Irish Rugby

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The 2026-27 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup fixture details have been confirmed.

Munster will open their Champions Cup campaign at home to Racing 92 on 17 October, a day after the 10th anniversary of Anthony Foley's death.

The province said it is in talks with Cork GAA about hosting the fixture at Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

Munster will also travel to Bristol Bears and holders Bordeaux-Begles before welcoming Gloucester to Thomond Park.

Beaten 2026 finalists Leinster begin their latest bid for a fifth title away to Clermont on 17 October.

They will host Sale Sharks and Pau at yet-to-be confirmed home venues before travelling to Leicester Tigers.

Connacht host Saracens on 17 October and travel to Exeter Chiefs before hosting six-time champions Toulouse in Galway. Their final game is away to La Rochelle.

In the Challenge Cup, Ulster face away games against Bayonne and Dragons and away ties with Zebre and Perpignan, with Richie Murphy's side hoping to go one better after losing this year's final to Montpellier.

Champions Cup fixtures (times BST & GMT)

Munster

17 October - Munster v Racing 92, TBC, 20:00

12 December - Bristol Bears v Munster, Ashton Gate, 20:00

10 January - Bordeaux-Begles v Munster, Stade Chaban Delmas, 16:15

16 January - Munster v Gloucester, Thomond Park, 17:30

Leinster

17 October - Clermont Auvergne v Leinster, Stade Marcel-Michelin, 15:15

12 December - Leinster v Sale Sharks, TBC, 17:30

9 January - Leinster v Pau, TBC, 17:30

16 January - Leicester Tigers v Leinster, Welford Road, 20:00

Connacht

17 October - Connacht v Saracens, Dexcom Stadium, 17:30

13 December - Exeter Chiefs v Connacht, Sandy Park, 13:00

9 January - Connacht v Toulouse, Dexcom Stadium, 20:00

16 January - La Rochelle v Connacht, Stade Marcel Deflandre, 17:30

Challenge Cup fixtures

Ulster

17 October - Zebre v Ulster, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, 15:15

12 December - Ulster v Bayonne, Affidea Stadium, 13:00

10 January - Perpignan v Ulster, Stade Aime Giral, 13:00

16 January - Ulster v Dragons, Affidea Stadium, 15:15

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Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has called on the uncapped players in his squad to "rip" into Saturday's Nations Championship game against Japan.

Farrell has included Connacht back row Sean Jansen from the start and Billy Bohan, Sam Illo and Bryn Ward on the bench while resting several players before next week's meeting with the All Blacks in Auckland.

"I'm really excited about this one for all sorts of reasons," said Farrell.

"Obviously, it's always a special occasion when you give one person a debut, never mind four.

"[I'm] really looking forward to how they apply themselves to attacking the game, first and foremost, because that's the role they're able to add to the team and the performance behind all that.

"But making sure that the rest of the team are there to support them and for it to be a special day for them. So, huge congratulations to the four of them. It's business time now, they need to rip in."

British and Irish Lions forward Tadhg Beirne will captain Ireland from the start for the first time, while hooker Ronan Kelleher earns his 50th cap.

"The milestones in Tadhg Beirne captaining his country for the first time, he typifies everything we'd want within a captain of Ireland.

"How he goes about his job, how he understands what we're after as a team, driving standards, he typifies that so he thoroughly deserves that.

"For Ronan to get his 50th cap. It's something we've worked hard to celebrate together over the past few years and we'll do that as a group tonight with the four debutants as well.

"It's a huge honour to get to 50 caps in the Test arena, it shows the level of consistency at the top level you're able to produce."

Farrell added he is looking forward to facing Japan, who he believes are "bang in form" after a 27-10 win over Italy last week.

"I mentioned the Maori [All Blacks] game last week, how they played against them and the confidence they took from that into the Italian game and we all know how difficult Italy are to play against.

"I thought Japan dominated the game from start to finish so the confidence they'll bring to Newcastle is going to be a test that we're after."

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI senior journalist

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Given the sense of rivalry and occasion attached to next week's crunch meeting with the All Blacks at their Eden Park fortress, Ireland boss Andy Farrell was always likely to make changes for Saturday's contest with Japan.

With nine alterations from the line-up that started last weekend's dramatic 33-31 win over Australia in Sydney, Farrell has pumped new blood into the set-up with four uncapped players named in the matchday squad.

Sean Jansen starts at number eight, while Billy Bohan, Sam Illo and Bryn Ward are named on the bench.

For New Zealand-born Jansen, a first outing in green caps a hugely impressive season. The 27-year-old scored 10 United Rugby Championship tries for Connacht and was third for tackles made with 219.

With captain Caelan Doris and a six-Test British and Irish Lion in Jack Conan above him in the pecking order, Jansen must seize his first chance to show Farrell what he can do in the Test arena just over a year out from the World Cup in Australia.

Conan - who switches to blind-side flanker - has certainly shown him the way. The 33-year-old made 19 tackles (with a 95% success rate) and 16 carries against Australia.

Bryn Ward is another new face in the back row. The 21-year-old is an explosive talent and enjoyed a breakout season with Ulster.

An unused Six Nations squad member earlier this year, the opportunity to elbow his way into the back-row picture will not be lost on the Ballynahinch man.

Ward is one of eight Ulster players in the matchday squad, while the inclusion of replacement props Billy Bohan and Sam Illo takes Connacht's representation to four alongside Jansen and experienced centre Bundee Aki.

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But the significance of Saturday's game extends beyond the new blood. For Jacob Stockdale, it is the first opportunity to stake his claim as the starting left wing following James Lowe's departure.

Jamie Osborne started there against Australia, and while Tommy O'Brien will be a long-term option when he returns to fitness, a strong outing this weekend will breathe new life into Stockdale's Test career and make him a contender to feature against the All Blacks for the first time since 2019.

It is also an important fixture for Stockdale's long-time Ulster team-mate Nick Timoney. Ultra-consistent, the 30-year-old started and scored against Japan in November and hopes to show Farrell he can be more than an impact player after another strong showing off the bench against Australia.

Then there is a first Test start at fly-half for Ciaran Frawley.

Two years on from his drop-goal heroics in South Africa, the 28-year-old has left Leinster for Connacht in the hope of regular starts.

While Sam Prendergast appears to be the frontrunner to start against the All Blacks, a star turn on Saturday for Frawley will give Farrell plenty to ponder heading to Auckland.

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Charlie O'Shea and Sean Walsh both scored a hat-trick of tries as Ireland concluded the Junior World Championships pool stage with a 73-22 win over the United States in Tbilisi.

Munster fly-half O'Shea and Connacht centre Walsh combined for six of Ireland's 11 tries, with Christopher Barrett, Robert Carney, Adam Cooper, Daniel Ryan and Jack Deegan also on target.

Green also landed nine conversions as Andrew Browne's side - who led 45-3 at the break - responded to defeats by England and Argentina in emphatic fashion.

Finnian Love, Joseph Sarlkees and Leo Keesler-Venables scored second-half tries for the USA, who were thumped by Argentina and England in their first two games.

Ireland, however, finished the game with 14 men when winger Charlie Moloney received a 20-minute red card following an aerial collision.

The Irish finish third in Pool C and move into the ninth-place semi-finals.

England edged past Argentina 40-38 later on Tuesday to clinch top spot and will advance to the final four, with the South Americans progressing to the fifth-place semi-final bracket.

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Scrum coach John Fogarty says the Ireland backroom team have been impressed with uncapped props Billy Bohan and Sam Illo, who are hoping to make their Test debuts against Japan this week.

Bohan, 20, is pushing for a first outing at loose-head with Jeremy Loughman ruled out after sustaining a concussion in Saturday's win over Australia.

Illo - Bohan's Connacht team-mate - could feature at tight-head if Tadhg Furlong is rested before the All Blacks game on 18 July.

"There's a reason they're here," said Fogarty.

"Both Billy and Sam have performed well throughout the season. They've put their hands up and we're seeing that form in training.

"It's been brilliant. It's been exactly what we'd wanted for them. The learnings are huge and to be around the other more experienced props and be around Andy [Farrell], Paul [O'Connell], Goody [Andrew Goodman], Johnny [Sexton], Simon [Easterby], and get reviewed and understand what it's going to take to become an international player, we're seeing that and I'm sure they're feeling that throughout the week.

"It's been brilliant. It's exciting, isn't it?"

After a dramatic victory over the Wallabies in Sydney, Ireland face Eddie Jones' Japan, who opened their Nations Championship campaign with a 27-10 win over Italy in Tokyo.

The Brave Blossoms started that game with uncapped university student Ryunosuke Ito at fly-half, while full-back Takuro Matsunaga contributed 17 points.

Ireland comfortably beat Japan 41-10 in Dublin in November, but Fogarty is expecting a stiff challenge in Newcastle on Saturday (11:10 BST).

"It's not easy to knock over Italy. 27-10 was a good score. At scrum time, they're always unbelievably organised," he said.

"They're really well coached. Japan are always very compact, very organised, quick to hit and always get to a really good height.

"If there's little inaccuracies with your timing, you'll get exposed, so we're making sure we're preparing properly for what's going to be a tough game."

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The Irish Rugby Football Union [IRFU] says a decision on Robert Baloucoune's fitness will be made later this week before Ireland's Nations Championship match against Japan on Saturday (11:10 BST).

The winger was due to start Ireland's opening game against Australia in Sydney but was withdrawn due to a hamstring injury.

Andy Farrell's side will aim to build on their narrow 33-31 victory over the Wallabies when they face Japan in Newcastle.

Munster prop Jeremy Loughman will not feature in the squad due to concussion, while there are no further injury concerns.

Japan opened their Nations Championship campaign with a victory over Italy in Tokyo and sit joint third with Ireland in the Conference table.

Eddie Jones' side have won their past two matches with Ireland unbeaten in their past six games.