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On Saturday night (kickoff at 5.15pm) in Belfast, something has to give as the two undefeated conference leaders meet at the Guinness Pro14.
Host Ulster is nine wins out of nine in Conference A (Leinster also has a 100% record but has played two fewer games), his most recent win secured at Sportsground after surpassing a five-point interval deficit for run out of comfortable winners.
Munster should be entering the match on the back of an interpro against Leinster, but the St Stephen’s Day match was postponed, with Leinster later confirming that two older players had tested positive for Covid-19.
For Munster’s mainstay John Ryan, there was a glimmer of light in the postponement of the long-awaited crash.
“Personally, last week I was disappointed that the game was canceled, but a lot of guys got the positives,” he told RTÉ Sport.
“We were able to see more families at Christmas, I was with my wife and two children. I had a nice Christmas during the three and a half days that we were free, so it was great.”
Now the focus shifts to a visit to Kingspan Stadium and a bid for an eighth consecutive win in the competition.
Last January, the home team recorded a five-shot beating over their Irish rivals and since the 2016/17 season they have not left Belfast with a win.
“It’s going to be a great game,” says Ryan. “The last four times we’ve played, the home team has won.
“Last year we went up there and we didn’t have a good performance. We will seek to change that.
“Ulster are in great shape right now. They were under pressure last week against Connacht and turned the game around.
“It was a serious result.”
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