Get to know Munster Rugby

There have been some right humdingers between Exeter Chiefs and Munster Rugby in the past decade. This weekend’s last 16 match-up looks to be no different.

Having seeded higher from their qualifying rounds, Chiefs earned the right to host the tie in Devon as the Irishmen arrive after two brutal weeks in South Africa in United Rugby Championship action.

The two sides last met in an Investec Champions Cup pool match in the 2023/24 season, when a 79th minute Henry Slade try sealed a comeback victory for the Chiefs.

In their seven meetings in the last decade, Munster hold the slim lead of four wins to Chiefs’ three. Of the four games contended at Sandy Park, Chiefs have emerged victorious in three. This will be a home record they will be looking to maintain this weekend.

This season, Munster boast six Ireland internationals freshly back from Guinness Six Nations duty, who follow in the footsteps of the likes of Peter O’Mahony, CJ Stander and Conor Murray in taking on Chiefs.

Of the Exeter men, the likes of Slade, Olly Woodburn and Jack Yeandle have featured in previous bouts with Slade scoring in two of them.

Chiefs’ talisman Yeandle, who proudly sits on 326 club appearances, could yet come up against the equally long-standing John Ryan, 254 times a Munsterman.

In the younger ranks of the squads, Dafydd Jenkins could be well-matched in a battle with Fineen Wycherly in the second row while Stephen Varney and Craig Casey prepare to go head-to-head at club level having previously been pitted against one another for Italy and Ireland bouts.

The ex-pats in the Chiefs squad have also faced off against Munstermen before. Tom Hooper took on Tadgh Beirne and the British & Irish Lions last year while Len Ikitau has competed in Wallabies v Ireland tests.

The men in red will arrive this weekend with a long history in European rugby to inspire them. They won the European Cup in 2006 and 2008 with the likes of Paul O’Connell, Donncha O’Callaghan, Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer and so many more Irish greats in their midst. There is no doubt this is a proud rugby club with equally proud supporters. Prepare for a passionate encounter.