United Rugby Championship: Irish provinces targeting improvements in 2025-26

Ins: JJ Hanrahan (Connacht), Dan Kelly (Leicester Tigers)

Outs: Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Stephen Archer and Dave Kilcoyne (all retired)

Last season: Quarter-finalists

First five games: Scarlets (A), Cardiff (H), Edinburgh (H), Leinster (A), Connacht (H)

Prospects: Perhaps another strange season down at Thomond Park was best epitomised by the side’s URC exit, the always bizarre sight of a place-kicks competition against the Sharks bringing the curtain down on their season in Durban.

It had been a tumultuous campaign up to that point with the man who delivered the URC title in 2023, Graham Rowntree, departing in October after a run of two wins from six to start the season.

Head of rugby operations Ian Costello took temporary charge of things and delivered a huge victory away to La Rochelle in the last 16 of the Champions Cup, before the side ultimately confirmed their place in this season’s top-tier European competition with a sixth-place finish in the league.

Similar to Stuart Lancaster’s arrival in Connacht, the hiring of Clayton McMillan represents something of a coaching coup. The New Zealander arrives after taking the Chiefs to three successive Super Rugby finals and his ticket is boosted by having Alex Codling available to work with the forwards full-time after splitting his time with the women’s national side last season.

Dan Kelly, Irish-qualified once again after a solitary England cap in 2021, is an intriguing addition, while JJ Hanrahan returns to back up Jack Crowley for what will be a third spell with his native province.

Quite apart from a new head coach, the retirements of Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Stephen Archer and Dave Kilcoyne, as well as the departure of Rory Scannell, give the feeling of a new era in the southern province.