Donal Lenihan’s URC semi-finals preview

Travelling down to the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Leinster are playing up in altitude, they’re playing in the heat, even though it’s not quite as bad as when they were last (in South Africa to play Stormers) in April.

I think it’s a perfect opportunity for Leinster’s siege mentality after losing the Champions Cup final, the fact that Leo Cullen can take his group away as a collective.

They have an opportunity to play in another final next week. It’s going to be difficult.

Munster beat the Bulls there in April but really the game turned on Johan Goosen, their out-half, getting sent off on 50 minutes.

But I think there’s enough resolve, enough experience in this Leinster group to go down there to win in a backs-against-the-wall fixture which would really set up potentially a dream final the following week (against Munster).

Munster did it the hard way last year, winning the URC against all odds, and the fact that they beat Glasgow in the quarter-final away, I think that will work in Glasgow’s favour in that they know it’s not impossible to win in a semi-final away from home.

Glasgow and Munster have a lot of history between them. They don’t exactly get on very well, but Munster have been playing really well, consistently winning without playing their best at Thomond Park.

From a squad perspective Joey Carbery and Tom Ahern are big losses to them, but I think if Alex Nankivell gets back in the centre and Antoine Frisch is available, if they reunite those two in the centre then I expect Munster will win and I think we could end up with that dream final next week, which would be a brilliant way to finish the domestic rugby season.

Donal Lenihan was speaking on RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland

Watch the URC semi-final, Bulls v Leinster, on Saturday from 2.30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1

Follow a live blog on the URC semi-final, Munster v Glasgow Warriors, on Saturday from 6pm on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1