Matt Williams: Why are Leinster being held to higher standards? Because they’re that good
Say what you like about that defeat in Bilbao – Leo Cullen’s men are still looking like a winning side
United Rugby Championship
‘We’re incredibly lucky to have him. He’s a genius’: Leo Cullen backs Jacques Nienaber
After Cup loss, South African spoke on Monday of not feeling valued and feared Leinster future in doubt
Stormers lack Sacha magic, but Jurie Matthee ready to blow Leinster away again in URC
Starting outhalf provided 20 points when South Africans hammered The Blues without reply last September
Rónan Kelleher replaces injured Dan Sheehan as Leinster make three changes for Stormers semi-final
Jamison Gibson-Park and Josh van der Flier return to the starting side for Saturday’s game at the Aviva Stadium
James Ryan urges Leinster to move on from Champions Cup heartbreak ahead of Stormers clash
Lock marks 110th appearance for province with rare try against Lions as attention turns to URC semi-final
Don’t call it a consolation: Leinster singing from same hymn sheet before salvage operation
Some fans are suffering from a sense of ennui, but the Leinster players are focused on reaching another URC final
Gordon D’Arcy: Players emerging from private schools are super athletes but lack rugby IQ
Head coach has been working with essentially the same squad for three years – he cannot go to the market for a quick fix
‘I was gutted’: Hugo Keenan using Champions Cup heartache to fuel Leinster’s URC bid
Province can secure final berth with victory against the Stormers, but fullback knows that is easier said than done
‘People don’t value me here’: Jacques Nienaber claims Leinster future in doubt
Leinster senior coach defends use of blitz defence against Bordeaux in Champions Cup final defeat
Leinster monitoring several injury concerns ahead of URC semi-final against the Stormers
Joe McCarthy and Dan Sheehan among seven players undergoing assessment ahead of Saturday’s game
Leinster still nursing Champions Cup wounds despite reaching URC final four
Leo Cullen’s side the last province standing as Munster and Connacht bow out
James Lowe becomes record try-scorer as Leinster maul Lions to set up Stormers semi-final
Winger becomes the record try-scorer in Leinster history at the end of a week where his future at the province was cast in doubt
Munster’s season ends in disarray as Bulls run over and through them in Pretoria
South African side’s pack set the terms from the off as Munster were taken apart up front
Leinster forced to consider reboot after mounting catalogue of near misses
Former players wonder if the coaching ticket is giving team the best chance of landing Holy Grail
Glasgow’s pack overpowers Connacht to knock them out of URC
Scottish side will play the winners of Bulls-Munster in the semi-final
Motivation will be Leinster’s biggest obstacle in URC quarter-final against the Lions
Leo Cullen has made eight changes to his starting 15 in bid to bounce back from Champions Cup final defeat
After a gruelling, disrupted journey to Pretoria, Munster face huge Bulls test at altitude
Clayton McMillan played down the challenges faced by his team ahead of the URC quarter-final
‘There’s no benefit in hiding away from any of this’: Leo Cullen ready for Leinster review
Head coach committed to the job at hand ahead of URC quarter-final against Lions
‘We go there with confidence’: Connacht look to bring fight to Warriors
Family affair for head coach Stuart Lancaster as son Dan named as starting outhalf for Glasgow
Sam Prendergast and James Lowe return to Leinster team to play Lions
Eight changes to team that starts Champions Cup final defeat to Bordeaux
View from South Africa: Lions lie in wait armed with Bordeaux’s blueprint for Leinster
Munster face an uphill challenge against the Bulls at altitude
‘There’s still a trophy there to be won’: Andrew Porter turns focus to URC crown
Leinster look to bounce back from Bordeaux heartache in Lions quarter-final
‘You’ve got to take the learnings, even when they’re tough’: Leinster moving on quickly from Champions Cup heartbreak
Leo Cullen’s side turn their focus to URC quarter-final against the Lions
Gordon D’Arcy: Can Leinster’s coaching group unlock what this squad is capable of achieving?
After a fifth Champions Cup final defeat, the conversation about what comes next will not go away
Stuart Lancaster expects fierce test against a Glasgow team that could feature his son
Connacht head coach says confidence is high ahead of URC quarter-final following impressive wins
Jack Crowley is a doubt for Ireland’s Nations Championship games with ‘obscure’ leg injury
Captain Tadhg Beirne may be fit for URC semi-finals should Munster progress
Owen Doyle: Spitting is just as bad as eye-gouging – it drags rugby into the sewer
Diarmuid Barron’s complaint went no further due to lack of evidence, but Munster dug deep for a crucial win
URC to take no further action over alleged spitting incident during Munster win over the Lions
Munster hooker Diarmuid Barron alleged he was spat at by Lions flanker Sibabalwe Mahashe
Leinster’s Tommy O’Brien in doubt for Champions Cup final
Leinster team news: Province face Bordeaux-Bègles in Bilbao on Saturday
Three Irish provinces on the dance card for URC quarter-final fandango
Connacht will take on Glasgow Warriors in Scotland, Munster face Bulls in Pretoria and Leinster have home advantage against Lions
Relief trumps joy for Clayton McMillan after Munster book URC quarter-final place
Head coach also outlined importance of qualifying for the Champions Cup, which was secured by victory over Lions
Munster secure URC quarter-final trip to South Africa after holding off the Lions
Ulster miss out on playoffs but could knock Connacht out of Champions Cup qualification spot if they win Challenge Cup
Joe McCarthy claims hat-trick as 10-try Leinster secure second place in URC table
Leo Cullen’s defending champions will enjoy a home run to any potential final
URC final day playoff permutations and Champions Cup qualification explainer
All four Irish provinces cannot make the URC playoffs but all four could yet qualify for Champions Cup next season
Irishman named to top role at CVC, the private equity backer of Six Nations rugby
John Hourican to become CVC CFO from September
Munster need result against Lions to halt season’s unravelling
Dumped from Europe without a whimper, Clayton McMillan’s side are not yet guaranteed their spot in the URC knockout stages
Connacht reach URC playoffs with bonus-point win in Edinburgh
Stuart Lancaster’s side were dominant throughout to seal a place in the knock-out stages
Losing bonus points leave Ulster with anxious wait over URC playoffs
Richie Murphy’s side in final playoff spot but only a point ahead of Munster who host the Lions on Saturday
Leinster shaping up for a big performance against Ospreys as players jockey for Bilbao positions
Province boosted by injury returnees one week out from Champions Cup final
Conor Murray: How the battle for the number nine shirt is shaping the future of Irish rugby
Munster’s hurling culture and the influence of the GAA on Irish rugby’s development pipeline
Ulster walk selection tightrope against Glasgow ahead of defining week
Richie Murphy balances Challenge Cup final priorities against URC qualification in Belfast
Days of players being sent off for thuggery are in past, says Clayton McMillan
Munster head coach welcomes rescinding of red card for hooker Diarmuid Barron in Connacht defeat
Retiring Munster duo may make final Thomond Park bow against the Lions
Niall Scannell and John Ryan in matchday 23 for Saturday’s URC clash in Limerick
Connacht high on belief but Edinburgh have nothing to lose
Stuart Lancaster’s side go to the Hive searching for a top-eight URC finish
Matt Williams: URC organisers should take a bow – and do nothing else
The tightness of the battle to reach the quarter-finals is evidence of the competition’s success
URC permutations: How Irish teams can make that crucial top-eight placing
Munster, Ulster and Connacht could finish in top eight, while Leinster could still finish top of table
Ulster coach calls for consistency in ‘final before the final’ against Glasgow Warriors
Victory against URC leaders would put the province in the right frame of mind ahead of Montpellier clash in Bilbao
Watching Leinster at pitch level with the under-10s gave me new perspective
Less about team movement and shape, more about players, their scanning and body language
Leinster squad line-up for Bilbao final not set in stone, says Jacques Nienaber
Senior coach reckons places still up for grabs as Leo Cullen’s squad face Bordeaux in Champions Cup final
Gerry Thornley: Repeating top-eight URC feat would be an even bigger outcome for Irish game
Three of last season’s top eight will not reach the playoffs - all of which makes for a very fluid and competitive league
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