We're into the business end of the season.
Four rounds of games to go, and aside from Leinster who are a mile clear at the top, and Dragons, who are cut adrift at the bottom, there's a lot to be played for in the BKT United Rugby Championship, starting with this weekend.
The pick of the games from an Irish point of view comes from Aviva Stadium on Saturday night where Leinster host Ulster.
The league leaders already have a home quarter-final sewn up, but with Leo Cullen picking a rotated side this week, there's an opportunity for Ulster to continue their good URC form and solidify their play-off spot.
Before that, Connacht are in South Africa to face the Stormers, their first game since the departure of head coach Pete Wilkins was officially confirmed on Wednesday.
Munster host the Bulls at Thomond Park, knowing a win will give their home quarter-final hopes a shot in the arm, while a defeat would leave them looking over their shoulder in the play-off race.
Find out all you need to know here.
TV
Watch Stormers v Connacht (3pm) and Munster v Bulls (5.15pm) on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, with coverage beginning at 2.30pm.
Leinster v Ulster (Saturday, 7.35pm) is live on TG4 and Premier Sports.
All games are shown live on URC.tv.
ONLINE
We'll have live score updates, reports and reaction from all games.
RADIO
Listen to updates from Munster v Bulls and Leinster v Ulster on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport.
WEATHER
It will be a very warm afternoon in Cape Town for Connacht away to the Stormers on Saturday, with temperatures around 21C, and no rain forecast.
Saturday is expected to be a rainy one in Limerick, although the biggest showers will hopefully have cleared by 5pm. Temperatures of around 12C are expected.
It will be slightly cooler in Dublin for Leinster v Ulster, with temperatures of 9C forecast, and some light showers expected during the day.
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Connacht may only be three points back from the URC play-offs, although the province have a tricky run-in, starting with this away trip to the Stormers, who themselves are in desperate need of a win to break into the top half of the table.
The province confirmed the departure of head coach Pete Wilkins on Wednesday, although they have been operating without him for the last four games while he was on 'sick leave'. Scrum coach Cullie Tucker is filling in as interim coach until he end of the season.
Scoring tries has not been an issue; in their last five games in all competitions Connacht have scored a total of 183 points, at an average of 36 per game, but the reality is that their porous defence has caused them to lose three of those matches, conceding more than 40 in two of them.
The 2016 champions have won two of their previous seven visits to South Africa since the formation of the current URC in 2021, but have lost on both of their previous away trips to the Stormers.
The South African side have only lost twice to Irish provinces at home in that time, both to Munster in the 2022/23 season.
Connacht have lost six of their last eight URC games, while they have only won once away from home in the league in the last year.
Stormers: Warrick Gelant; Suleiman Hartzenberg, Dan du Plessis, Damian Willemse, Seabelo Senatla; Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Stefan Ungerer; Ali Vermaak, André-Hugo Venter, Sazi Sandi; Salmaan Moerat (capt), Ruben van Heerden; Paul de Villiers, Marcel Theunissen, Evan Roos
Replacements: JJ Kotze, Vernon Matongo, Brok Harris, JD Schickerling, Louw Nel, Deon Fourie, Paul de Wet, Ben Loader
Connacht: Piers O'Conor; Chay Mullins, David Hawkshaw, Cathal Forde, Shane Jennings; Jack Carty, Ben Murphy; Peter Dooley, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Finlay Bealham; Oisín Dowling, Darragh Murray; Cian Prendergast (capt), Conor Oliver, Paul Boyle
Replacements: Dave Heffernan, Jordan Duggan, Jack Aungier, Josh Murphy, Joe Joyce, Matthew Devine, Santiago Cordero, Sean Jansen
Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU)
After last week's Champions Cup exit at the hands of Bordeaux-Begles, Munster's sole focus is now on the URC, as Ian Costello's side look to go on a late season run, just as they did in 2023 and 2024.
It's been an inconsistent season for the province in the league, but their most recent domestic outing, a bonus-point win away to Connacht, has put them in a strong position heading into a tricky final four games.
As well as Saturday's meeting with the Bulls, Cardiff, Ulster and Benetton are to follow in the next few weeks, although with three of those games at home, the province will be expected to do enough to stay in the play-offs at the very least, and will fancy their chances of putting pressure on the top four, which would get them a home quarter-final.
Munster have won all 11 home games against South African opposition in the URC and the old Pro14, while they also defeated the Bulls when the sides met in Pretoria last season.
On the flip side, the Bulls have won their last four meetings with Irish provinces, while they handed Leinster their only defeat of the season last month.
Jake White's side will be coming to Thomond Park hugely motivated. Currently third in the table, they are a safe bet to have a home quarter-final, while they're also looking to keep the pressure on Glasgow who are four points ahead of them in second.
Munster: Thaakir Abrahams; Seán O'Brien, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Andrew Smith; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Josh Wycherley, Niall Scannell, Oli Jager; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne (capt); Tom Ahern, Peter O’Mahony, Alex Kendellen
Replacements: Lee Barron, Mark Donnelly, Stephen Archer, Fineen Wycherley, Jack O’Donoghue, Conor Murray, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Ruadhán Quinn
Bulls: Devon Williams; Sebastian de Klerk, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Canan Moodie; Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier; Jan-hendrik Wessels, Akker van der Merwe, Wilco Louw; Cobus Wiese, Ruan Nortje (capt); Marcell Coetzee, Jannes Kirsten, Cameron Hanekom
Replacements: Johann Grobbelaar, Simphiwe Matanzima, Mornay Smith, JF van Heerden, Nizaam Carr, Zak Burger, Keagan Johannes, Stravino Jacobs
Referee: Andrew Piardi (FIR)
It doesn't feel like long ago that there were real fear Ulster could miss out on Champions Cup rugby next season, but three wins in a row have put the province in a relatively healthy position heading into the meaty part of this campaign.
Leinster have already secured a home quarter-final, and know a couple of wins will guarantee them further home games for as long as they remain in the championship.
Leo Cullen's side have stepped up a gear in recent weeks, outscoring Harlequins and Glasgow Warriors 114-0 in the Champions Cup, but this year their second string side have also been playing at another level, as their gritty win away to the Sharks last month showed.
It's been more than three hours since Leinster have even conceded a point, and they have given up a miserly 13.8 points per game on average in the URC this season.
Leinster won when these sides met back in November, and they defeated Ulster in the URC quarter-final last season, but the northern province did do the double on their neighbours in the regular season last term. Their 22-21 win at the RDS on New Year's Day 2024 remains Leinster's last home defeat in any competition.
Leinster: Jamie Osborne; Tommy O'Brien, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Jimmy O’Brien; Ciarán Frawley, Luke McGrath (capt); Jack Boyle, Gus McCarthy, Thomas Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, Diarmuid Mangan; Alex Soroka, Scott Penny, James Culhane
Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong, RG Snyman, Max Deegan, Fintan Gunne, Sam Prendergast, Liam Turner
Ulster: Michael Lowry; Zac Ward, Jude Postlethwaite, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak; Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole; Alan O’Connor (capt), Cormac Izuchukwu; James McNabney, Nick Timoney, David McCann
Replacements: Tom Stewart, Callum Reid, Scott Wilson, Matthew Dalton, Kieran Treadwell, John Cooney, Stewart Moore, Matty Rea
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
FULL LIST OF ROUND 14 FIXTURES, RESULTS AND STANDINGS
