One Key Talking Point For Each Irish Province Ahead Of URC Round One
One Key Talking Point For Each Irish Province Ahead Of URC Round One
Key storylines for Leinster, Munster, Ulster and Connacht ahead of the 2025/26 URC season as new coaches and rising stars take centre stage.
New faces in new places, entering the 2025/26 BKT United Rugby Championship, this statement feels apt for Irish Rugby.
Leinster aside, Irish Rugby’s provinces enter this season with a fresh feel and new leaders.
Up north, Richie Murphy is entering his second full season in charge of Ulster. Enduring a mixed campaign last season, Murphy’s side flashed moments of what they were capable of but ultimately faltered down the stretch.
- Subscribe To FloRugby To Watch Every Match Of The 2025 Rugby Championship
- United Rugby Championship Schedule: Here's Every URC Fixture
- PREM Rugby Lives Here: Gallagher Premiership To Stream On FloRugby
To the south and west, both Munster and Connacht feel as though they pulled off heists in securing the services of two of professional rugby’s most sought-after coaches.
Starting with Munster, who welcome former Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan into the building. Arriving in Limerick on the back of yet another Super Rugby final appearance, McMillan’s reputation is that of a future All Blacks coach in waiting.
On Ireland’s wild Atlantic west coast, Connacht’s signing of Stuart Lancaster might just have been the most unforeseen move in professional rugby. With a reputation and CV that speaks for itself, the former England, Leinster and Racing coach’s addition is a clear signal that Connacht are far removed from being simply Irish Rugby’s fourth province.
Out of the coaching boxes and onto the pitch, the four provinces have had a mixed bag in terms of their recruitment, owing in no small part to the Irish Rugby Football Union’s shift in strategy to raise all boats with elite coaching rather than marquee signings.
Still, Leinster’s signing of Rieko Ioane, Ulster’s additions of Angus Bell and Juarno Augustus, and Munster’s capture of Dan Kelly are all tidy pieces of business.
Now just four days out from kick-off, here is one key talking point for each province heading into this season.
Connacht
Leaning heavily into their academy system and backing Lancaster to develop the undeniable talent within the province is quite clearly the focus for Connacht this season. Recruiting just one overseas talent in the Highlanders’ Sam Gilbert, Connacht’s squad will be stretched this year.
When fully fit and firing, Connacht are a top-six side in the URC with three British and Irish Lions in Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen and Finlay Bealham. Yet, just how heavily this trio will feature remains to be seen, given the likelihood of all three playing significant minutes for Ireland.
Thus, the onus shifts to the next wave of talent. Chief among this crop of youngsters will be centre Hugh Gavin, who made his Irish debut back in July. Widely regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in Irish Rugby, the 6’4”, 105kg centre has all of the physical tools to succeed at the top level. Already displaying his aptitude for the elite stage, the 21-year-old has entered the Irish conversation at a point where the four key protagonists — Garry Ringrose (30), Robbie Henshaw (32), Stuart McCloskey (33) and Aki (35) are nearer to the end of their careers than the beginning.
This factor must surely be weighing on Ireland's head coach, Andy Farrell, with calls for a squad refresh as the 2027 Rugby World Cup draws into focus.
Along with Gavin, Connacht have a hotbed of talent with the likes of Shayne Bolton, Chay Mullins, Finn Treacy, John and Matthew Devine, Ben Murphy, Cian Prendergast, Niall and Darragh Murray, and Cathal Forde, all live contenders to become regular internationals.
Thus, the challenge for Lancaster will be this: can he take Connacht back to the knockout stages while also servicing Irish Rugby’s pressing need to develop the U20 generation?
Leinster Rugby
Shifting the proverbial monkey off their back last season, Leinster’s securing of a long overdue URC title has quietened the noise outside the squad. Still, the objective remains clear for Leo Cullen’s side: win the double.
Make no bones about it, Leinster’s loss to Northampton Saints in the Champions Cup semi-final was the worst of the Cullen era. Ratcheting up the pressure ahead of the URC final to a near-unbearable point seemingly brought the best out in Leinster.
Leaning into an “us against the world” headspace felt only natural for a side who, in reality, are the envy of all their rivals, save for the Top 14’s big three of Toulouse, La Rochelle and Bordeaux. Parking their nice-guy personas might have been successful for a short stint, but the question now is: can Leinster once again be the bad boys of the URC?
In truth, Leinster should win the URC at a canter, all things being equal. Yet, unlike in seasons past, the draw this season adds a layer of difficulty that the men in blue have yet to face. Starting their season in South Africa against the DHL Stormers without their front-line internationals will once again test their squad depth.
A week later, a trip to Pretoria is on the cards before a home bout with the Sharks and a heavyweight derby against Munster at Croke Park concludes their opening month. Working in their favour will be the absence of the South African sides’ top Springbok talent, who will still be competing in The Rugby Championship.
Still, it is conceivable that a young Leinster outfit gets swept on the road. Should this happen, it will be fascinating to see them chasing top spot rather than defending it.
Munster Rugby
Similar to Connacht, Munster’s off-season recruiting process signalled a clear shift to developing their young squad rather than going to the market to plug holes. Despite being heavily criticised by former star scrum-half Conor Murray for penny-pinching, there can be no doubt that Munster swung hard to secure the services of Clayton McMillan.
Unlike former head coach Graham Rowntree, who, despite securing a URC title with the province, rarely felt like a good fit, McMillan’s hands-on experience of maintaining consistency throughout a season could prove to be the key catalyst for a side that routinely drops matches it shouldn’t.
Throw into the mix that McMillan brought his own strength and conditioning coach to the province, and one could take that as a sign that perhaps Munster’s excessive injury toll and slow starts to seasons are areas identified for rectification.
Overall, Munster’s biggest talking point this season will be consistency. Across the past four seasons, few sides have endured the highs and lows of Munster. From winning the URC title away to the DHL Stormers in season two, beating La Rochelle on the road and downing Leinster away in a semi-final, to losing at home to Glasgow in the semi-final in season three and, of course, that slip-up against Zebre.
If McMillan can keep his side steady throughout the season, a top-four spot must be their clear target.
Ulster Rugby
Now entering their second full season under Richie Murphy, Ulster Rugby will feel as though they are on the verge of breaking through. Overseeing a squad that mixes fringe Irish internationals with talented players fresh from the U20 programme, Murphy knows his side must focus on cracking the top eight.
Sprinkling in the world-class Wallabies loosehead Angus Bell and former Northampton Saints star Juarno Augustus adds X-factor to a generally young Ulster pack.
In the wide channels, Ulster are as good as any team in the URC when fit and firing. Should Jacob Stockdale and Robert Baloucoune return from injury, raring to go, then Ulster have a wing pairing that can shred teams.
Overall, the biggest talking point for Ulster this season boils down to whether their young half-back pairing of Nathan Doak and Jack Murphy can take a step forward. With both John Cooney and Aidan Morgan departing, the pressure is firmly on this duo to take ownership of the squad.
Around them, there is experience in the form of Iain Henderson, Stuart McCloskey, Rob Herring and Stockdale, but Doak and Murphy need to be the key playmakers. Both have flashed glimpses of their talent, but now is the time to truly take over as Ulster’s long-term half-back pairing.
How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby
The URC will stream all its matches on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports are also the U.S. home to:
FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays.