Arguably, the ‘snarkiest’ rivalry in the BKT URC, Munster Rugby vs Glasgow Warriors, has become must-see TV over the past decade. Familiar foes at this stage, the duo have clashed in some of the most entertaining and tense fixtures in club games. Whether it was their Champions Cup clash following the tragic passing of Munster head coach Anthony ‘Axel’ Foley in 2016 or last season’s drubbing inflicted by the Warriors on the Irish giants at Thomond Park, this clash always delivers unrivalled drama.
Last season, Munster and the Warriors met in the quarterfinals. Munster’s commanding victory at Scotstoun over an inept Warriors team gave Graham Rowntree’s team a boost in confidence.
Naturally, Munster would go on to win the championship, leaving the Warriors to mop up their losses and make plans for the next campaign.
As of right now in the 2023–24 season, Munster leads 1-0 after defeating the Warriors in Cork back in December.
The Warriors are going to Limerick with the intention of following the Munster model from the previous season, having seen firsthand the damage a road victory can bring to one’s chances of winning the championship.
“You know, and they were already talking about what we did in the quarterfinal last year and paying us back and what have you, and the way and I thought it was very impressive, the way they stuck in that game last week,” Rowntree remarked, summarising the situation before this matchup. This week, I anticipate receiving the entire shipment from them.
These three crucial locations will be crucial in determining the result of this semi-final, as the stage is set for another intense round of this Celtic rivalry.
Hit with a truly historic number of injuries earlier this season, it appeared as though the reigning champions’ crusade towards another title was done and dusted before the calendar year had turned. Outside of losing out to Gallagher Premiership Champions Northampton Saints in the Investec Champions Cup, Munster have been unstoppable in 2024. Claiming 44 out of 45 available log points, there is no doubt that the men in red have been the form team of the URC. The key to this transformation has been a return to play by several key contributors,
as well as a subtle but crucial shift in tactics. Employing a South African-style approach to their substitutions, Munster has often started their best players on the bench. This has then allowed them to wear down their opponents’ starters before the bench lands the knockout blow. Naming their team today, this is once again the approach Rowntree and his coaching staff have taken with Diarmuid Barron, John Ryan Oli Jager, RG Snyman, Gavin Coombes, Conor Murray, Sean O’Brien and Alex Kendellen on the bench. Whilst the strategy carries risk should Munster fall behind significantly, it has proven to be highly effective to date.
Huwipulotu vs Nank and Frisch
Excuse our acronym here but such is the mind meld on the pitch between Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones that the two come as a package these days. The Scottish internationals are arguably the best Glasgow midfield pairing of the past decade, albeit Stafford McDowell may beg to differ. Combining Tuipulotu’s soft touches both from hand and the boot with his hard running style creates the perfect foil for the clever running angles and pace of Jones. Facing this duo is a pairing that isn’t too bad in Alex Nankivell and Antoine Frisch. Offering a similar level of complementary skills to one another, the Munster duo are more direct than their Glasgow counterparts. In Nankivell, Munster has found a hard-running centre that they previously hoped Malakai Fekitoa and, prior to him, Damian De Allende would have been for the province. The former Chief is a test quality player who, courtesy of the current All Blacks selection policy, sees his full focus being on Munster. Doing all of the fundamentals to an exceptional level, Nankivell is an uber-intelligent player who will relish the clash with the physical yet brilliant Tuipulotu. France-bound Frisch, on the other hand, will likely be a French international in three weeks’ time, but in the here and now, he has a big job ahead of him to contain Jones. A silky-smooth operator, Frisch combines guile with an underrated level of physicality. Whilst Jones holds the edge in pace, Frisch is the better ball player of the two and will be a key man for his side. This head-to-head alone will be worth tuning in for.
