What time and TV channel is Munster v Connacht on today in the URC?

Munster Rugby and Connacht Rugby are to get their new United Rugby Championship season underway in a potentially exciting interpro showdown

Graham Rowntree is recalling how hairy things got for Munster last season before they got better.

That disappointing home URC semi-final loss to eventual champions Glasgow was a bad way for the Reds' campaign to end, but at least Rowntree's men had impressively rallied after a worrying fall in mid-season.

Ahead of this evening's season kick-off against Connacht, the head coach doesn't expect a similarly extreme arc this term - just as long as Munster avoid the injury and illness that left them hamstrung for a period early this year.

READ MORE:Why 'world-class' Tadhg Beirne got the Munster captaincy - and sympathy for Joey Carbery

READ MORE:Connacht braced for battle of the No.10s as Josh Ioane takes on Jack Carty

"We're stocked in certain areas and we've got guys coming through in key areas as well," said Rowntree, who hands debuts to three players today, including a new out-half in Billy Burns, while also welcoming back Jean Kleyn after 10 months out.

Only JJ Hanrahan is currently ruled out through injury. "We're in a good position but anything can happen injury-wise," Rowntree cautioned.

"It was a bit scary around Christmas time, we lost a player in the captain's run before the Connacht game and then two players at the start of the game.

"Next thing you know you're 10th in the League and you're battling in Wales to pick up points and you've got a (Champions Cup) round of 16 coming up in Northampton, we had illness in the camp as well and we're thin on the deck.

"But then a lot of guys came back, we went to South Africa and did what we did and then we went on a great run. It shows what we can achieve when we have some depth."

Munster came into last season as defending champions but while that spotlight now belongs to Glasgow, Rowntree enters his third season in the hot-seat knowing that there are standards that the Reds must strive for.

"There's an expectancy on us," he said. "But what I can do is control what we're doing in training, manage the squad, ensure our depth is right and make sure the young men training with us are coming through at the appropriate time.

"It's about controlling what I can and winning the next game. There's a lot asked about Europe, about the URC, but all I can do is change what we're doing today, what we're doing tomorrow, set up the right team and do it week by week.

"I can't think of a fancier answer than that."

Where is the game on?

The game takes place at Thomond Park in Limerick

What time is kick-off?

The game kicks off at 5.30 pm on Saturday

What TV channel is it on and can I stream it?

RTÉ2 and Premier Sports 2 will show the game live. It is being streamed on URC.tv

Betting Odds

Munster 2/9 to win, Connacht 10/3 to win; 22/1 draw

Teams

Munster: Mike Haley; Thaakir Abrahams, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly; Billy Burns, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron (C), John Ryan; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Ruadhan Quinn, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Niall Scannell, Josh Wycherley, Oli Jager, Alex Kendellen, Jack O’Donoghue, Ethan Coughlan, Tony Butler, Sean O’Brien.

Connacht: Santiago Cordero, Mack Hansen, Piers O’Conor, Cathal Forde, Shayne Bolton, Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy, Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Jack Aungie, Joe Joyce, Darragh Murray, Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, Cian Prendergast (C).
Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Peter Dooley, Sam Illo, Oisin Dowling, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Caolin Blade, David Hawkshaw, Sean Jansen.

Intriguingly, Connacht head to Limerick with a similar team make-up to their rivals.

Pete Wilkins also has a new out-half to kick the season off in Josh Ioane, a one-time All Black, two more debutants to start with and a key forward returning from a long-term absence - in the westerner's case, Josh Murphy, who is back after a year sabbatical.

The similarities don't end there. Both sides have a new captain - Cian Prendergast starts for Connacht, Diarmuid Barron deputises for Tadhg Beirne this week.

Connacht also have Santiago Cordero back from Argentina's scintillating Rugby Championship efforts - and Mack Hansen available for the first time since dislocating his shoulder against Munster on New Year's Day.

"To have Mack back, he had two appearances now in the pre-season games for us, he came off the bench in Glasgow, got a good 20 minutes and then had a really good bulk of minutes starting there against Bristol Bears last Friday," said Wilkins.

"So he's up to speed, he's training really well. It's important he did get those minutes in pre-season because he's been a long time without rugby, but we all know how exciting he is when he's out there for us and for Ireland.

"And, you know, I think the knowledge of that gives the rest of the group a lift as well. So we're pleased to have him back."

Wilkins is looking for a performance that combines fire and ice - that's the passion and intelligence needed to win in the Reds' den.

"I think every time you play Munster, but particularly at Thomond Park, you're going to have a highly physical and highly emotional game from both sides," said the Connacht supremo.

"We're fully aware of that and the lads don't need reminding of that, so I suppose in many ways it's about making sure that we deliver in that respect in terms of the emotion and physicality required.

"But we also have that clarity and that calmness to make sure that we play some decent rugby and actually get our game-plan out there.

"So it's always a balancing act, and throw in the factors around a round one game and it's just going to be a hell of an encounter."

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