Rugby

URC Team of the Week: Semi-Finals

23 hari lalu · Tom Sansom · Sumber: www.ruck.co.uk · 0 dilihat

The finalists are confirmed for the 2025/26 United Rugby Championship Grand Final, with Leinster set to host the Bulls next Friday at Croke Park. The stage is set for Dublin’s incredible GAA amphitheater, with the South African side ready for the clash on June 19th.

It was an exhilarating weekend of action across the URC semi-finals, with the Bulls first to qualify for the upcoming showpiece match. The Pretorian side executed the great escape of Edinburgh, to fight back from being three tries behind, and stun the table-topping Glasgow Warriors for a tense 22-21 triumph. The action then headed across to the Aviva Stadium, with Leinster getting the better of a gutsy Stormers side, who missed a handful of their top Springboks.

After racing away to a 13-0 lead, the Cape Towners fought back to a two point deficit, before heroics from Jamison Gibson-Park took Leo Cullen’s men to the final. Leinster’s hunt for back-to-back URC titles carries on, with two weeks to go before all eyes turn to the championship final at Croke Park. Once again, we’ve pieced together a Team of the Week, from the latest round of action in the United Rugby Championship.

TEAM OF THE WEEK: UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP – SEMI FINALS

15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster)

We commence our Team of the Week for the United Rugby Championship semi-finals, with Ireland’s resident sevens speedster Hugo Keenan. Having battled back to his very best following a planned hip operation post Lions tour and a thumb fracture pre-Six Nations, Keenan is in flying form in the blue of his province. The full-back delivered some electric game-line breaks and supported his bulkier carries well, with the stand-out moment being an incredible track back chase to deny a breakaway Stormers try.

14. Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors)

On the right wing we have opted for Scotland and Glasgow Warriors flyer Kyle Steyn, who raced away in the first half to take his side out in front with back-to-back tries. Steyn was on hand to canter free down to the corner, following some excellent support play of his Scotland skipper Sione Tuipulotu. Steyn’s double built a steady first-half foundation for the Warriors, however Franco Smith’s side were dejected to see the Bulls rally back for the overall win.

13. Reiko Ioane (Leinster)

Taking up the mantle in the midfield is quite the eye-catching partnership, with All Blacks centre Reiko Ioane forming an axis alongside Scotland and Lions man Sione Tuipulotu. Starting with Ioane, the bleach blonde dynamo was on hand to deliver the opening try for Leinster with just eight minutes gone at the Aviva Stadium, with a cutting line break that split the Stormers in two. Ioane stepped up alongside the replacement midfielder Garry Ringrose to close out the match with some thunderous carries and hard-hitting tackles, with his underrated defensive output on show.

12. Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors)

The Scotland captain comes into our Team of the Week for the URC semi-finals, following a heart-on-the-sleeve contribution that just failed to get his side over the line. It was the classic showcase that one man cannot win a game of rugby by himself, despite Tuipulotu’s best efforts to do just that at Murrayfield. The centre was on hand to lead his side forward at the gain-line, deliver outstanding assists to Kyle Steyn and wreck havoc on the defensive foot.

11. James Lowe (Leinster)

Taking up the left wing this week is a form-finding James Lowe, who may have just played his final match at the Aviva Stadium if the rumours are true. There is growing speculation at the Lowe will leave Leinster at the end of the season, with a move overseas expected to either France or the PREM. Lowe was at his game-breaking best with some explosive carries along the touch-lines, that left the flattened Stormers defenders down on the deck. The Ireland international is beloved in Dublin, with a ‘Don’t Go James Lowe’ sign witnessed at the big screens of the Aviva.

10. Sam Prendergast (Leinster)

We keep it all things Leinster for the half-back pairing, with Sam Prendergast taking the 10 jersey at the end of a triumphant semi-final. With the asterisk of his point-blank kick to the head of Jamison Gibson-Park to one side, Prendergast ran the back-line with expert aplomb against the Stormers, and slotted all his strikes through the uprights to build a steady first half lead. Prendergast muscled up well in defence against the hard-hitting South African side, and his leadership presence was missed upon his departure mid-way through the second half. He continues to click back to his best ahead of an Ireland return.

9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)

It was quite the tough call this week for the scrum half spot, with both Player of the Match performances going to the resident number nines of the winning semi-final sides. Whilst there is an honourable mention to be handed to Bulls halfback Embrose Papier, we stick with Jamison Gibson-Park for the Team of the Week. The Ireland international was once again the man of the moment, with a series of sniping runs keeping the Stormers on the back-foot. His match winning try was a beautiful breakaway, that sent the Aviva Stadium into a frenzy.

1. Ntuthuko Mcunu (Stormers)

We move onto the forward pack now, and we hand the loose-head spot once again to Ntuthuko Mcunu of the Stormers. The South African prop is one of the most in-form front rowers in the world right now, with another brilliantly brutal display at the scrum earning him another spot in our Team of the Week. Mcunu took Thomas Clarskon back to scrummaging school upon a handful of engagements, with the Stormers set-piece a cut above the Leinster pack, with Mcunu deserving the plaudits following his recent inclusion in the URC Elite XV for the 2025/26 season.

2. Johan Grobbelaar (Bulls)

We move onto another man who was named in the URC Elite XV, as Bulls hooker Johan Grobbelaar would love nothing more than league silverware to boost his return to Springbok green and gold this Summer. The front rower continues to showcase why he is so highly regarded amongst the world’s best hookers, with a crucial try-scoring performance against Glasgow Warriors this past Saturday. Grobbelaar helped the Bulls turn the tide with a first half try, and steer the Pretorians towards a historic win.

3. Francois Klopper (Bulls)

We stick with the same South African franchise for the next installment, with Bulls tight-head Francois Klopper joining his teammate in the front row of our URC Team of the Week. The number three was on hand to muscle his way across the whitewash, as the Bulls turned their match around mid-way through the second half. Klopper was pivotal in keeping the title hopes alive for the Pretorian side, with some astute scrummaging also contributing to the comeback win.

4. Adre Smith (Stormers)

It was a close call between two opposite men from their respective engine rooms, to take the spot in the second row for our Team of the Week. So, with an honourable mention awarded out to James Ryan of Leinster, we stick Adre Smith in the row, following his relentless efforts across both sides of the ball at the Aviva. Whilst Smith may not have had the same aerial presence as Ryan, there was no denying the lung-busting performance he put in across both attack and defence. Smith bagged a well taken try from close range, in what capped off a solid afternoon, albeit despite the eventual defeat to the Cape Town side.

5. Joe McCarthy (Leinster)

Whilst James Ryan narrowly missed out on a spot in our Team of the URC Semi-Finals, there was no way we could deny Joe McCarthy his place within the row. The Ireland international is enjoying a real purple patch of form, with some serious contributions in Leinster blue ahead of the Nations Championship. The rangey second row put in a tremendous shift against the Stormers this past Saturday, as he brought the fight to the breakdown and punched plenty of gaps in the defence. Lets leave the mocking ‘head rub’ on a Stormers man to one side though, as the half-time scuffle only brought about unwanted attention.

6. Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors)

The blindside flanker spot this week goes to Matt Fagerson of Glasgow Warriors, in what would have been a real gut-punch of a defeat for the Scottish side. Fagerson has been incredible this season, with the number six role firmly etched into his positional bow alongside his regular string at number eight. The back row battler left it all on the line against the Bulls, as he racked up 20 tackles upon the bruising South African outfit. Fagerson was yet again a stand-out from the pack, with plenty of excitement surrounding his return to Gregor Townsend’s Scotland side.

7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster)

Taking the spot on the openside flank is Leinster battler Josh van der Flier, with an honourable mention in store for Glasgow Warriors work-horse Rory Darge. Van der Flier played through the pain of a knee injury, as he received about some medical attention mid-way through the first half. His efforts were certainly commendable to continue on, as the red scrum cap was all over the park, despite operating at below 100 per cent. Van der Flier emptied the tank with some brutal collisions on the front foot, as he dented the Bulls defensive line to free up the outside backs.

8. Cameron Hanekom (Bulls)

We close out the Team of the Week with Cameron Hanekom of the Bulls at number eight, with another honourable mention – this time for Leinster and Ireland captain Caelan Doris. Whilst the man from Co. Mayo led his side with admirable authority, Hanekom was the game-breaking x-factor from the Bulls pack, that disrupted Glasgow’s momentum planted the seeds of doubt. His turnover contributions were crucial in thwarting the Warriors go-forward, with his offloads keeping the Bulls on the front foot as well. His tackle count of 16 led the table upon his 63rd minute exit, with the ground-work laid for the eventual win for the South African side.

LATEST RUGBY NEWS

Ringkasan berita ini bersumber dari www.ruck.co.uk. Baca artikel selengkapnya di sumber asli