TV
Ulster v Munster (Friday 7.35pm) and Emirates Lions v Connacht (Saturday 3.05pm) are live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, while Cell C Sharks v Leinster (Saturday 5.15pm) is live on TG4.
RADIO
RTÉ Radio 1 Extra will have live commentary on Ulster v Munster, while there will be updates on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1 for the other two games.
ONLINE
RTE.ie/sport will have live scoring and blogs across the weekend with match reports and reaction from the grounds. All games are live on URC TV.
WEATHER
Belfast this evening is set for fair weather of about 13C. Johannesburg should see 21C in partly sunny conditions, while Durban is due to have partly cloudy conditions in around 20C.
Listen to the RTÉ Rugby podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
After the heartache of that late defeat to Toulouse six days ago, Ulster welcome Munster to the Kingspan, their focus now solely on one trophy, last in their possession in 2006.
They take on Johann van Graan's men off the back of two URC losses and haven’t lost three league games on the trot since 2018.
However, Ravenhill is something of a fortress for Dan McFarland’s charges and they are on a seven-game winning streak in the competition, while their opponents this evening have lost their last four ties here.
There is also the added incentive, with yesterday’s announcement from tournament organisers, of a home final for the top-ranked team.
Ulster sit in second, ten points behind Leinster but with Leo Cullen bringing a callow side to South Africa and with a final regular-season game against Musnter to come, it’s not all lost.
Munster, too, will try to rise up the rankings to get home play-off games. They are currently in fourth place but also have a Champions Cup quarter-final against Toulouse to look forward to.
Earlier this season, Munster, with 14 players struck late to deny Ulster in Thomond, 18-13, and it’s 2016/17 since they did the double over the 2020 runners-up.
Ulster: Stewart Moore; Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Ethan McIlroy; Mike Lowry, John Cooney; Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring, Marty Moore; Alan O'Connor, Iain Henderson (capt); Matty Rea, Jordi Murphy, Nick Timoney.
Replacements: Brad Roberts, Eric O'Sullivan, Gareth Milasinovich, Sam Carter, Sean Reidy, Nathan Doak, Ian Madigan, Ben Moxham.
Munster: Mike Haley; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Damian de Allende, Shane Daly; Joey Carbery, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Thomas Ahern; Jack O'Donoghue (capt), John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen.
Replacements: Scott Buckley, Josh Wycherley, John Ryan, Jason Jenkins, Fineen Wycherley, Conor Murray, Ben Healy, Chris Cloete.
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU, 8th competition game)
Fresh from a Champions Cup thumping by Leinster, Andy Friend takes his Connacht charges to Johannesburg for a first-ever meeting with the Lions.
Tenth in the table, they realistically need three bonus-point wins in their final three games to feature in the play-offs - a "fairly long shot" admitted Friend after the 56-20 defeat at the Aviva.
The Lions, meanwhile, sit 12th in the standings so won't make the post-season. Ivan van Rooyen’s men do, however, boast a four-match winning run here and accounted for Munster at the Emirates Airline Park in March.
Last time out they lost on the road to the Sharks.
Connacht have won their last eight matches against South African opposition.
Lions: Quan Horn; Rabz Maxwane, Wandisile Simelane, Burger Odendaal (capt), Edwill van der Merwe; Jordan Hendrikse, Morne van den Berg; Sti Sithole, PJ Botha, Ruan Dreyer; Ruben Schoeman, Reinhard Nothnagel; Francke Horn, Vincent Tshituka, Emmanuel Tshituka
Replacements: Jaco Visagie, JP Smith, Carlu Sadie, Ruan Venter, Sibusiso Sangweni, Andre Warner, Manuel Rass, Tiaan Swanepoel
Connacht: Mack Hansen; John Porch, Bundee Aki, Tom Daly, Alex Wootton; Jack Carty, Caolin Blade; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Jack Aungier; Oisín Dowling, Niall Murray; Cian Prendergast, Jarrad Butler, Paul Boyle
Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Jordan Duggan, Greg McGrath, Leva Fifita, Conor Oliver, Kieran Marmion, Conor Fitzgerald, Shayne Bolton
Referee: Craig Evans (WRU, 31st competition game)
Leinster find themselves top of the pile, as usual, and their good work, which includes 12 wins and three losses to date, has enabled Leo Cullen to bring an inexperienced side on the road.
With big numbers making up the Ireland squad and two Champions Cup ties under their belts in recent months, it's reckoned those horses can be kept for another course.
The Sharks are in sixth position with eyes on a play-off spot, which could practically be assured with a bonus-point win at the Kings Park, where they have lost just once in their last seven fixtures.
They include Springboks captain Siya Kolisi in their side.
The holders, meanwhile, have only ever lost once to South African opponents and that was way back in September 2017 versus the Cheetahs.
This will also be the first-ever meeting between the teams.
Sharks: Aphelele Fassi; Werner Kok, Ben Tapuai, Marius Louw, Makazole Mapimpi; Curwin Bosch, Jaden Hendrikse; Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Thomas du Toit (capt); Le Roux Roets, Gerbrandt Grobler; Siya Kolisi, Henco Venter, Phepsi Buthelezi
Replacements: Kerron van Vuuren, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Khutha Mchunu, Reniel Hugo, Jeandre Labuschagne, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Grant Williams, Boeta Chamberlain.
Leinster: Chris Cosgrave, Tommy O'Brien, Jamie Osborne, Ciarán Frawley, Rory O'Loughlin, Harry Byrne, Nick McCarthy, Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Thomas Clarkson, Brian Deeny, Jack Dunne, Rhys Ruddock (CAPT), Scott Penny, Max Deegan
Replacements: John McKee, Peter Dooley, Michael Ala'alatoa, Josh Murphy, Alex Soroka, Cormac Foley, David Hawkshaw, Martin Moloney
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU, 2nd competition game)
