MUNSTER’S Senior Challenge Cup semi-final fixtures of Cork Constitution-Shannon and Garryowen-Highfield will directly clash with Ireland’s Six Nations meeting with Italy on Saturday.
Supporters of the Cork and Limerick outfits will have to decide whether to back club or country with the semi-final encounters – in Dooradoyle and Thomond Park respectively – set to kick-off at 2.30pm, while Andy Farrell’s Ireland take on Gonzalo Quesada’s Italy at the Aviva Stadium at 2.10pm.
With Munster Rugby wrestling with a busy AIL schedule and rugby-free weekends, as well as the standardised kick-off time of 2.30pm, the understands that for a fixture to be moved, one of the competing clubs must propose a time change, which must, in turn, be agreed to by the opposition.
Harry Long and Matt Te Pou crossed for Shannon as the Limerick men brushed Midleton aside 24-0 in the quarter-final, while last year’s runners-up, Cork Con, were equally as impressive in their 35-13 victory over reigning champions, Nenagh Ormond.
The Temple Hill side had raced into a 35-3 half-time lead in which there were tries for Danny Sheahan and Rob Hedderman, among others.
2024 winners Garryowen overcame UCC in the last-eight on a 17-12 scoreline, while Highfield edged Young Munster at Woodleigh Park, with the home side needing a late, late Cillian Twomey try and Shane Buckley conversion to seal a 26-25 victory in the last round.
Meanwhile, Connacht’s Munster-linked scrum-half Ben Murphy has signed a new deal with the province.
24-year-old Murphy’s decision to put pen-to-paper at Stuart Lancaster’s Connacht alongside fellow Connacht nine Caolin Blade, who has also signed a contract extension, ends speculation of a move down south to Clayton McMillan’s Munster.
The length of the extensions have not been released by Connacht.
The Dexcom Stadium outfit had already lost the services of one young scrum-half in Matthew Devine, who is heading to Ulster at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
