Irish Rugby

Image source, Getty Images

Ulster full-back Jacob Stockdale has been ruled out of Sunday's Challenge Cup pool game against the Cheetahs (15:15 GMT) with a rib injury.

The Ireland back suffered the injury in last week's United Rugby Championship win over Munster and was forced off early in the second half.

The 29-year-old joins Juarno Augustus, Michael Lowry, Rory McGuire (all ankle), Charlie Irvine (calf), Ethan McIlroy (ribs), James McNabney (knee), Stewart Moore (hand) on Ulster's injury list.

In more positive news, Ben Moxham is available for selection for Sunday's game in Amsterdam after recovering from a serious knee injury.

The 24-year-old winger has not played since tearing an anterior cruciate ligament during Ulster's loss to Leinster in November 2024.

Speaking to BBC Sport NI, Ulster defence coach Willie Faloon indicated that back-row Augustus may not be absent for as long as first thought after he was initially diagnosed with "a significant ankle ligament injury".

"He saw a specialist last Friday and hopefully we'll see in the next couple of weeks when he'll be back. We're hoping it will be a little more positive," said Faloon.

Ulster opened their Challenge Cup campaign with a resounding 61-7 win over Racing 92 but fell to a 29-26 loss to Cardiff.

Since then, Richie Murphy's side lost to Leinster before beating Connacht and Munster in the festive inter-provincial derbies in the United Rugby Championship.

Faloon added that this week's meeting with the Cheetahs offers something of a change of venue and opposition for the Irish province.

"Looking forward to it, looking forward to putting in a performance there, but it's different, travelling to Amsterdam, playing against a team that we don't face regularly, it's an exciting challenge.

"We want to go as well in the Challenge Cup as we can so it's really important that we win this game and put ourselves in a good position."

Image source, Inpho

Munster are set to welcome their Ireland internationals back for Sunday's Investec Champions Cup pool encounter with Toulon at Stade Felix Mayol (13:00 GMT).

Tadhg Beirne, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley and Tom Farrell were all rested for last week's United Rugby Championship loss to in-form Ulster in Belfast.

However, Munster head coach Clayton McMillan will be without John Hodnett (thumb) and Alex Kendellen (ankle) because of injury.

Centre Alex Nankivell is fit after picking up a knock against Ulster, while prop Oli Jager has resumed full training after three months out following a concussion against Edinburgh on 18 October.

Munster opened their Champions Cup campaign with a resounding 31-3 win over Gloucester before suffering a heavy 40-14 loss away to Bath.

Image source, Getty Images

Ireland international centre Robbie Henshaw has recovered from a finger injury in time to face La Rochelle this weekend, while the availability of Garry Ringrose, RG Snyman, Rabah Slimani and Harry Byrne will be assessed during the week.

Saturday's Champions Cup pool stage meeting (17:30 GMT) at the Aviva Stadium will be the seventh contest between the two sides in the competition over the past five years with each side winning three apiece, although two of the French side's victories came in finals.

Henshaw was injured against Munster on 27 December and missed Leinster's eight-try win over Connacht on Saturday.

Both prop Slimani and fly-half Byrne were due to be on the bench in that Irish interprovincial derby, but were late scratches from the side.

Second row Snyman and centre Ringrose have both been absent since the Champions Cup opener against Harlequins on 6 December but have returned to training.

Leinster come into the weekend on the back of seven straight victories in all competitions while La Rochelle, despite some struggles this season, beat Toulon 66-0 on Sunday to move into seventh in the Top 14.

Image source, Inpho

Munster head coach Clayton McMillan felt his side were "poor" in their United Rugby Championship loss against Ulster on Friday night but said his side will "bounce back" from a poor run.

After making a strong start to the campaign, Munster have struggled over recent weeks and have now lost four of their past six including back-to-back Irish derbies against Leinster and Ulster.

Against the latter at Affidea Stadium, Richie Murphy's side had only a narrow 6-3 lead at half-time before tries from Tom Stewart, Jake Flannery and Bryn Ward after the restart secured a comfortable 28-3 win for the hosts.

The result put an end to Munster's three-game winning run against Ulster and saw the northern province jump above their Irish rivals in the table.

"We trained well during the week and expected a much better performance across the board," McMillan told BBC Sport NI.

"We didn't get it, and we weren't allowed to get it through a quality, physical Ulster side, so full credit to them.

"They [Ulster] won the scraps on the ground and were able to build a little bit of momentum off that, the breakdown was poor, we lost races and we carried high. We had a couple of good moments but, overall, were poor again."

The defeat dropped Munster to sixth in the URC table before they turn their attention to the Champions Cup and Sunday's game against Top 14 side Toulon (13:00 GMT).

McMillan added he needs to "find out what will bring a turn of form" before their trip to the Stade Mayol.

"It is just our execution, which is becoming a recurring theme so, first and foremost, the coaches will look at ourselves before we look at the players," said the head coach in his first season at Thomond Park.

"We need to reflect again and start thinking about what will bring a turn of form. We are hanging in there, but we haven't been that compelling with anything that we have done.

"We have a good group and we will bounce back, but you would like to have a bit more consistency and not have to go through performances like that to get a response."

Image source, Getty Images

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy says there is a "great buzz" around the northern province this season.

Friday night's 28-3 interpro triumph over Munster lifted the side into second place in the United Rugby Championship and they have won six of eight games played in the league this season.

Having finished 14th last season, above only Zebre and Dragons in the table, it has been a dramatic turnaround at the Affidea Stadium so far in 2025-26.

"There's a great buzz down in the changing room," said the head coach in his second full season in the job.

"There's confidence growing. There's a real belief. There's a real hunger. The atmosphere on a daily basis is great.

"The lads are turning up and they're hungry for work."

Murphy has been impressed by the contributions of 21-year-old pair Bryn Ward and Joe Hopes in recent weeks and feels it was important to increase the depth of his panel this season after a host of experienced departures in recent summers.

"There's a few others that we want to try and get in over these next couple of weeks to try and build out our squad because that's one of the things that is going to be really important come the back end of the tournament.

"The challenge in training is a lot better now because, one, we've a healthier squad than we did last year and those young guys are learning from the experience.

"Our older guys, the Iain Hendersons, the Rob Herrings, the Jacob Stockdales, Nick Timoneys, they're really driving the place forward.

"The young lads are really hungry as well, so it's great."

In their latest victory, Ulster had led only 6-3 at half-time in snowy conditions but made their dominance count in the second half with three tries and 22 unanswered points to ensure they would leapfrog Munster in the table despite not picking up the four-try bonus point in the final minutes.

"Just early on in the game, we couldn't quite break them down and we didn't look after the ball quite well enough, but we put them under a hell of a lot of pressure and I suppose that told in the second half," Murphy added.

"I still think we tried and we tried hard to play [in the first half].

"We were the team that were trying to move the ball to space and get our big ball carrying wingers into the game and I thought we'd done that really well, just probably a little bit disappointed that we couldn't get that final try."

Image source, Inpho

Leinster have made nine changes to their starting team from Saturday's United Rugby Championship win over Munster for the interpro against Connacht at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday (17:30 GMT).

Backs Hugh Cooney, Charlie Tector and Joshua Kenny are drafted in, along with fly-half Sam Prendergast.

Among the forwards, Dan Sheehan is back in to captain the team, Brian Deeny partners Joe McCarthy in the second row and there is an entirely new back row in the form of Diarmuid Mangan, Will Connors and Jack Conan.

Connors returns to the team for the first time since October.

Among those making way are Ireland internationals Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe, Ronan Kelleher and James Ryan, with Max Deegan and Josh van der Flier among the replacements.

Connacht make five changes from the side which lost 29-24 to Ulster last Saturday.

Dave Heffernan and Jack Carty miss out through injury, so Dylan Tierney-Martin starts at hooker and Josh Ioane comes in at fly-half to form a new half-back partnership with Matthew Devine.

David Henshaw is drafted in at outside centre, while Chay Mullins plays on the right wing after returning to full fitness.

Leinster have won six matches in a row, four of those having come in the United Rugby Championship, while Connacht have lost five of their past six URC outings.

Leo Cullen's side sit sixth in the table going into the weekend's action, with Connacht four places worse off in 10th.

Leinster: Frawley;O'Brien, Cooney, Tector, Kenny; Prendergast, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan (capt), Clarkson; McCarthy, Deeny; Mangan, Connors, Conan.

Replacements: McCarthy, Boyle, Slimani, O'Tighearnaigh, Deegan, van der Flier, McGrath, Byrne.

Connacht: Gilbert; Mullins, Hawkshaw, Aki, Treacy; Ioane, Devine; Buckley, Tierney-Martin, Bealham; Joyce, O'Connor; Murphy, Prendergast, Jansen.

Replacements: de Buitlear, Bohan, Barrett, Murray, Boyle, Murphy, West, Forde.

Image source, Inpho

Ireland international Erin King will return from a lengthy period out through injury when she starts for the Wolfhounds in Saturday's Celtic Challenge Irish derby against the Clovers at Creggs RFC on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The back-row, who was named as World Rugby Women's XV Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2024, will make her first appearance since sustaining a knee injury in last season's Women's Six Nations, which ruled her out of the remainder of the tournament and the subsequent Rugby World Cup.

The 22-year-old suffered the problem in Ireland's defeat by England and had to undergo surgery, before starting rehabilitation.

King's inclusion in the Wolfhounds starting line-up is one of three changes from the side which began the 34-7 bonus-point win over Edinburgh in December.

Fellow Irish players Linda Djougang and Stacey Flood both start after being introduced off the bench in the Wolfhounds' opening game.

The Clovers also make three alterations to their starting XV which took to the field for the 35-31 success over Gwalia Lightning, with Emily Foley being drafted in on the left wing and Siobhan McCarthy and Beth Buttimer coming into the front row.

The sides took a win apiece from the two meetings between the teams in last year's competition.

The Wolfhounds won 33-7 in the first round of fixtures, with the Clovers triumphing 31-10 in their second encounter in the following round.

Clovers: Aoife Corey; Beibhinn Parsons, Anna McGann, Niamh Murphy, Emily Foley; Caitriona Finn, Emily Lane; Siobhan McCarthy, Beth Buttimer, Sadhbh McGrath; Aoibhe Flynn, Jane Clohessy; Rosie Searle, Faith Oviawe, Jemima Adams Verling.

Replacements: Emma Dunican, Orlaith Morrissey, Ella Burns, Aoibheann McGrath, Caoimhe Murphy, Grainne Moran, Meabh Deely, Lucia Linn.

Wolfhounds: Stacey Flood; Robyn O'Connor, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins, Maggie Boylan; Dannah O'Brien, Aoibheann Reilly; Linda Djougang, India Daley, Sophie Barrett; Naoise Smyth, Kate Jordan; Claire Boles, Maeve Og O'Leary, Erin King.

Replacements: Maebh Cleneghan, Cara McLean, Caoimhe Molloy, Fiona Tuite, Poppy Garvey, Moya Hill, Katie Whelan, Vicky Elmes Kinlan.

Image source, Inpho

Ulster scrum-half Nathan Doak has signed a new contract that runs until the summer of 2028.

Doak, 24, has established himself as a key player for Ulster after making his debut as a teenager in 2021.

He has played a key role in Ulster's impressive season under head coach Richie Murphy, and he has the most successful conversions in the United Rugby Championship, with 19, and is second for most kicking metres made.

Doak, whose father Neil also played for Ulster as a scrum-half, was called up to the Ireland squad for the summer tour and has been involved in two Ireland 'A' matches.

He was also part of the Emerging Ireland squad which toured South Africa in 2022.

Doak said that playing for Ulster "means everything" and discussions with Ulster's new general manager Rory Best played a key role in him committing his future to the province.

"I understand the responsibility and significance of wearing this shirt, it means everything to me," Doak said.

"From my discussions with Rory, he made it clear to me the direction in which he sees Ulster going and that is something I wanted to be a part of and believe we can reach.

"I want to help the team keep moving forward while also improving my own game, and I feel Ulster is the best place for me to do that."

Former Ireland and Ulster captain Best said he felt Doak's "best years are ahead of him" and he has the potential to play for Ireland.

"It's clear that Nathan's performances this season have been rightly praised, and we are aware of interest from other top clubs in signing him.

"Nathan has a lot of experience for someone who has just turned 24 years of age, and I know that Richie and the coaching staff have been impressed by his maturity and development."

Image source, Inpho

Former Ireland prop Lindsay Peat has told BBC Sport NI's Ireland Rugby Socialpodcast that she found the transition to playing rugby union difficult after previously excelling at other sports.

Peat only took up rugby at 35 years of age, having played for the Republic of Ireland under-18 football team, captained the Ireland women's national basketball team and played senior Ladies' Gaelic football for Dublin.

She was a member of the Dublin team that won the All-Ireland title in 2010 and scored two goals in the 2014 final.

Within months of taking up women's rugby, Peat was fast-tracked into the Ireland team by then coach Tom Tierney and made her international debut in November 2015 when she came on as a replacement in an 8-3 defeat by England in an autumn fixture. It was just the eighth game of rugby she had ever played.

She went on to play for Ireland in every Women's Six Nations from 2016 to 2021 and was part of the team which hosted the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup.

Peat won 38 caps before retiring from international duty when she was 41.

"It was such a regret that I didn't start rugby earlier but at the same time, before that, I had fabulous memories with basketball and GAA," explained Peat.

"Tom [Tierney] said he'd like to invite me to camp and it was after that first Six Nations, when I had not a clue what I was doing, that Tom said, 'I threw you in at the deep end there' and I was like, 'yeah, you did'.

"I was coming into a team that had won Grand Slams and been to a semi-final [of a World Cup against England], but it was them who motivated me.

"I had to make so many mistakes with egg on my face. It was tough but they had standards and I had come in and if I was going to take the jersey I understood that."

Peat now coaches at Railway Union Rugby Club and says she draws on her own experiences to help develop the young players she is helping to develop.

"I had to make mistakes to learn, it was tough learnings. I'm all for the arm round the shoulder but if we're not honest in our feedback then how do we have the growth mindset?

"I say to the girls, 'make mistakes, I'd rather you make a mistake trying rather than not make a mistake not trying at all because you're so scared'.

"The female game, no matter what sport we're talking about, women are getting exposed to a lot better coaching and early exposure at underage, so their skill set is through the roof."

Image source, Inpho

Ulster back row Juarno Augustus will be sidelined "for a number of weeks" because of the ankle ligament injury he sustained in the United Rugby Championship win over Connacht in Galway.

Augustus left the field midway through the second half of his team's 29-24 success at Dexcom Stadium and Ulster say the damage is "significant".

The former Northampton Saints number eight has initially been ruled out of Friday's URC match with Munster in Belfast.

"He's going to see someone about it on Friday," head coach Richie Murphy told BBC Sport NI.

"We're not sure exactly on the timeline, but yeah we won't be seeing him over the next couple of weeks. It gives him an opportunity then to retrain himself and get himself nice and fit and come back fighting bigger and stronger hopefully."

Meanwhile Ethan McIlroy's injury woe has continued as he faces a further spell out of action after picking up a rib injury in Ballynahinch's Senior Cup Final victory over Instonians.

Eric O'Sullivan (hamstring), Matthew Dalton (knee), Iain Henderson (back) and Rob Herring (knee) have all resumed team training and their availability for selection will be assessed through training this week.

"It's a big boost for the squad," Murphy added when asked about the return of experienced Ireland internationals Herring and Henderson.

"Their experience and work in the early part of the season was really valuable for us. I think if you look at the likes of Harry Sheridan, Charlie Irvine and even Izzy [Cormac Izuchukwu], some of these younger guys, having a guy like Hendy in there is really valuable for them."

Ulster sit fifth in the URC table, three points below second-placed Munster, so have the opportunity to leapfrog their Irish interprovincial rivals in the table with a win at Affidea Stadium.

Image source, Inpho

Ireland utility back Ciaran Frawley will join Connacht from Leinster in a two-year deal next summer, the provinces have confirmed.

Frawley has made over 100 appearances for Leinster since making his debut in February 2018, helping the club win five Pro12/United Rugby Championship titles.

The 28-year-old, who can play at fly-half, centre or full-back, has won nine Ireland caps and memorably nailed two late drop-goals to help seal a dramatic Test victory over South Africa in Durban in 2024.

"I'm really excited to have the opportunity to represent Connacht on and off the field from next season. On my visits to the province with Leinster I've always been struck by the passion of the supporters there, and the positive brand of rugby the team play."

He added: "I've loved my time at Leinster and I'm really appreciative for all the support from the fans, coaches and teammates over the last seven years.

"There's still a lot of work to do and I'm looking forward to finishing the season strongly before the move to Galway in the summer."

Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster described Frawley's capture as a "real statement of intent".

"I know him well from my time in Leinster and I saw him grow from an academy prospect into a key member of the senior squad and play for Ireland also," said Lancaster.

"He's still only 28 so I firmly believe his best days are still ahead of him, and I'm delighted that the club have been able to secure a player of his calibre.

"He will be a big asset in the years ahead and personally I am really excited about working with him again."

Image source, Inpho

Ulster forward Cormac Izuchukwu says he is not getting ahead of himself with regards to potential Six Nations selection after making his first start in nearly three months.

Izuchukwu impressed on his return to the Ulster line-up for the first time since 11 October in Saturday's United Rugby Championship win over Connacht in Galway, winning the player of the match award.

The 25-year-old has started just three games in a season interrupted by injury and illness and he says he cannot afford to focus too much on Ireland selection having only just returned for his province.

"I've missed so many camps with injuries that I've learned that you can get down on yourself if you're planning two months out to go to a camp and then you get injured, it can be quite a tough thing to live with," said the Offaly-born lock, who has three Ireland caps.

"If I just focus on staying fit, playing each week and then if it comes it comes, I can enjoy it then, but I'm not trying to put it up on a pedestal where if it doesn't go my way, it'll be a massive loss for me."

Saturday's 29-24 victory over Connacht was Ulster's fifth in seven URC games this season.

"If these games are lost, it amps up the pressure in the backend of the season," he added.

"We had that last year. We were kind of struggling coming into the backend of the season and then the Edinburgh game [the final game last season], it kind of fell apart.

"That's the lesson we've learned - can we win these games to make it easier to play in the later part of the season."