A big year ahead!
As the rugby season kicks into gear, we have taken a look at what the aims of each of Ireland’s provinces should be.
Leinster
Given what has gone on since lifting the Champions Cup trophy in 2018, anything less than a repeat of that day in Bilbao will be seen as a failure.
And while URC success last season did provide a degree of respite and a memorable day out for the young fans, the province will continue to be a source of mockery for rivals, so long as their shocking recent record in the Champions Cup knockouts continues.
The worrying aspect of the situation is that last season’s tournament was weaker for the simple fact that Antoine Dupont was missing for Toulouse.
Bordeaux and Northampton were worthy finalists in back in May, but neither were an all-time side, unlike a Toulouse team led by the man who was the difference when they toppled Leinster in the 2024 final.
Munster
Transfer-wise, Munster have been the most impressive of the four provinces over the past year, with last season’s signings of Tom Farrell, Thaakir Abrahams, Michael Milne, Lee Barron, Diarmuid Kilgallen, and Andrew Smith, all impressing at various stages.
But above all else, the capture of head coach Clayton McMillan will have raised the expectations of the Munster faithful.
You can add to this a core of men, including Craig Casey, Gavin Coombes, Jack Crowley, who have graduated to ‘senior-player’ status, and the most impressive group of young talent out of the four provinces, with Brian Gleeson, Ruadhán Quinn, Evan O’Connell, Ben O’Connor, and the Edogbo brothers.
Munster are not at a stage where they can say that anything less than trophy will be a failure, but their URC aim has to be a final.
In Europe, they will be looking to reach the last four for the first time since 2019.
Ulster
The serial underachievers find themselves in a curious position, in that it is tricky to judge just how good they are and where they are at in their long-term journey.
The most pressing question is whether Richie Murphy’s underwhelming first season was a head coach cleaning up the setup and building a foundation, or was it the product of inexperience, and evidence of a man promoted too hastily by the IRFU?
Player-wise, their summer signings look on course to have the most significant impact of any new recruits on the island.
There have been calls for the Springboks to promote Juarno Augustus, following his instrumental tole in Northampton’s run to last season’s Champions Cup final, while Australian Angus Bell is one of the leading looseheads in the game.
Not qualifying for the Champions Cup was seen as an embarrassment, but it does provide them with an opportunity to flip the narrative and use failure to their advantage.
The Challenge Cup gives Ulster their best chance at silverware in any tournament, and this should be their No 1 goal for 2025/2026.
Domestically, the knockouts will be a significant improvement from last season.
Connacht
The return of Stuart Lancaster to these shores is an all-time coup for the men out west.
They have to consistently punch above their weight and fight for their corner as the ‘smaller sibling’, but this year feels like they have real impetus to kick on and have their best year since the title-winning season of 2016.
New Zealander Sam Gilbert is their only signing of note so far, and they will be hoping he can help them out in their problem position at out-half, where he hasn’t played since 2023.
In terms of their aims, they should have the same goals as Ulster.
After bottling last year’s Challenge Cup quarter-final against Racing 92, they will want to make amends.
