'For 80 minutes you hate each other' - James Lowe looking forward to Thomond Park return

James Lowe says he's looking forward to a fiery reception from the Thomond Park crowd when Leinster and Munster renew hostilities this Saturday.

Saturday's game in Limerick (live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player) will mark the first time since December 2019 that the sides will meet in front of a crowd, having played five times behind closed doors during the pandemic.

To add an extra layer of intrigue, both sides are set to welcome back the majority of their Ireland internationals, as Leo Cullen and Johann van Graan tune their squads up for the Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 next week.

Lowe is among a number of the Six Nations players who returned to Leinster training this week and is expected to come back into the team, as the visitors look to win for the third time in a row at Thomond Park.

And the wing says it doesn't get much bigger than a derby away to their biggest rivals.

"It adds to it, doesn't it? Arguably the biggest rivalry in rugby, isn’t it, in terms of club rugby, that Leinster-Munster game?," he said, at the launch of this year's Bank of Ireland Leinster Rugby Summer Camps.

"I’m looking forward to it. For 80 minutes you hate each other, the crowd included, but afterwards they’ll stand and clap you off win or lose. That’s all part of it, and I hope we can put in a performance we're proud of come Saturday.

And with the derby falling so soon after the Six Nations campaign, Lowe says plenty of friendships will have to be parked outside the stadium.

"Both teams want to knock the heads off each other, we've been best friends for the last 10 weeks, but as soon as you put on a different colour jumper all of that is left at the door and the rivalry begins.

"We’re looking forward to the challenge, there will be a couple of beers