Sky Live: Leinster v Munster PRO14 in focus preview
By Michael Cantillon
Last Updated: 07/10/17 3:36pm
Leinster face Munster in the PRO14 this weekend, live on Sky Sports Arena and Main Event, in one of the biggest derbies in world rugby.
There's rivalry, intensity and hostility whenever these two provinces meet and Saturday at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin should be no different.
Here are all the major talking points ahead of the clash!
History
Since 1879, men from the east and south of Ireland have been competing on a rugby field in blue and red.
Munster and Leinster have proud traditions in European and Celtic rugby, and the dawn of professionalism in 1995 saw the relationship between the pair grow to such an extent, that things often boiled over into what was at times a bitter and fractured co-existence.
Tensions have mellowed somewhat since the 1990s and 2000s, but this fixture is still one of the most keenly contested in Europe, and a central platform to put down a marker to Ireland coach Joe Schmidt.
In 92 meetings between Leinster and Munster, the men in blue hold the slight edge with 46 victories to Munster's 41, and five draws.
Of the 47 matches to have taken place in Dublin, Leinster have won 28 to Munster's 18, with one draw.
Last season, both sides won their respective home matches against each other and coming into Saturday there's very little to separate the pair.
Both are second in their respective conferences, with four wins from five matches and three bonus-point wins apiece. It's all to play for!
Munster's Aviva Stadium jinx?
Last season, Munster were outplayed when they visited Leinster at the Aviva Stadium in the same week of the season and they actually ended up losing in Dublin three times.
Indeed, Rassie Erasmus' side have lost their last four games at the Aviva Stadium, including the PRO12 final last season and their Champions Cup semi-final.
You would have to go back to October 2014 for the last time Munster travelled to the Aviva and won, picking up a 34-23 victory over Leinster under the late Anthony Foley.
Since then, two visits to face Leinster have ended in losses in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons, while last season saw them succumb to Saracens in Europe and Scarlets in the league final: both important games.
So do Munster have something of a jinx at the home of the Ireland national side? Saturday would be the perfect time to put that right.
That away victory in 2014 aside, though, Munster have lost the last eight occasions they have travelled to face Leinster, stretching back to the 2008/09 season.
Lions up and running
Leinster welcomed back British and Irish Lions Johnny Sexton, Sean O'Brien, Tadhg Furlong and Jack McGrath in the victory over Edinburgh last week, and they will have another Lion back at the Aviva in the form of Robbie Henshaw at inside-centre.
O'Brien is absent this week having sustained a calf injury in training, however, and will be a massive loss to Leo Cullen's side at the breakdown.
For Munster, Lions Peter O'Mahony, CJ Stander and Conor Murray all returned against Cardiff last week and will be present at the Aviva once again, with Stander in line to earn his 100th provincial cap.
They are again without the services of 2013 Lion Simon Zebo, though, but 2009 Lion Keith Earls returns on the wing for his first appearance of the season.
Erasmus has sprung several surprises in the backs as he starts all three fly-halfs at his disposal with Ian Keatley remaining at 10, Tyler Bleyendaal coming in at 12 and JJ Hanrahan starting at 15.
In the second-row, Jean Kleyn has failed to make it back in time, meaning Robin Copeland once again starts as a makeshift lock alongside Billy Holland.
Leinster: 15 Joey Carbery, 14 Adam Byrne, 13 Rory O'Loughlin, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Barry Daly, 10 Johnny Sexton (c), 9 Luke McGrath; 1 Jack McGrath, 2 James Tracy, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Devin Toner, 5 Scott Fardy, 6 Rhys Ruddock, 7 Josh van der Flier, 8 Jack Conan.
Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Michael Bent, 19 Ross Molony, 20 Jordi Murphy, 21 Jamison Gibson-Park, 22 Ross Byrne, 23 Fergus McFadden.
Munster: 15 JJ Hanrahan, 14 Andrew Conway, 13 Chris Farrell, 12 Tyler Bleyendaal, 11 Keith Earls, 10 Ian Keatley, 9 Conor Murray; 1 Dave Kilcoyne, 2 Niall Scannell, 3 John Ryan, 4 Robin Copeland, 5 Billy Holland, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 7 Tommy O'Donnell, 8 CJ Stander.
Replacements: 16 Rhys Marshall, 17 Liam O'Connor, 18 Stephen Archer, 19 Mark Flanagan, 20 Jack O'Donoghue, 21 Duncan Williams, 22 Rory Scannell, 23 Alex Wootton.
Watch Munster v Leinster in the PRO14 on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Arena and on Sky Sports Main Event from 1.30pm.