OPINION: Are the cracks in Ireland's URC challenge starting to show?

Ireland may be South Africa’s biggest rival in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, but there is just a glimmer that their dominance of the intercontinental competition may be under threat.

Not only did Leinster - albeit a second string - team lose in Pretoria last weekend, but the other three Irish teams are struggling and there is a real sense that Leinster’s dominance of the Irish game may be a bad thing.

Already there are conspiracy theories abounding that former Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber was somehow responsible for Irish losing their Six Nations crown, a strange accusation given the high regard Nienaber has around the world and in Leinster’s team environment in particular.

But across the competition, the Irish clubs will go into this weekend’s round of matches with only Leinster having a positive net points difference, as they continue to lead the competition at the top.

Not only does that make a bit of a mockery of the claims of Nienaber’s oversized influence on the Irish team, but it shows that this could well be a deflection for other areas of the game where things haven’t gone well.

Only one Irish team has won the URC since its inception, Leinster traditionally lead the way, and will face a tough challenge against the Hollywoodbets Sharks this weekend. In all likelihood they are set to get a home semifinal and if they get that far, a home final, and lead the competition by a massive nine points at the moment.

NOT SO ROSY

Elsewhere things aren’t so rosy, and the DHL Stormers have a real shot at making things worse in Belfast for Irish teams as they look confident going into the game against a team that has a real beef with them.

Munster may be sixth, Ulster ninth and Connacht 12th at the moment, but all three have negative points differentials, underlining the fact they have struggled across the competition this year.

Of course, with a few rounds left, this could all change by the time the playoffs arrive, but those coaches around the competition have started to notice a change and a potential threat to the Irish challenge in the URC.

Leinster have also been the only Irish team to keep their coaching staff in tact over the course of the URC, while the other three have replaced coaches and faced upheavals of different sorts across the last four seasons.

Munster’s departure of Graham Rowntree, for instance, months after he won the title in South Africa, has never been fully explained although the rumour mill talks of internal challenges from inside his coaching team.

Rowntree has never spoken after his departure, but it was clear that something wasn’t right in the camp.

Just as on the international stage, Ireland remains a very good team, their provinces are still among the best in the competition. But there are some cracks starting to show, and the normal internal unhappiness that Leinster dominates almost every aspect of play has also started to become a real factor again.

South African teams - other than the Sharks who fired Sean Everitt two seasons ago and replaced him with John Plumtree - have not had any upheaval, as for good or bad, their coaching teams have stayed intact.

And while it may be too early to call something more than an interesting point, it is something worth watching as the season unfolds and is sure to give a bit more drama to an already enthralling competition.

This weekend the Sharks and Stormers can give themselves a boost and further improve their top eight chances at the expense of the Irish clubs.

It could even see a situation where all four South African teams are in the top eight. It may be a long shot now, but it could easily happen.

That would really set off the Irish rugby talk shows, wouldn’t it.