Munster Rugby secured a 33 – 7 victory over Stade Francais at Thomond Park to get their Investec Champions Cup campaign off to the perfect start.
Saracens powered to victory over Bulls as a 27-5 victory marked the start of their Investec Champions Cup campaign. There was an early setback for Saracens at StoneX Stadium as the South African side’s winger Sebastian de Klerk scored the opening try.
Stade Francais player ratings: Stade Français were outplayed and outclassed at Thomond Park, unable to match Munster’s intensity and cohesion.
Munster returned to winning ways in the United Rugby Championship a month on from Graham Rowntree’s departure with a 17-10 victory.
The veteran back-rower and tighthead Oli Jager were starters in last Saturday’s rain-sodden win over Ospreys.
Zebre Parma made history by securing their first-ever victory over Munster with a 42-33 bonus-point win in the United Rugby Championship.
Munster has named their team for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship opener against Connacht with new signings Thaakir Abrahams, Tom Farrell, and Billy Burns set to make their debuts.
Zebo may have retired and RG Snyman may have headed up the N7 to Leinster but Munster's low-key recruitment has been shrewd
Munster have announced the signing of Garryowen centre Bryan Fitzgerald on a three-month deal ahead of the new season.
The 34-year-old ex-Ireland international decided not to continue playing in 2024/25, paving the way for the club to rubber-stamp the arrival of Abrahams, a player whose style of play has drawn comparisons with Cheslin Kolbe.