Race to the eight tightening up
- URC Media
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
The United Rugby Championship returns with all rescheduled fixtures complete and only six rounds remaining as teams Race To The Eight.
Friday night lights will kick off with Cardiff taking on the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria. Zebre Parma make the trip to Llanelli facing Scarlets at the same time as Irish derby action between Ulster and Connacht.
Saturday’s action sees Fidelity SecureDrive Lions host Edinburgh Rugby while Hollywoodbets Sharks face Munster. Ospreys travel to Benetton, league leaders Glasgow Warriors host defending champions Leinster.
Action finishes in Cape Town on Sunday where DHL Stormers welcome Dragons RFC.
Click Below For Match Previews
FRIDAY
Vodacom Bulls v Cardiff Rugby
Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria – KO 5pm IRE & UK/6pm ITA/7pm SA
Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU, 36th league game)
AR 1: Griffin Colby (SARU) AR 2: Jonathan Lottering (SARU)
TMO: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
Live on: SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
Scarlets v Zebre Parma
Parc Y Scarlets, Llanelli – KO 7.45pm IRE & UK/8.45pm ITA/9.45pm SA
Referee: Peter Martin (IRFU, 13th league game)
AR 1: Craig Evans (WRU) AR 2: Max Clements (WRU)
TMO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)
Live on: S4C, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
Ulster Rugby v Connacht Rugby
Affidea Stadium, Belfast – KO 7.45pm IRE & UK/8.45pm ITA/9.45pm SA
Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU, 96th league game)
AR 1: Max Weston (IRFU) AR 2: Sam Holt (IRFU)
TMO: Finlay Brown (SRU)
Live on: Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
SATURDAY
Fidelity SecureDrive Lions v Edinburgh Rugby
Ellis Park, Johannesburg – KO 12.45pm IRE & UK/1.45pm ITA/2.45pm SA
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR, 47th league game)
AR 1: Hanru van Rooyen (SARU) AR 2: Stephen Geldenhuys (SARU)
TMO: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
Live on: SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
Hollywoodbets Sharks v Munster Rugby
Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban – KO 3pm IRE & UK/4pm ITA/5pm SA
Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU, 60th league game)
AR 1: Morne Ferreira (SARU) AR 2: Christopher Allison (SARU)
TMO: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
Live on: SuperSport, TG4, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
Benetton v Ospreys
Stadio Monigo, Treviso – KO 3pm IRE & UK/4pm ITA/5pm SA
Referee: Ian Kenny (SRU, 8th league game)
AR 1: Federico Vedovelli (FIR) AR 2: Riccardo Bonatto (FIR)
TMO: Paul Haycock (IRFU)
Live on: Sky Italia, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
Glasgow Warriors v Leinster Rugby
Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow – KO 5.30pm IRE & UK/6.30pm ITA/7.30pm SA
Referee: Adam Jones (WRU, 49th league game)
AR 1: David Sutherland (SRU) AR 2: Ciaran Stark (SRU)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (WRU)
Live on: Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
SUNDAY
DHL Stormers v Dragons RFC
DHL Stadium, Cape Town – KO 1pm IRE & UK/2pm ITA/3pm SA
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU, 114th league game)
AR 1: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SARU) AR 2: Sean Muller (SARU)
TMO: Robbie Jenkinson (IRFU)
Live on: SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
After an exciting weekend of the United Rugby Championship, URC StatMaster has identified the top players from R12 along with the overall top team and player performances from the league so far.
Click Below To View BKT URC Player Stats
Click Below To View BKT URC Team Stats
Top Players From R12
Carries: 18 James Ratti (Ospreys)
Defenders Beaten: 10 Wes Goosen (Edinburgh Rugby)
Line-outs Won: 8 Alessandro Ortombina (Zebre Parma)/James Ratti (Ospreys)
Metres: 131 Onisi Ratave (Benetton)
Passes: 112 Ben Afshar (Glasgow Warriors)
Tackles: 31 Dan Thomas (Cardiff Rugby)
Overall Top Players After R12
Carries: 184 Alun Lawrence (Cardiff Rugby)
Defenders Beaten: 40 Wes Goosen (Edinburgh Rugby)
Kicks in Play: 100 Callum Sheedy (Cardiff Rugby)
Line-out Steals: 8 Vincent Tshituka (Hollywoodbets Sharks)
Line-outs Won: 57 Francke Horn (Fidelity SecureDrive Lions)
Metres: 637 Ignacio Mendy (Benetton)
Passes: 606 George Horne (Glasgow Warriors)
Tackles: 194 Alun Lawrence (Cardiff Rugby)
Tries: 7 Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors)
Turnover Won: 16 Jeandre Rudolph (Vodacom Bulls)
Overall Top Team Season Totals
Carries: 1 866 Glasgow Warriors
Defenders Beaten: 314 Glasgow Warriors
Kicks in Play: 383 Cardiff Rugby
Metres: 5 450 Glasgow Warriors
Points: 325 Fidelity SecureDrive Lions
Tackles: 2 009 Dragons RFC
Tries: 47 Glasgow Warriors
Turnover Won: 86 Scarlets
Visits To 22: 155 Glasgow Warriors
Comments