The Desk

What matters in Irish rugby right now

Updated 1 Nov 2026, 18:12 GMT

This weekend

FT· Connacht 5–50 LeinsterURC · Dexcom Stadium · Fri · Match Report Leinster have 18 points from five games and Connacht have 10 (URC table).

FT· Stormers 33–7 UlsterURC · DHL Stadium · Sat · Match Report David McCann’s converted try put Ulster ahead, but the Stormers led 12–7 at half-time and pulled away with tries from Evan Roos, Ruhan Nel and Yaqeen Ahmed for a bonus-point win. Ulster are still without a URC win after five rounds and play Cardiff away next, on Sat 5 Dec (URC match centre / BBC Sport).

FT· South Africa 17–38 Ireland WomenWXV · Athlone Stadium · Sat · Match ReportBeibhinn Parsons scored a hat-trick, and Ireland scored four tries in the last 20 minutes after South Africa led 17–14 on 59 minutes. Ireland finish the WXV Global Series with two wins from two Tests in Cape Town (World Rugby match centre).

FT· Munster 3–15 SharksURC · Thomond Park · Sat · Match Report Gianni Lombard’s 15th-minute try had the Sharks 5–3 up at half-time, and Ivan van Zyl’s converted try on 59 minutes sealed it. Munster take no points and stay on 10 after five rounds (URC match centre).

Ireland XV squad for Fiji ‘A’: Carbery included as Gus McCarthy captains 28 in Cork

Ireland · Thu 29 Oct

On Thursday 29 Oct the IRFU named a 28-player Ireland XV squad, 16 forwards and 12 backs, coached by Mark Sexton, to play Fiji ‘A’ at Virgin Media Park, Cork on Fri 20 Nov (19:45 Irish). Leinster hooker Gus McCarthy captains the group, which meets in Cork on Mon 16 Nov. Joey Carbery, who last played for Ireland in 2022 (RTÉ, 29 Oct), is included, as is Munster prop Kieran Brookes.

Why it matters

Munster have nine players in the squad, Connacht seven, Leinster six and Ulster six. Ireland U20 play Scotland U20 at the same ground at 17:00 that evening; the IRFU says broadcast details for both games will follow.

IRFU squad announcement · RTÉ Sport

This week’s injuries

Ireland · Leinster · Munster · Connacht · Ulster · Thu 29 Oct

Ireland: the IRFU said Garry Ringrose (hamstring) “is unlikely to be involved in the forthcoming matches against Argentina, Fiji and South Africa”, while Jimmy O’Brien (concussion) is on a graduated return and Sam Prendergast (wrist) continues his rehab (Tue 27 Oct). Jordan Larmour returns on the left wing for Leinster at Connacht (Fri 30 Oct). Connacht are without Harry West through injury, and Stuart Lancaster has 13 players unavailable between international duty and injury (Thu 29 Oct). Munster are without Shane Daly (concussion) and Seán O’Brien (groin) for the Sharks (Sat 31 Oct). Munster and Ulster both get players back: Edwin Edogbo, Lee Barron and Jeremy Loughman are on the Munster bench after injury, and Rob Herring, James Hume and Zac Ward return for Ulster in Cape Town (Thu 29 Oct).

Why it matters

Ringrose looks set to miss the Argentina Test (Fri 6 Nov); Munster and Ulster get players back for Sat 31 Oct.

IRFU · squad update · Leinster · team news · Connacht · team news · Munster · squad update · Munster · team news · Ulster · team news · RTÉ

Argentina name 33 for Dublin: Facundo Isa comes in for the injured Santiago Grondona

Ireland · Fri 30 Oct

Felipe Contepomi named Argentina’s 33-man squad on Friday 30 October for the last stretch of the Nations Championship, which opens against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on Friday 6 November (20:10 Irish). Back-row Facundo Isa replaces Santiago Grondona, who is injured, and Mateo Soler and Rodrigo Martínez keep the places they took from the injured Santiago Carreras and Thomas Gallo. Santiago Chocobares is in the 33, and the UAR says the list can change from week to week.

Why it matters

Argentina are Ireland’s first November opponent; after Dublin they play Italy in Genoa (Sat 14 Nov) and France in Paris (Sat 21 Nov), and the squad regroups in Dublin after a three-day camp in London (UAR).

UAR (Spanish) · RugbyPass

South Africa name 37 for Dublin without Kolbe, Etzebeth and Pollard

Ireland · Wed 28 Oct

Rassie Erasmus named a 37-man Springbok squad on Wednesday 28 October for the second leg of the Nations Championship, which includes South Africa v Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 21 November (SA Rugby, The42). Injury keeps Cheslin Kolbe, Eben Etzebeth, Andre Esterhuizen and Handre Pollard out, and six uncapped players are in: Yaqeen Ahmed, Sebastian de Klerk, Luan Giliomee, Markus Muller, Riley Norton and Emmanuel Tshituka.

Why it matters

South Africa are Ireland’s third November opponent, after Argentina (Fri 6 Nov) and Fiji (Sat 14 Nov), and play Italy (Sat 7 Nov) and France (Fri 13 Nov) first. Leinster lock RG Snyman was already ruled out with a knee (ACL) injury (The42).

SA Rugby · RTÉ · The42

STATUS

URC pictureLeinster 6th 18 · Connacht 11th 10 · Munster 12th 10 · Ulster 15th 9Tables →

Key outsInjury update (1 Nov): Prendergast (Lei) doubtful, Mullins (Uls)+13 Ireland outs →

Abroad this weekend1 Irish abroad named on the benchAbroad →

Coming up

Next Ireland men

Fri 6 Nov · 20:10 · Ireland v Argentina · Aviva Stadium

VMTV / ITV | Where to watch

Next URC weekend

Fri 4 Dec · 19:45 · Ospreys v Leinster · St Helen's

Where to watch

Sat 5 Dec · 15:00 · Cardiff v Ulster · Cardiff Arms Park

Where to watch

Sat 5 Dec · 17:15 · Scarlets v Connacht · Parc y Scarlets

Where to watch

Sat 5 Dec · 19:45 · Zebre Parma v Munster · Stadio Lanfranchi

Where to watch

Munster 3–15 Sharks: Lombard and van Zyl tries win it for the Sharks at Thomond Park

Munster · Sat 31 Oct

Munster lost 3–15 to the Sharks at Thomond Park in Limerick on Saturday 31 October. Gianni Lombard scored the Sharks’ try on 15 minutes and JJ Hanrahan’s penalty on 40 minutes left the Sharks 5–3 ahead at half-time. Lombard kicked a penalty on 54 minutes, and the Sharks’ Ox Nche was sin-binned on 57 minutes, but Ivan van Zyl scored on 59 minutes and Lombard converted (URC match centre, 31 Oct).

Why it matters

Munster take no points from the game and stay on 10 points after five rounds, with one win, one draw and three defeats. Their next URC game is away to Zebre Parma on Sat 5 Dec (URC match centre / Munster Rugby fixtures).

URC match centre · Munster Rugby · report · Munster Rugby · fixtures

Stormers 33–7 Ulster: five Stormers tries in Cape Town leave Ulster without a URC win after five rounds

Ulster · Sat 31 Oct

Ulster lost 33–7 to the Stormers at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday 31 October. David McCann scored first for Ulster on 20 minutes and Jack Murphy converted, but JD Schickerling and Paul de Villiers scored for a 12–7 Stormers lead at half-time, with Ulster’s Keynan Knox sin-binned on 30 minutes. Evan Roos broke from his own 22 to score early in the second half, and Ruhan Nel and Yaqeen Ahmed added tries for a bonus-point win, with Ahmed kicking four conversions (URC match centre / DHL Stormers, 31 Oct).

Why it matters

Ulster are still without a URC win after five rounds, with two draws and three defeats, and their next URC game is away to Cardiff on Sat 5 Dec (BBC Sport, 31 Oct).

URC match centre · Ulster Rugby · report · DHL Stormers · report · BBC Sport · report

Connacht 5–50 Leinster: seven tries in Galway for a bonus-point Leinster win

Connacht · Leinster · Fri 30 Oct

Leinster beat Connacht 50–5 at the Dexcom Stadium on Friday 30 October, scoring seven tries to one. Gus McCarthy, Jordan Larmour and Todd Lawlor scored in the first half, with Dave Heffernan’s try in between for Connacht, and Leinster led 21–5 at half-time. Max Deegan, Joey Carbery, Ciarán Mangan and Fintan Gunne added second-half tries, and Carbery kicked six conversions and a penalty (URC match centre, 30 Oct).

Why it matters

Leinster have 18 points from five games and Connacht have 10 (URC table).

URC match centre · Leinster Rugby · report · RTÉ Sport · report · URC table

Ireland squad: Sheehan to captain as Ulster’s Benson and McNabney get first call-ups

Ireland · Wed 21 Oct

Andy Farrell has named a 36-man squad, 19 forwards and 17 backs, for Ireland’s Nations Championship games at the Aviva Stadium against Argentina (Fri 6 Nov, 20:10 Irish), Fiji (Sat 14 Nov, 20:10) and South Africa (Sat 21 Nov, 16:40), the IRFU announced on Wednesday 21 Oct. Dan Sheehan captains the squad, and Ulster’s Jamie Benson and James McNabney are the two uncapped players. Andrew Porter, Ryan Baird and Mack Hansen are back after missing the June tour squad, and Jamison Gibson-Park is included.

Why it matters

Jack Boyle, Harry Byrne, Jack Conan, Jack Crowley, Caelan Doris, Iain Henderson, Paddy McCarthy, Calvin Nash and Bryn Ward were not considered because of injury (IRFU, 21 Oct). Leinster have 17 players in the squad, Ulster nine, Connacht eight and Munster two.

IRFU squad announcement · RTÉ Sport · BBC Sport · Irish Independent Paywall · Irish Examiner Paywall

Beirne: IRFU contract option decision after the 2027 Six Nations

Ireland · Munster · Thu 15 Oct

Tadhg Beirne’s IRFU national contract runs until the end of the 2027 World Cup and includes an optional extension clause that either the IRFU or the player can decline to trigger, The42 reports. He expects clarity after the 2027 Six Nations and says his focus for now is Munster and Ireland. Beirne started 10 of Ireland’s 12 Tests last season. On the law tweaks, he told the Irish Times that “the dark arts are slowly going out of the game”.

Why it matters

Ireland have him through the 2027 World Cup either way; the option decides whether his IRFU deal goes any further, and neither side has to trigger it.

The42 · Beirne clause · Irish Times · law tweaks Paywall

Bulls 34–26 Ulster: Mullins scores twice but a 21–0 start leaves Ulster without a URC win

Ulster · Sat 24 Oct

Ulster lost 34–26 to the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday 24 October after trailing 21–0. Marcell Coetzee scored twice and Elrigh Louw once for the Bulls, before Chay Mullins replied for a 21–7 half-time score. David McCann, Mullins again and Stuart McCloskey scored after the break for a try bonus point, but Curwin Bosch’s penalty with the last play took the gap to eight and denied Ulster a losing bonus point (URC match centre / BBC Sport, 24 Oct).

Why it matters

Ulster are 13th on nine points after two draws and two defeats, and stay in South Africa to face the Stormers at the DHL Stadium on Sat 31 Oct (URC table, 25 Oct).

URC match centre · BBC Sport · report · Ulster Rugby · report · RTÉ Sport · report · The42 · report · The42 · reaction

Leinster 24–18 Munster: three second-half tries turn a 13–5 half-time deficit into a bonus-point win

Leinster · Munster · Sat 24 Oct

Leinster beat Munster 24–18 at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 24 October after trailing 13–5 at half-time. Shane Daly’s try and two Charlie O’Shea penalties had Munster 13–0 up after half an hour, before Tommy O’Brien scored for Leinster. Ryan Baird, Charlie Tector and Jamie Osborne scored in the second half, Tector’s try (64’) coming while Alex Nankivell was in the sin bin, and Ben O’Connor’s try in added time earned Munster a losing bonus point (URC match centre, 24 Oct). Daly was stretchered off in the second half, and Clayton McMillan did not expect him back for a while (The42, 24 Oct).

Why it matters

After Round 4 Leinster are 6th on 13 points and go to Connacht on Fri 30 Oct; Munster are 9th on 10 and host the Sharks at Thomond Park on Sat 31 Oct (URC table, 25 Oct).

URC match centre · RTÉ Sport · report · Munster Rugby · report · BBC Sport · report · The42 · report · The42 · McMillan on Daly · The42 · Cullen on Sheehan at 8

Connacht 48–27 Zebre Parma: eight tries and a bonus point lift Connacht to sixth in the URC

Connacht · Fri 23 Oct

Connacht beat Zebre Parma 48–27 at the Dexcom Stadium on Friday 23 October, scoring eight tries to five. Finlay Bealham, Sean Jansen, Cathal Forde and Sam Gilbert had the bonus point by the 23rd minute, and Cian Prendergast’s try made it 33–17 at half-time. Replacement Dave Heffernan scored twice and Harry West once after the break, with Ciarán Frawley converting four, while Zebre’s five tries earned them a bonus point (URC match centre, 23 Oct).

Why it matters

The win lifts Connacht from 14th to sixth in the URC on 10 points from four games, and Leinster are next, at the Dexcom Stadium on Friday 30 October (URC table, 23 Oct).

URC match centre · BBC Sport · report · RTÉ Sport · report · The42 · report

Irish abroad: Loughnane and Joshua Brennan score as Treadwell and MacGinty start Premiership wins

ABROAD · Sun 25 Oct

Ronan Loughnane started at hooker and scored a try in Aurillac’s 41–16 Pro D2 win over Nevers on Fri 23 Oct, a game in which Liam Turner started at centre for Nevers. Joshua Brennan started at lock and scored as Toulouse beat Perpignan 38–33 in the Top 14 on Sat 24 Oct. In the Premiership, AJ MacGinty started at out-half in Bristol’s 20–7 win over Exeter Chiefs (Sat 24 Oct) and Kieran Treadwell started at lock as Harlequins beat Saracens 33–15 (Sun 25 Oct). John McKee started at hooker in the Scarlets’ 52–40 defeat by the Stormers, Daniel Brennan started for Montauban in a 24–23 win over Oyonnax, and Eoghan Barrett started on the wing as Soyaux-Angoulême beat Dax 49–7.

Why it matters

Eight players on the Abroad tracker started from Thu 22 to Sun 25 Oct, and six of them finished on the winning side.

LNR Pro D2 · Aurillac v Nevers · LNR Top 14 · Toulouse v Perpignan · Bristol Bears · report · Harlequins · report · LNR Pro D2 · Montauban v Oyonnax · LNR Pro D2 · Soyaux-Angoulême v Dax · URC match centre · Stormers v Scarlets · All Irish players abroad → Abroad

South Africa 17–38 Ireland: Parsons scores a hat-trick as Ireland win both Tests in Cape Town

Ireland · Women · Sat 31 Oct

Ireland beat South Africa 38–17 at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday 31 October in the second of two WXV Global Series Tests. Unam Tose scored for South Africa in the second minute before Erin King and Beibhinn Parsons replied, and Ireland led 14–10 at half-time after Sizophila Solontsi’s try. Vainah Ubisi’s converted try put South Africa 17–14 ahead on 59 minutes, but Parsons, Aoife Dalton, Parsons again for her hat-trick and Fiona Tuite-O’Sullivan scored in the last 20 minutes, with Dannah O’Brien converting four. South Africa’s Alichia Arries (16’) and Jacomina Cilliers (70’) and Ireland’s Aoibheann Reilly (38’) were sin-binned (World Rugby match centre, 31 Oct).

Why it matters

Ireland win both Tests in Cape Town, 40–27 on Sat 24 Oct and 38–17 on Sat 31 Oct, in their last game of the WXV Global Series (World Rugby match centre / BBC Sport).

World Rugby match centre · BBC Sport · report

South Africa 27–40 Ireland: Djougang scores twice as six tries win the first Test in Cape Town

Ireland · Women · Sat 24 Oct

Ireland beat South Africa 40–27 at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday 24 October, scoring six tries to five in the first of two WXV Global Series Tests. Aoife Dalton, Linda Djougang and Jane Clohessy scored for a 21–17 half-time lead, and Beibhinn Parsons, captain Erin King and Djougang again scored after the break, with Dannah O’Brien converting five. King (24’) and Eve Higgins (67’) were both sin-binned (World Rugby match centre / BBC Sport, 24 Oct).

Why it matters

The sides meet again at the Athlone Stadium on Sat 31 Oct (13:00 Irish), Ireland’s last game of the WXV Global Series (BBC Sport, 24 Oct).

World Rugby match centre · BBC Sport · report · RTÉ Sport · report · The42 · report

Irish abroad

10 of the 35 senior men’s players we track played this weekend.

Irish abroad

Barrett · Kelleher · Marmion · Masterson · McKee · Olding · C Oliver (Ealing Trailfinders) · Scannell · Treadwell · Turner

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