ball with a huge counter ruck, as Michael Lowry got put under immense pressure from Rob Russell. That is a let-off for Ulster, which brings on Nathan Doak for Billy Burns and now faces a monstrous five minutes to see this one out.

Min 76: A bad bounce for Byrne there, as the ball bounces out of the in-goal area, and Ulster will have a scrum on the Leinster 10-meter line.

Min 77: An exceptional kick from Nathan Doak, who pins Ciaran Frawley into the corner, and Jacob Stockdale shunts him into touch, setting up an Ulster line-out on the Leinster 5m line.

Min 78: Penalty! Ulster double bank there, and Leinster gets one more chance.

Min 80: Ulster has done it! Ulster has come to Dublin and upset Leinster to start 2024 in what was a tense Irish derby! They exposed cracks in the Leinster rush defense with superb kicking, interest breakdown work and a rock-solid set piece.