MUNSTER are back in South Africa (SA) to round off their regular United Rugby Championship tour with a couple of tricky fixtures.
On Saturday (5.15pm), Graham Rowntree’s side face Stormers (soundly beaten 42-17 in the European Champions Cup at Exeter Chiefs over the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend) in Cape Town and the following weekend renew acquaintances with their European Championship conquerors Sharks (50-35) in Durban.
Munster departed midweek for their latest SA trip, another costly exercise.
Ahead of the season, URC Chief Executive Martin Anayi explained: “The diversity of our league we so proudly celebrate is also a reason for the immense complexity of putting together the fixture list. This is a monumental task and it takes many stakeholders many long hours to make this the best club championship in the world.”
“We have to consider a variety of factors across our 16 clubs and five territories, but we believe that our season schedule gives our fans the best rugby week in and week out.”
He concluded: “My heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who has worked tirelessly to put together this blockbuster fixture list.”
Fifth placed Munster will need to pick up some points from their foreign adventure over the next couple of weekends in order to earn a home quarter-final, otherwise it will be another away knock-out fixture, possibly against Glasgow Warriors on the opening weekend of May.
THE John Dobson coached Stormers will again be without star flanker Deon Fourie. He has been ruled-out of late with a medial orbital wall fracture (eye socket). His spot at No 6 is likely to be taken by Junior Pokomela.
Interestingly, another of their contingent, Ernst van Ryhn, is poised to leave for Sale Sharks in the summer. There he will join fellow countrymen Robert, Jean-Luc, and Daniel du Preez, Akker van der Merwe, Coenie Oosthuizen, former Stormers lock Cobus Wiese, and flank Jono Ross.
The Munster XV will be named at noon on Friday.
