Munster Rugby aim to end Leinster's three-game winning run at sold-out Thomond Park

MUNSTER Rugby will be looking to end Leinster's three game winning winning run in Limerick in the United Rugby Championship (URC) when the sides go head-to-head in a crucial interprovincial derby at a sold-out Thomond Park on St Stephen's Day, 7.35pm.

The game, which will be a played in front of a capacity 25,600 attendance will be live on TG4 and Premier Sports.

This will be the first Christmas interprovincial derby at Thomond Park since December 2019 with the 2020 and 2021 editions both postponed until early in the following year due to Covid-19.

Munster have won just one of their last 10 meetings with Leinster, a 3-27 success at the RDS Arena in the Rainbow Cup in April 2021.

Leo Cullen's Leinster have won on their last three visits to Thomond Park.

Munster Rugby attack coach Mike Prendergast says one of the key aspects of their game they will need to get right is to match Leinster's aggression.

Prendergast said: "We look at performance first and if we can get our detail right and be incredibly aggressive because I think it’s something that maybe is overlooked when you look at Leinster and their shape and skills, and ability to move.

"They’re incredibly aggressive on their carries from an attack point of view and they generate that quick ball and that becomes a hard thing to defend.

 “So, I think if we get those aspects of our game right, I firmly believe we can win this game. It will be a huge challenge and we are still on that journey. I think in terms of where we can go there’s still steps forward to make.

"It’s still enough early days, we’ve probably been together for six months, and games-wise three and a half/four months, but every week we’re looking to add little layers to our game, and sometimes that hasn’t come off, or we haven’t shown it yet.

 “So, it is a framework that’s evolving. I do think that going back to the Bulls game there has been good improvements in it. I know Graham (Rowntree) speaks about how we train, but you can see it at training and I know at the start of the season it probably didn’t show as much, but you can see what we’re trying to do in training and how quick we want to move, that it is starting to come through at game time. “  

Munster will be aiming to improve in their record against their three provincial rivals when Leinster visit Limerick this evening. Munster’s 24-17 victory over Connacht at Thomond Park at the end of November ended a run of five successive defeats against fellow Irish provinces.

MUNSTER RUGBY: Shane Daly, Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Jack Crowley, Keith Earls, Joey Carbery, Conor Murray, Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, John Ryan, Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne, Jack O'Donoghue, Peter O'Mahony (Capt), Gavin Coombes Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Josh Wycherley, Roman Salanoa, Kiran McDonald, Alex Kendellen, Craig Casey, Rory Scannell, Patrick Campbell.

LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan, Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose (CAPT), Jamie Osborne, James Lowe, Ross Byrne, Nick McCarthy, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Cian Healy, Ryan Baird, Joe McCarthy, Rhys Ruddock, Scott Penny, Max Deegan Replacements: John McKee, Michael Milne, Vakhtang Abdaladze, Ross Molony, Jack Conan, Luke McGrath, Harry Byrne, Liam Turner.