Overall URC head-to-head record:
Match Facts
1) Ulster Rugby have won their last two United Rugby Championship fixtures since losing to today’s opponents, Munster, at Kingspan Stadium on 22 April. This is Ulster’s only home defeat in the Championship this season.
2) Kingspan Stadium has hosted three previous play-off matches in the United Rugby Championship with Ulster winning all three, against Neath in the 2001 quarter-final, Scarlets in the 2013 semi-final and Connacht in the 2019 European Cup play-off fixture.
3) Munster Rugby have won only three of their last seven United Rugby Championship encounters, with two of those being in Cork.
4) The Munstermen have won only once away from home in any competition since late January, on their visit to Ulster in Round 16.
5) Munster have lost all seven away games they have played in the play-off stage of the United Rugby Championship.
6) Munster have won their last three matches against Ulster since the Ulstermen’s 15-10 victory in Belfast on 2 January 2021.
7) The two rivals have met just twice before in United Rugby Championship play-of competition, both semi-finals, in 2001 and 2003 with Munster victors on both occasions, 15-9 at Landsdown Road and 42-10 at Thomond Park respectively.
TEAM NEWS HEADLINES
#ULSvMUN
- John Cooney will make his 100th appearance for Ulster, as he has been named to start at scrum-half
- Stephen Archer will make his 248th appearances for Munster with Peter O’Mahony returning to captain the side
FRIDAY, JUNE 3
Kingspan Stadium, Belfast – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU, 10th league game)
AR 1: Hollie Davidson (SRU) AR 2: Ben Blain (SRU)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuisen (SARU)
Live on: Premier Sports, TG4, SuperSport & URC TV
Ulster: Stewart Moore, Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Ethan McIlroy, Billy Burns, John Cooney, Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor, Iain Henderson (CAPT), Marcus Rea, Nick Timoney, Duane Vermeulen
Replacements: John Andrew, Eric O’Sullivan, Gareth Milasinovich, Kieran Treadwell, Matty Rea, Nathan Doak, Ian Madigan, Ben Moxham
Munster: Mike Haley, Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Damian de Allende, Keith Earls, Joey Carbery, Conor Murray, Josh Wycherley, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer, Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley, Peter O’Mahony (CAPT), Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes
Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Jeremy Loughman, John Ryan, Jason Jenkins, Thomas Ahern, Craig Casey, Ben Healy, Chris Cloete
