Munster to host Gloucester at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in December Champions Cup clash as fixture details confirmed
open their 2025/26
Champions Cup
campaign under new coach Clayton McMillan against Bath on Saturday, December 6th before breaking new ground in Europe when taking Gloucester to the home of Cork GAA, Páirc Uí Chaoimh for their round two clash on December 13th.
Munster then travel to the Stade Felix Mayol to take on Toulon before rounding off the pool stages at home to Castres Olympique for what will feel like the millionth time they have met.
Leinster
and La Rochelle will do it all again on Saturday, January 10th when they meet for the seventh time in this competition.
No venue is confirmed as yet – the building work at the RDS won't be completed so the province will once again look at match specific venues – but there is a possibility it could be played at Croke Park.
READ MORE
Leo Cullen
's charges open their campaign against Harlequins, whom they beat in the Round of 16 in last season's tournament. That match is likely to be played at the Aviva Stadium.
The
URC
champions also make the short trip across to the East Midlands to face another perennial foe, the Leicester Tigers for a Friday night game, while their last pool match is away to Bayonne on January 17th.
In the
Challenge Cup
,
Ulster
open their campaign against Racing 92 on a Friday night at the renamed Affidea Stadium in Belfast, where they will also play their final game against Stade Francais. In between, Richie Murphy's side will visit Cardiff and play the Cheetahs. The South African side have to play the game in Europe at a venue yet to be determined.
Stuart Lancaster's first game in charge at
Connacht
will be a short hop to Wales to take on the Ospreys, who haven't specified their home ground for next season. Connacht will host Georgian side Black Lion at the Dexcom Stadium where they will also be in action against Montauban. They travel to Montpellier in round three.
2025/26 Champions Cup Pool Fixtures
Round 1
Saturday, December 6th: Leinster v Harlequins, TBC (5.30pm); Bath v Munster, The Rec (8pm).
Round 2
Friday, December 12th: Leicester Tigers v Leinster Rugby, Welford Road (8pm)
Saturday, December 13th: Munster v Gloucester, Páirc Uí Chaoimh (5.30pm)
Round 3
Saturday, January 10th: Leinster v La Rochelle, TBC (5.30pm)
Sunday, January 11th: Toulon v Munster, Stade Felix Mayol (1pm Irish time)
Round 4
Saturday, January 17th: Bayonne v Leinster, Stade Jean Dauger (3.15pm Irish time); Munster v Castres Olympique, Thomond Park (5.30pm)
2025/26 Challenge Cup Pool Fixtures
Round 1
Friday, December 5th: Ulster v Racing 92, Affidea Stadium (8pm)
Sunday, December 7th: Ospreys v Connacht, TBC (3.15pm)
Round 2
Saturday, December 13th: Cardiff v Ulster, Cardiff Arms Park (8pm); Connacht v Black Lion, Dexcom Stadium (8pm)
Round 3
Sunday,
January 11th: Toyota Cheetahs v Ulster, TBC (3.15pm); Montpellier v Connacht GGL Stadium (1pm Irish time)
Round 4
Saturday, January 17th: Ulster v Stade Francais, Affidea Stadium (1pm); Connacht v Montauban, Dexcom Stadium (8pm).
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Irish Examiner
20 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Éamonn Fitzmaurice: Donegal's greatest strength can be their biggest weakness
THERE'S been some amount written and spoken about the All-Ireland football final - and we haven't reached Sunday yet! A common thread running through many discussions, sometimes from people who have never played or managed in one much less won it, that All-Ireland final day is different. It absolutely is, but many of the principles that apply to winning any match also apply on the biggest day. The team that works hardest, makes the best decisions in possession and has the greatest number of players playing to their potential will generally win. That final one can be the hardest one to achieve, because of the enormity of the occasion. It is every player's dream to play in an All-Ireland final and sometimes that can result in them freezing. Victims of this paralysis often speak afterwards of how the game simply passed them by. Having the experience of having played in them previously counts. Ultimately it is a game of football to be won, by constantly doing the simple things well. Kerry have an advantage here. Emphasising this very point, Jack O'Connor spoke this week about the importance of being able to think on their feet, for both players and management during an All-Ireland final. So much thought, visualisation and preparation goes into this game that it can be taken for granted that every angle is covered. It rarely is. There is always some curveball to think through. Some are controllable, more aren't. Think back to last Sunday's All-Ireland hurling final. Uniquely, the pre-game formalities went on for longer than scheduled. At one stage Pat Ryan could be seen glancing anxiously at his watch wondering about this delay. An unnecessary annoyance. The parade, a significant part of the occasion, was considerably shortened as a result. All of this, while not ideal, was not a controllable. Management have to trust the players to navigate through those twists. Many of them probably didn't even notice. What was a controllable was how the Cork management and players reacted to Liam Cahill's surprise move of playing with a sweeper. This is one of the many things they will wrestle with for the winter. Speaking of the parade, it will be interesting to see if Donegal break prematurely Sunday as they did in the semi-final. If they do will Kerry remain in place and go around in front of the Hill, often the most enjoyable and memorable part of the parade? This final is a clash of styles. Whoever wins will provide a template for certain coaches up and down the country for the foreseeable. Donegal will look to limit David Clifford's influence while not obsessing over him. As Kevin Cassidy mentioned on the RTÉ podcast this week, Jim McGuinness may accept that David will score a certain amount and they may well to try to negate the rest of the Kerry attack using their zonal system. They will plan that he can't win the game on his own and will try to make sure that the rest don't do enough to make up the difference. From a Kerry perspective they will have to get a lot right, the norm to win a final. Everyone will have to play well, they will need to tie down the Michaels (Murphy and Langan) and the O'Donnells (Shane and Conor) and they will need to get an impact from the bench, including springing a marker for Patrick McBrearty when he is introduced. To win, the Munster champions will also have to excel in attacking against Donegal's zone, defending their runners and breaking even on Shaun Patton's kickouts. Donegal's greatest strength so far can be their biggest weakness - in my opinion. Their zonal defensive setup has worked so far, getting them to an All-Ireland final and winning Ulster. I have long felt it won't win Sam, and I am about to get my answer, one way or the other. They have conceded an average of 19 points per game in the championship (2.5 less than Kerry). They sit deep, marking normally one, and sometimes a second danger man while everyone swaps between opponents on or close to the ball. Ryan McHugh and Eoghan Bán Gallagher sit in and mind the 'D'. Caolan McConagle prior to his injury can also fulfill this role, which he may do again to free up McHugh to possibly track Paudie Clifford in a similar job to the one he did on Rory Grugan in the Ulster final. Joe O'Connor is one of the Kerry players who can punch holes in an opposition defence. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile These twin sweepers are the players that will sprint to the danger and double up to force turnovers. As a team they thrive on these. It energises their supporters as they hare up the field in search of scores. They are mesmerising to watch in full flow. They have got goals from these situations where they are going from turnover to score in between 15 and 20 seconds. Finnbarr Roarty's goal against Cavan and Ciarán Moore's major against Meath are great examples. For Kerry to win they will have to avoid these turnovers, but do it without blunting their attacking edge. They need to avoid being conservative and pedestrian and attack with pace, while being patient. Patience at pace. For Kerry to pull that zone apart, there are a number of considerations. Chief among them will be decision-making in possession. Where that zone thrives is when players take the ball into contact or when a player receives a sloppy pass. The Donegal boys are expertly drilled on this and pounce on their quarry to force those precious turnovers at the most opportune time - when their opponent is in a vulnerable position. Generally this season, when faced with a deep sitting team, Kerry have favoured setting the spare bodies up outside the defensive shield and punching holes when they can. Gavin White, Brian Ó Beaglaoich and Joe O'Connor are especially effective at this. Use this again but don't rely solely on it. Flood the full forward line and create space for those runners to break into and shoot. Alternatively, to mix it up they can push those outside bodies further up the pitch, inside the two point arc to engage the Donegal backs and the create more one-on-ones. Occupy and rob them of their sweepers. Force Donegal's host of converted half forwards to defend. Play through the zone with accuracy and in the direction they are facing. Set up a two-point shooter outside and when the Donegal defence collapses in to deal with a threat feed it back out to that shooter. Monaghan did exactly this to good effect in the first half of their quarter final encounter. Furthermore, Kerry can set up two-point shooters outside the arc and entice the Donegal defence towards them. If they are given space as against Armagh, shoot. If they push too aggressively is there a pop pass inside to set up a possible goal chance, which will be required to win? Use David Clifford when possible but don't force it his way when it's not on. In short, be ruthlessly efficient through a variety of methods. Be a nightmare to defend against. Kerry have the quality but can they execute accurately under pressure? An extension of that area is Donegal's awesome counter-attacking running game. The simple thing for Kerry to do is to rob them of turnovers and the momentum that generates by killing the ball. Armagh limited them to four points from turnovers in the Ulster final because of their efficiency, getting off 42 shots from 47 attacks. Against Meath, Donegal scored 1-5 from turnovers, with the Royals getting 31 shots from 43 attacks. Three of those shots dropped short, a cardinal sin against the Ulster champions. Their huge spread of scorers (generally ten plus players score for them) in part comes from those counter attacks. Reduce those and you reduce that challenging scoring spread. Tyrone were quite effective at exactly this, limiting Donegal to nine scorers, in the one game they have lost in championship this year. The second part of that turnover scenario is that when they do occur Kerry have to react instantly. It is a code red situation, with all hands to the pump. Track runners and get back in shape. Delay their attack and slow them down. If necessary give away a point but never a goal. Speaking of slowing Donegal down, when they do enter established 11 v 11 attacks they are excellent at opening up the right opportunity. They constantly run angles and wrap around each other to make sure they are probing while not over-committing. They wait for the opposition to switch off and pounce. The simple answer - harder at a human level - for the Kerry defence is never switch off, especially against this quality of opposition on the biggest day. Finally we come to Shaun Patton's kickout which will, as always, be a concern for Kerry. As well as his accuracy and distance, his unique trajectory off a couple of steps is a formidable weapon. This is his first All-Ireland though, and he has come under pressure in big games in the past. Kerry will need to press it when they can, after frees and established attacks, as giving kickouts up to Donegal is akin to giving a shot away, most of the time. When pressing they will be hyper-aware of the long one over the top and flick ons. They were extremely alert on this against Niall Morgan in the semi-final. Mark O'Shea competed manfully in the air and as soon as the ball was kicked, Joe O'Connor, Gavin White and others sprinted from their zones and anticipated the destination of the flick on. The Kingdom defenders will have to be ready for Michael Murphy's late move from the top of the traditional 'D' for this kickout and be ready to disrupt him on the ground and in the air. Up to this point they haven't used it as often as one would expect, but they may on Sunday. Similarly, the number of balls kicked into Murphy in the full forward line could be counted on one hand so far in championship but we may see an attempted 2012 reprise early in the match. All of this is only scratching the surface of what the teams have prepared for and what they are planning for. My wish for both sets of players is that they play to their potential and perform on one of the most special days of their sporting lives. Two great groups of players going at it will make for a fascinating contest, and a potentially cracking final, particularly the second half. We may need a second day to separate them, but Kerry to prevail. Eventually.
The Irish Sun
20 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Fans helped seal career-defining transfer that has led to testimonial – but I wish I could have done more with Ireland
PIERCE SWEENEY has fans who put financial skin in the game to thank for his career-defining move to Exeter City. In 2016, the ex-Bray Wanderers defender, 30, had come to the end of a four-year stay at 5 Pierce Sweeney will have his Exeter City testimonial on Saturday Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 5 He signed for Exeter City back in 2016 Credit: Alamy 5 He used to play as a defender for Bray Wanderers Credit: Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE 5 He played for Ireland up to Under-21s Credit: Diarmuid Greene / SPORTSFILE Fortunately, a friendship forged at the Royals paved the way for him to go on trial with the Grecians, though he paid out of his own pocket to travel . He explained to the Irish Sun: "One of my really good mates who I met on my first day at Reading, Jake Taylor, he was actually at "We had played Exeter in an under-21 friendly with Reading, probably four or five months before the end of the season, and the manager at the time, Paul Tisdale, must have liked me. "He got wind that I would potentially be let go by Reading and basically, when I went in to speak to the manager at the time, which was future at Reading, he suggested he would call one of his friends. "I said Exeter was kind of half in touch and I didn't really know Brian McDermott had been a player at Exeter and he had a big connection with the football club. "He called Paul Tisdale for me and I exchanged emails and phone numbers. "I came in around the first of July and stayed here for the whole pre-season ." It has been a match made in heaven and, nine seasons and almost 400 appearances later, he will be honoured with a testimonial against His time at St James' Park was founded on a relationship with the supporters. After impressing on trial, the ex-Ireland youth international was signed thanks in part to the 1931 Fund. EFL star sparks furious brawl and chased by opponents after 'one of the worst tackles you'll ever see in a friendly' The fund, which is paid into by supporters and club members, goes towards covering the wages of a new player for a year. In this case, it was Sweeney who donned the '31' jersey fully aware of the weight that it carried in the eyes of his new fans. He added: "It's a really unique thing that the club does. "I had no idea about it, any new player wouldn't. They wouldn't understand what it is. It took me a little while to get my head around it. "It was a real honour for me to have that in my first season here. I think I've done the number proud and hopefully the fans would say the same. "I think it's like any number at a football club, whether it's number 7 at Man United or whatever, there's always a bit of extra pressure." WEMBLEY WAY His debut season saw him make 28 appearances in After being unsuccessful at While none of the three runs proved successful, the first provided a stand-out career highlight for the In the second leg of the play-off semi-final in 2016/17, Exeter hosted Carlisle United. Current star Deep in additional time at the end of the game, City right-back They would go on to lose to "I never imagined I would be here at a club for this long. Never mind getting a testimonial. It's been a special time." Pierce Sweeney "I just remember the scenes when the ball went into the top corner. It was outrageous. "That always, always sticks in my mind, just purely the reaction from the fans and the reaction of the players when he scored that goal. "It was unbelievable and I don't think I will ever, ever forget that moment." Exeter finally got their day in the sun in 2022. The previous summer saw Sweeney sign for Swindon Town, only to leave less than a month later by mutual consent and return to Exeter. He has chosen not to discuss what went on in those short few weeks but is happy to reflect on the season that followed. Now under the management of Matt Taylor, the Grecians avoided the play-offs altogether, instead sealing automatic promotion alongside Forest Green Rovers. Only goal difference prevented them from winning the league but while Forest Green were relegated back to the fourth tier the following season, Exeter remain in ON THE WAY UP Sweeney, who made 43 appearances on their way to promotion, said: "It was more relief and it was a whirlwind of emotions. "It was a whirlwind of emotions especially for me having been involved in three play-off campaigns where we fell at the last hurdle at Wembley. "We had a really good manager and a really good young squad of players. "I think it was the right time for us to get promoted. I think previous years it probably wasn't the right time. "We had an ageing squad of players and the club probably wasn't ready to go up to the next level. "It was an unbelievable night against Barrow when we finally got promoted. "All my emotions came out that night which was inside me for about three or four years." 5 Pierce Sweeney is presented with the U19 International player of the year award by Republic of Ireland International Shane Long in 2014 Credit: David Maher / SPORTSFILE The following January, captain Matt Jay - who had scored the goal against Barrow that sent them up - left St James' Park. Sweeney was appointed new skipper and his first game with the armband was also his 300th appearance for the club. That season also ended with him being named Player of the Season. "It's something I wouldn't say I expected to happen but I always had it in the back of my mind that it would happen at some stage. "It was a great honour and a nice moment for me. "You have to find your style and find your ways of going about things. "If you put your arm around a young player, if you need to shout and scream at people, you just have to pick and choose. "I think over time I've figured out how and what people need. It definitely was a bit rusty at the start." Pierce Sweeney doesn't have many regrets in his career but he does lament not having more success on the international stage. He represented Ireland at youth level up to U21s, and was part of squads that boasted future internationals Duffy , "I definitely didn't predict I'd still be here, let alone played that many games." But his last U21 cap came in June 2015 as a sub against an He was still on the books at Reading at the time and admits he would have liked the chance to impress more in the green jersey. Sweeney admitted: "I would have liked more. "I think whatever way the manager at the time was thinking, that's his opinion and it is what it is. "I was nice to get a cap and make a couple of squads. I'm always honoured to represent my country and something I used to love doing. "I just wish I could do it a little bit more." Saturday's testimonial game against It has been in the pipeline since last November, but even so, Sweeney considers himself fortunate to have built a career worth of such an occasion. "I definitely didn't predict I'd still be here, let alone played that many games. "I came here in 2016 on trial at the start and then signed for the football club and the plan for me that year wasn't to be a starter. "Luckily for me, somebody got injured the week before I started the season and I was thrown in at the deep end and it was either sink or swim. "I never imagined I would be here at a club for this long. Never mind getting a testimonial. It's been a special time."
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Irish trio make history with Tour de France Femmes starts
Ben Healy became just the fourth Irish rider to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France this year, but three women will make their own piece of history when they become the first-ever Irish participants in the Tour de France Femmes. The nine-stage race gets under way on Saturday in Vannes, Brittany, and there Lara Gillespie , Mia Griffin and Fiona Mangan will line out for their respective teams in the biggest race in the calendar. It concludes on Sunday week at Châtel Les Portes du Soleil in the Alps. The Tour de France Femmes is in its fourth year and began following years of campaigning by women to have their own version of the race. It has surged in popularity and helped move the sport to a new level. Megan Armitage was due to make Irish cycling history in 2023 when she was selected by her-then Arkéa Pro Cycling Team, but she was hit by a bus two days beforehand and was ruled out due to concussion. READ MORE A women's race run by the Tour de France organisers was previously held between 1984 and 1989. No Irish women competed in that event, but Susan O'Mara and Marie Eribo did participate in the Tour of the EEC Women in 1990 – a separate stage race held to replace that early women's Tour. Contesting the Tour de France Femmes is special for Gillespie, Griffin and Mangan, and a measure of how Irish cycling is developing abroad. Gillespie has won European track championships at different age groups and is a huge prospect. She was fourth on a stage of the Vuelta Espana Femenina in early May, securing a WorldTour contract with UAE Team ADQ after she won the Antwerp Port Epic Ladies race plus the Giro Mediterraneo Rosa last year. Last month she had a big crash in the Elmos Dwars door het Hageland, bruising her sacrum bone, but has recovered. She spent a period of time recently in Majorca training and is in good condition. 'I am buzzing to be one of the first Irish girls to be at the Tour, so that is really exciting to be part of,' Gillespie said on Friday. 'I'm happy to see Fiona and Mia in there and we can experience this whirlwind together.' [ Ineos-Grenadiers soigneur leaves Tour de France amid investigation over 2012 doping allegations Opens in new window ] National champion Griffin (Roland Le Dévoluy) won a stage of the Tour of El Salvador this year and was third in the Tour of Guangxi in 2023. Mangan (Winspace Orange Seal) took a stage of the Volta a Portugal Feminina on July 4th, marking her first international pro win. They will line out against the world's best riders in the 1,165 kilometre event. It begins this weekend with two punchy stages to Plumelec and Quimper, with sprint stages to Angers and Poitiers following. Things start to get more mountainous from Wednesday, with tough stages to Guéret, Ambert and Chambéry being followed by the intimidating 2,000-metre high Col de la Madeleine on Saturday, plus the big conclusion at the Portes du Soleil ski station the following day. Last year's winner Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto) and 2023 champion Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) lead the list of overall contenders. Tour de France Femmes Stage 1, Saturday, July 26th: Vannes to Plumelec, 78.8km (49 miles) Stage 2, Sunday, July 27th: Brest to Quimper, 110.4km (68.6 miles) Stage 3, Monday, July 28th: La Gacilly to Angers, 163.5km (101.6 miles) Stage 4, Tuesday, July 29th: Saumur to Poitiers, 130.7km (81.2 miles) Stage 5, Wednesday, July 30th: Chasseneuil-du-Poitou to Guéret, 165.8km (103 miles) Stage 6, Thursday, July 31st: Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert, 123.7km (76.9 miles) Stage 7, Friday, August 1st: Bourg-en-Bresse to Chambéry, 159.7km (99.2 miles) Stage 8, Saturday August 2nd: Chambéry to St François Longchamp – Col de la Madeleine, 111.9km (69.5 miles) Stage 9, Sunday August 3rd: Praz-Sur-Arly to Châtel Les Portes du Soleil Pré Lajoux, 124.1km (77.1 miles)
