URC season preview - How are the provinces set for 2026/27?
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What is the preview for the 2026/27 URC season and who are the hosts?
This week's RTE Rugby Podcast, the first of a new season. We've been away for a little bit of a break, but we're back now as we gear up towards a rugby world cup this time next year in Australia. We'll be with you every week between now and then. Johnny Murphy is with me this morning as we break down the four Irish provinces' chances ahead of the new URC season. Good morning, Johnny.
Morning, Neil. Nice to be back.
It's just the two of us as well today. Uh people might notice there's no one on the couch opposite me this morning. And on a related note, you may have seen our good friend Bernard Jackman has a new role in the game as head of recruitment for Bristol. Unfortunately, that means Bernard is gonna have to step away from the pod for this season, although he has promised me he'll try call in every once in a while. We're gonna have to hold him to that one, Johnny.
Yeah, definitely. Uh try and get him when he's sitting in the airport heading over to Bristol on those early morning flights. So, um yeah, look, it's great for him. Uh he's kinda the perfect man for that job. He's uh incredibly well connected. Um and obviously um he's got a keen eye for uh eye for talent given kind of his pr his previous uh roles within um you know, in France and and what he's done within kind of the system here. So uh yeah, best of luck to Birch, but uh he'll be he'll be missed, but hopefully we'll get him on a few times throughout the year.
Yeah, he certainly will be in the I'd echo that as well. Very best of luck to him. Sport podcast at Ort.ie as well. Uh, for anyone who wants to get in touch with us with thoughts and questions and duty free requests from Bernard as well. But we have heaps to get through uh today, even though it's just the two of us. So we're gonna fly through it. The URC starts this weekend. Friday night, couple of games involving the Irish provinces, Connoct against the Stormers and Ulster versus Edinburgh. Or about 7 45 on Friday night. And then Saturday afternoon, Leinster away to the Lions in an early kickoff, 12 30.
How will Leo Cullen’s final season impact Leinster’s performance?
And then Munster home to the Glasgow Warriors at half past five. I'm gonna start with Leinster Johnny. They're the defending champions and set up for a fascinating season with Leo Cullen in his final year as head coach. Already Leo has bristled at the suggestion, uh that he would be a lame duck. Maybe not even a suggestion he would be, but a question of of how he would go about ensuring he isn't a lame duck. He said he wouldn't be taking any bullshit to use his own words. But it is something that has to be discussed. We have seen this so many times, not just in rugby, but across the board in sport and in the wider world as well. Someone going into their final year when they've made that announcement nice and early, obviously doing it for the right reasons and putting all the planning in place, but it just sets up narratively a very interesting season.
Yeah, it's interesting to hear him kind of uh go down that kind of early. So he's obviously trying to nail uh his colours to the mast um at the start of the season to kinda prove a point. But um I suppose Leo is is he's a competitor, um and I think it's one of those things that um you know he really Europe uh what a way for it would be for him to to bow out if he was to manage to kind of climb that Europe. Pain Hill again and that's the kind of one thing they've been missing over the last number of years. So I suppose he wants to I suppose he wants to be a hold of the narrative as well from a media perspective. Um you saw him last year where he probably was a bit kind of unlike Leo. He was um, you know, he he he's had a couple of jobs at other provinces and all that kind of stuff throughout um last season.
um, you know, and some funny altercations with w with Zebo at times on the on the T V. But um yeah, i I I think he's just trying to get a hold of the of that that public narrative to to ensure that you know, people are aware that he's doubling down on this year. He's gonna push them really hard. And then there's a I suppose a level of professionalism needed within that not that is there.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the preview for the 2026/27 URC season and who are the hosts?
0:10–1:58
2
How will Leo Cullen’s final season impact Leinster’s performance?
1:58–5:46
3
Is Felipe Contepomi the likely successor for the Leinster head‑coach role?
5:46–10:29
4
What are Leinster’s prospects for the upcoming URC campaign?
10:29–18:18
5
How will Munster cope with the out‑half injury crisis and possible tactical changes?
18:18–23:48
6
Why are the vibes so high at Connacht and what does the summer transfer activity look like?
23:48–26:48
7
What are Ulster’s realistic targets for the Champions Cup and URC this season?
26:48–45:32
8
Which players does former Munster wing Johne Murphy recommend watching across the provinces?
45:32–1:03:32
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from RTÉ Rugby Podcast
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Leinster go back to back and who will replace Leo Cullen in 2027?
URC Grand Final special with Jake White and Bernard Jackman