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Winners of a combined 13 straight Pro14 matches, Irish rivals Munster Rugby and Leinster Rugby meet for a huge showdown at Thomond Park on Saturday.
The match is scheduled to start at 12:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. local time). Here’s how to watch it online without cable, depending on where you live:
How to Watch Munster vs Leinster in USA: ESPN+
In the United States, the game can be watched live on your computer, phone or streaming device via ESPN+, the new cable-free streaming service from ESPN.
You can sign up for a free 7-day trial of ESPN+ right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the match on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.
If you can’t watch live, ESPN+ will also have the game available to be watched on-demand afterwards.
How to Watch Munster vs Leinster in Canada: DAZN
In Canada, Austria, Germany and Italy, the game will be live streamed exclusively on DAZN, which offers a free one-month trial.
You can sign up for a free trial of DAZN right here, and you can then watch the match live on your computer via DAZN.com, or on your phone, tablet, smart TV, Roku, Xbox One or other streaming device via the DAZN app.
Munster vs Leinster Preview
The defending champions have established themselves once again as the team to beat this year.
Following a Round 2 defeat at the hands of the Scarlets, Leinster have won nine consecutive Pro14 matches and outscored opponents by an average of 24.89 points per match during that span. That run of dominance nearly came to an end last weekend when they fell behind 29-12 against Connacht, but three tries in the last 10 minutes ensured a stunning 33-29 comeback victory.
“I thought the guys showed good composure in the last 10 minutes, I’m not sure about the previous 70 but the last 10 minutes, I thought they showed really good attacking intent, held on to the ball really well, very disciplined with our attack,” head coach Leo Cullen said after the game.
“I’ve got to applaud the players because they showed a lot of character to come back towards the end but plenty to work on.”
Leinster are now 9-0-1 with the most points (44) and best point-differential (plus-219) in the league, but they’ll get a big test on Saturday against their Irish rivals.
After an up-and-down start to the season, Munster have now won four Pro14 matches in a row (and seven straight across all tournaments) to push their record in the league to 7-0-3. They are second in Conference A behind the Glasgow Warriors, but they also own the league’s second-best point differential (plus-144) and are a perfect 5-0 at home this season, obliterating their opponents by an average of 32.4 points per game.
That said, Leinster got the best of Munster in the first meeting of the season, a 30-22 triumph at Aviva Stadium, and they’re also the last team to beat Johann van Graan’s team at Thomond Park.
“It’s special having your home fans and everyone cheering you on and everything like that but there is something special about going away from home,” Leinster flanker Rhys Ruddock said. “The intensity they bring to the occasion and their fans, it’s a very different experience and I think it’s one that you have to relish as well.
“I think winning away from home is extra special, especially playing a team like Munster. There’s a huge heritage and history of being successful, especially when they play down there so yeah to get a win there is extra special.”
Leinster have historically gotten the better of this Derby, winning 22 of 35 head-to-head matches overall.
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