Derby stakes rise as Sharks defend top spot and Leinster seek first win
After an exciting weekend of the United Rugby Championship, URC StatMaster has identified the top players from R2 along with the overall top team and player performances from the league so far.
Click Below To View URC Player Stats
Click Below To View BKT URC Team Stats
Top Players From R2
Carries: 21 Davide Ruggeri (Zebre Parma)
Defenders Beaten: 9 Keiran Williams (Ospreys) / Rio Dyer (Dragons RFC)
Line-outs Won: 8 Francke Horn (10bet Lions)
Metres: 99 Anzelo Tuitavuki (Dragons RFC)
Passes: 97 Craig Casey (Munster Rugby)
Tackles: 29 James Botham (Cardiff Rugby)
Overall Top Players After R2
Carries: 36 Jamie Benson (Ulster Rugby)
Defenders Beaten: 11 Paul de Wet (Vodacom Bulls)/Rio Dyer (Dragons RFC)
Kicks in Play: 22 Fintan Gunne (Leinster Rugby)/Hector Patterson (Edinburgh Rugby)
Line-out Steals: 3 Liam McConnell (Edinburgh Rugby)
Line-outs Won: 15 Francke Horn (10bet Lions)
Metres: 212 Todd Lawlor (Leinster Rugby)
Passes: 202 George Horn (Glasgow Warriors)
Tackles: 44 Josh Macleod (Scarlets)
Tries: 3 Multiple Players
Turnover Won: 5 Freddy Douglas (Edinburgh Rugby)
Overall Top Team Season Totals
Carries: 337 Ulster Rugby
Defenders Beaten: 67 Dragons RFC/Ulster Rugby
Kicks in Play: 59 Cardiff Rugby
Metres: 1 083 Vodacom Bulls
Points: 69 Vodacom Bulls
Tackles: 400 Connacht Rugby
Tries: 10 Vodacom Bulls
Turnover Won: 18 Edinburgh Rugby
Visits To 22: 29 Vodacom Bulls
Round 3 brings the first South African derby double-header of the season, with table-topping Hollywoodbets Sharks travelling to DHL Stormers and 10bet Lions visiting Vodacom Bulls. Glasgow Warriors and Connacht renew last season's Quarter-Final rivalry at Scotstoun, while Ulster and Munster meet in the first all-Irish clash of the campaign.
Hollywoodbets Sharks are the early pacesetters and the only side on maximum points after successive bonus-point wins, the latest against defending champions Leinster. Cardiff, 10bet Lions and Edinburgh are also two from two, while Dragons RFC are unbeaten through two matches for the first time in the URC era.
The opening two rounds have also underlined the competition's fine margins: only eight of 16 matches have been won by the home side and 10 have finished with seven points or fewer between the teams. The four clubs to have lifted the BKT URC trophy - DHL Stormers, Munster, Glasgow Warriors and Leinster - have combined for just three wins from their opening eight matches, a 37.5% win rate.
Round At A Glance
Hollywoodbets Sharks are the only team on maximum points after two rounds; Cardiff, 10bet Lions and Edinburgh are also two from two
50% of the opening 16 matches have been won by the home side; 62.5% have finished with seven points or fewer between the teams
Dragons RFC are unbeaten after their opening two matches for the first time in the URC era
The four BKT URC champions have combined for three wins, four defeats and one draw from eight matches so far
Round 3 features two South African derbies, an Irish derby, a Welsh Shield fixture and the opening Scottish-Italian Shield match of the season
Click Below For Match Previews
Fixtures
FRIDAY
Glasgow Warriors v Connacht Rugby
Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow – KO 7.45pm IRE & UK/8.45pm ITA & SA
Referee: Ben Breakspear (WRU, 22nd league game)
AR 1: Hollie Davidson (SRU) AR 2: Finlay Brown (SRU)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (WRU)
Live on: Premier Sports, TG4, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
Dragons RFC v Ospreys
Rodney Parade, Newport – KO 7.45pm IRE & UK/8.45pm ITA & SA
Referee: Robbie Jenkinson (IRFU, 3rd league game)
AR 1: Ben Whitehouse (WRU) AR 2: Amber Stamp-Dunstan (WRU)
TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
Live on: S4C, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
SATURDAY
Vodacom Bulls v 10bet Lions
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria – KO 12.30pm IRE & UK/1.30pm ITA & SA
Referee: Hanru van Rooyen (SARU, 2nd league game)
AR 1: Christopher Allison (SARU) AR 2: Jonathan Lottering (SARU)
TMO: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SARU)
Live on: SuperSport, Premier Sports, TG4, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
DHL Stormers v Hollywoodbets Sharks
DHL Stadium, Cape Town – KO 3pm IRE & UK/4pm ITA & SA
Referee: Morné Ferreira (SARU, 25th league game)
AR 1: Griffin Colby (SARU) AR 2: Stephan Geldenhuys (SARU)
TMO: Quinton Immelman (SARU)
Live on: SuperSport, Premier Sports, TG4, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
Zebre Parma v Edinburgh Rugby
Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma – KO 3pm IRE & UK/4pm ITA & SA
Referee: Adam Jones (WRU, 53rd league game)
AR 1: Clara Munarini (FIR) AR 2: Riccardo Angelucci (FIR)
TMO: Keith David (WRU)
Live on: Sky Italia, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
Scarlets v Benetton
Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli – KO 5.30pm IRE & UK/6.30pm ITA & SA
Referee: Peter Martin (IRFU, 16th league game)
AR 1: Ben Connor (WRU) AR 2: Marcus Caudle (WRU)
TMO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)
Live on: Premier Sports, Sky Italia, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
Ulster Rugby v Munster Rugby
Affidea Stadium, Belfast – KO 5.30pm IRE & UK/6.30pm ITA & SA
Referee: Craig Evans (WRU, 72nd league game)
AR 1: Jack MacNeice (IRFU) AR 2: Max Weston (IRFU)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (WRU)
Live on: Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
Leinster Rugby v Cardiff Rugby
Laya Arena, Dublin – KO 7.45pm IRE & UK/8.45pm ITA & SA
Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU, 64th league game)
AR 1: Keane Davison (IRFU) AR 2: Jonathan Erskine (IRFU)
TMO: Andrew McMenemy (SRU)
Live on: TG4, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
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