For a long time, it was a competition, regardless of its title, that was an easy target. Whether it was the Celtic League, the Magners League, the RaboDirect Pro12, the Guinness PRO12 or the PRO14, there wasn’t a lot of love for the cross-borders league.
In a bid to shake things up, the tournament organisers made plenty of strange decisions along the way. Parachuting the Cheetahs and Southern Kings into the competition at the 11th hour was a real clanger. They didn’t last long…
There was a lack of excitement, proper rivalries and jeopardy. The whole concept just felt a bit flat.
Leinster landing four titles in a row wasn’t great for optics either. All that changed when the South African heavyweights agreed to join the newly-expanded league ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.
Again, there was no shortage of cynicism about the newly-branded United Rugby Championship, but it has proven a smash hit.
Southern edge: The Stormers won the first URC, beating Ulster on their way to the title in 2022
The Stormers won the title at the first time of asking, beating the Bulls in an all-South African final in 2022. Munster, Glasgow and Leinster have since gone on to win the competition.
Fears over the logistical challenges of a cross-hemisphere league have largely been allayed and there is no arguing that the addition of the Bulls, Stormers, Lions and Sharks has made this competition a far better product.
Crucially, it has created a real scene of jeopardy ahead of the playoffs. The final round is upon us and it promises to be a thrilling conclusion to the regular league season as nine teams chase a top-eight finish, with high seedings for the knockout stages also on the line.
Qualified: Rieko Ioane and Leo Cullen celebrate their Champions Cup win over Toulon – Leinster are the only province already assured of Champions Cup qualification next season
Ahead of this 18th and final round of action, Leinster are the only province who are guaranteed Champions Cup next season.
It’s some turnaround. For years, the English clubs would moan about the Irish teams cruising into Europe because they had it so handy on the domestic front.
The memory of Warren Gatland emphasising that point in the wake of Wasps’ thrilling Heineken Cup semi-final win against Munster in 2004 remains vivid.
‘I don’t feel anything for Munster, you take your chances and your opportunities in this competition,’ he said at the time.
‘It’s easy for Munster to qualify for the Heineken Cup every year. For us, the Premiership is incredibly important because it’s really difficult to qualify. You take your opportunities and we took ours today.’
Now, Gatland clearly wanted to settle a few old scores with the IRFU at the time, but he wasn’t alone in that viewpoint.
A big reason why the English and French clubs disbanded the old Heineken Cup and forced through the Champions Cup is because they wanted ‘meritocracy’ in qualification.
The Irish provinces had it too easy, apparently. The irony now is that the English Premiership is a 10-team league, with no qualification. Eight of which go straight into the Champions Cup.
The Top14 is a dogfight as ever. Bordeaux, who are competing in next weekend’s Champions Cup final, are currently sixth in the French league. Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle are holding on for dear life in eighth place while Toulon, who almost shocked Leinster a few weeks ago, are ninth.
There is plenty at stake in the URC, however. Only five points separate fourth-placed Bulls and Connacht, who are banging on the playoff door in ninth spot.
This is going to be a season-defining weekend for a lot of teams, including three of the provinces…
All to play for: Ben Murphy of Connacht in action against Munster in the Sportsground
CONNACHT
The Westerners are finishing the URC like a runaway train. Stuart Lancaster has revitalised the entire operation. Young guns such as Billy Bohan, Darragh Murray and Harry West are thriving. Connacht are arguably the form team in the league at the moment.
After a rough start to the season, the province’s URC hopes looked dead and buried. Seven league wins in eight outings has seen Lancaster’s outfit surge into playoff contention, however.
Last weekend’s impressive bonus-point win against Munster in Galway has put them in a strong position. They face Edinburgh at Murrayfield this evening.
Connacht are just a point behind eighth- placed Ulster. Their chances of another big win increased when Edinburgh head coach Seán Everitt named a youthful and experienced side for this league outing.
The hosts, who are currently 12th, have nothing but pride on the line, but Everitt has still named Scotland stars Darcy Graham, Duhan van der Merwe and Pierre Schoeman in his line-up. The Scots are also on a four-game winning streak in the URC.
Nothing but a win will do for Connacht. Even a maximum haul of five points might not be enough, if other results go against them in the coming days. Which would be a great shame.
For now, though, their destiny is in their own hands.
Momentum: Ulster scrum-half Neil Doak and his teammates have been in good form recently
ULSTER
Richie Murphy’s side have been winning plaudits all season. And rightly so.
Mark Sexton has worked wonders as attack coach and this youthful team have thrived. The rewards were a record representation in Andy Farrell’s Six Nations plans, with the likes of Stuart McMcCloskey Nick Timoney, Rob Baloucoune having huge championships.
A late-season injury crisis and this Challenge Cup final run has hurt Ulster in recent months, mind.
Murphy simply doesn’t have a squad deep enough to cope and the province’s URC form has fallen off the edge of a cliff. They have sunk down to eighth place and need a win against league leaders Glasgow tonight to guarantee their place at the business end of the competition next month. A bonus-point could see Ulster, depending on other results, finish in the top four, which would guarantee a home quarter-final.
A loss to the Scots, however, could see them slip out of the playoffs.
Mixed bag: JJ Hanrahan ponders Munster’s heavy defeat by the Sharks in Durban last March
MUNSTER
Clayton McMillan’s injury-ravaged squad are literally limping to the end of this season. A point emphasised by last weekend’s dour display in Galway.
Their task at Thomond Park tomorrow night is simple: beat the Lions and secure a playoff spot.
If Munster manage that, they will likely be on the road in the quarter-finals. Whatever about a late URC title bid, securing Champions Cup rugby is a more vital target for this cash-strapped organisation.
Should the home side lose, then things could get very dicey, with Cardiff, Ulster and Connacht primed to leapfrog the province in the final standings.
LEINSTER
Leo Cullen’s squad will have one eye on Bilbao next week, but they will be targeting a big win against struggling Ospreys on Saturday evening. Regardless of tomorrow’s result, they are guaranteed a playoff spot. A maximum haul could land them, depending on how Glasgow and Stormers fare, a top-two finish, which would guarantee home advantage in the quarter-final and semi-final.
The chase is on: Leinster are looking to secure home advantage for their URC play-off run
