Leinster and Munster in URC quarter-finals - dates, TV times and paths to final
Leinster and Munster could face each other in the URC final in June - but there's a lot of work to be done before then. Both provinces are through to the quarter-finals but made the knock-outs in contrasting fashion.
Leinster led the way in the championship from the off and won 16 of their 18 regular season fixtures, finishing off with a hard-earned win over reigning champions Glasgow Warriors on Saturday.
As top seeds, Leo Cullen's side will face eighth seeds Scarlets at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, May 31 with a 3pm kick off. The Scarlets beat a second string Leinster outfit in Swansea the week before the Blues were beaten in the Champions Cup semi-finals.
Leinster's prize for coming through the quarter-final will be a last four clash with fourth seeds Glasgow or the Stormers, the fifth seeds, who face each other on Friday, May 30. The pressure is on the Blues as they attempt to end a three-year wait for silverware.
2023 champions Munster must make the trip to South Africa after securing their play-off qualification in their final round fixture against Benetton last Friday night, a result that also ensured they will be in the Champions Cup next season.
The Reds, as sixth seeds, are heading to Durban on Saturday, May 31 (5.30pm Irish time) to take on the Sharks, who finished the season in third place in the URC standings.
It was three days after Munster's 41-24 defeat at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in late October that the province announced the departure of Graham Rowntree as head coach.
Ian Costello has held the reins on an interim basis since then, with new appointment Clayton McMillan arriving in the summer. Victory for Munster will see them through to a semi-final against the Bulls or Edinburgh, with the Reds facing another away mission.
Friday, 30 May
QF4: (4) Glasgow Warriors v (5) DHL Stormers
Venue: Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
KO: 7:35pm
Live on Premier Sports, URC.tv
Saturday, 31 May
QF2: (2) Vodacom Bulls v (7) Edinburgh
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
KO: 12:30pm Irish time
Live Premier Sports, URC.tv
QF1: (1) Leinster v (8) Scarlets
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
KO: 3pm
Live on RTE, BBC Wales, Premier Sports, URC.tv
QF3: (3) Sharks v (6) Munster
Venue: Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
KO: 5.30pm Irish time
Live on TG4, Premier Sports, URC.tv
Semi-Finals – Saturday, 7 June
SF1: Winner QF1 v Winner QF4SF2: Winner QF2 v Winner QF3
URC Grand Final – Saturday, 14 June
Winner SF1 v Winner SF2
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