URC play-off teams are locked in after thrilling final round

It took until the final game of the final weekend of the regular season but we do now know the eight teams in the United Rugby Championship Play-Offs and who will play who in the quarter-finals.

In the end, it was Munster Rugby who secured the last available spot late on Saturday evening by beating the Fidelity SecureDrive Lions 24-17 in Limerick. So they followed Cardiff Rugby, the Lions and Connacht Rugby in qualifying over the weekend to join Glasgow Warriors, Leinster Rugby, DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls in the top eight.

After a nerve jangling Round 18, it was Ulster Rugby who ultimately just missed out.

It was Glasgow Warriors who finished top of the pile through claiming a late 26-22 victory over Ulster in Belfast on Friday night, while reigning champions Leinster moved up to second with a 10-try 68-14 demolition of the Ospreys.

The Stormers dropped down to third after losing 22-16 to Cardiff at the Arms Park, with the Bulls confirming fourth spot by beating Benetton Rugby 45-19 in Pretoria. Munster’s victory took them up to fifth, while Cardiff and the Lions, in sixth and seventh respectively, both progress to the play-offs for the first time, with Connacht occupying the eighth and final qualifying place after beating Edinburgh Rugby 26-5 at the Hive Stadium.

As for those teams not in the mix, it finished honours even in the Welsh derby with the Scarlets and the Dragons drawing 35-35 in Llanelli. They also end up level on points in the final table.

Meanwhile, the Hollywoodbets Sharks defeated Zebre Parma 54-19, with Springboks skipper Siya Kolisi scoring two tries on his final appearance before joining the Stormers.

Glasgow coach Franco Smith has hailed finishing top of the BKT United Rugby Championship “a massive achievement” after the toughest season yet in the competition. His team sealed first place by claiming a bonus point victory over Ulster in Belfast with wing Kyle Rowe scoring the match-winning try four minutes from time.

They will now be at home to Connacht in the quarter-finals as they look to repeat their 2024 title triumph. “It’s a tough season,” said the South African Smith. “To stay on top of these teams is a massive achievement for my players, the club and the coaches. I am very happy. It’s arguably the toughest competition this year that we’ve ever been part of.

“The players have worked really, really hard in terms of their effort. They got stuck in.”

Reflecting on the hard-fought encounter with Ulster, he said: “We wanted five points out of this game. That was the mission. There is still a lot to work on. We got held up three times over the line. Executing those opportunities is going to be massive in play-off rugby.

“It’s a case now of drawing a line under the season. We enjoyed it, fantastic but it’s now something of the past. The play-offs are quite different from the round robin.”

Giving his thoughts on the late Belfast triumph, skipper Kyle Steyn said: “It went right down to the death but how good. I don’t think we’ve won here since 2013. We won, we got five points, we are top of the log, the boys dug deep, I couldn’t be prouder. It feels good but it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t go and get it done now.”

Fullback Josh McKay added: “Full credit to Ulster, they are unreal. They go to the well for each other, that’s for sure and that’s obviously why they are in the Challenge Cup final. But we got through and we are stoked to finish first. There’s definitely a belief in this team. We felt like we sort of lost a bit of what we are about over in South Africa and we’ve just been working super hard to try and get that back as we build into the play-offs.”

Munster skipper Craig Casey said the love for the club shone through in the victory over the Lions which secured a URC play-off spot and Champions Cup rugby. Despite being down to 13 men at one stage, the Irish province emerged with a win at Limerick’s Thomond Park to finish fifth in the league and set up a quarter-final clash away to the Bulls.

Summing up the achievement, scrumhalf Casey said: “It means an awful lot. It’s been a turbulent enough season for us but we've stayed strong as a group. I think the love of the club shone through today. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs through the week, a few people going out through injury and a few young fellas stepping in.

“I think it was important for us to send off a few legends in a good way. We would have done them an injustice if we didn’t show up. We are a resilient group. We have been through the ringer this year. We went through an awful lot but stuck together and it shows in times like this.

“We haven’t been perfect this season, we’ve a lot to work on but we’ve given ourselves a chance.

“We have been through a tough time. This is massive for us. Champions Cup rugby is paramount for this club. Damn it feels good.”

Casey picked up the Player of the Match award after leading by example with an inspirational try-scoring display. “I put a lot of pressure on myself this week,” he admitted. “It was my first time captaining at home but I had a lot of support from the group. First and foremost, you’ve got to show up. I wasn’t perfect by any means but I hope the fans saw how much it means to all of us.

“That’s what kind of shines through on days like this. The supporters mean an awful lot to us. We’ve given ourselves a chance and we’ve given them a chance.”

Addressing the fans, he said: “Keep following us, we love you all. We will keep fighting for all of you.”

Adding his thoughts, head coach Clayton McMillan said: “It’s probably relief more than anything. Not just the blokes out on the field but the 15 000 in the stands and lots in their homes. There was big pressure coming into a game like this where it's pretty obvious what we needed to do. It was never going to be easy but I thought our guys acquitted themselves well under the circumstances. We were tough when we needed to be.

“I’m pleased for the players. We've been working hard to give ourselves an opportunity to get to finals rugby and that's been achieved.”

Cardiff will be aiming for same again in their quarter-final rematch with the Stormers having beaten them to reach the URC play-offs for the first time.

The Welsh club booked their place in the knock-out stages by claiming a 22-16 bonus point victory over the high-flying South Africans on an emotional night at the Arms Park. Now they will meet once more in the last eight on Saturday, May 30 - this time in Cape Town.

Looking ahead to that clash, head coach Corniel van Zyl said: “It’s all about just going out there and giving it a good shot. Afterwards, don’t look back and say you have regrets. Give it a good shot and ultimately see what happens. We will push on and see how long this season can go on.”

As for the main threats posed by the Stormers, based on the evidence of Friday night’s game, he said: “Obviously, the set-piece is the big one. That was a bit of a concern for us. They are really good at set piece, scrums and mauls, so that’s definitely something we will have to polish off going into the play-offs. We will have to manage that well.

“There are also a few individuals in their team that are great players. It’s getting over those barriers and also playing away from home. Those are the biggest challenges.”

Despite the Stormers’ set piece strength, Cardiff still managed to outscore them by four tries to one on the weekend thanks to their clinical attacking and heroic defence. Knowing they had to win to be sure of making the play-offs, they delivered to the unbridled delight of the 10 000-plus crowd, with choruses of Hymns and Arias echoing around the ground.

“It was backs against the wall, a big pressure game against a great Stormers team, so for the boys to step up and give that performance was really pleasing,” said Van Zyl. “It was unbelievable for so many reasons. The try Tom Bowen scored in the corner was one of the better tries this season, multi-phase and then getting to the edge. It’s really pleasing when things come right at the right time. The boys also defended well and showed that fight for the jersey.

“It was all on the line but the boys responded well to the messages and to the plan, so that’s very pleasing. That was a really good performance in terms of defence, attack, controlling the game. It was a tight match but we stayed on top. I said to the boys after the game ‘Hats off’.”

In the end, Cardiff finished sixth in the table, with Van Zyl confirming it was all the sweeter to have made the play-offs after missing out by just a point last year. “If you look at the growth of the team from last season to this season it’s been massive,” he said. “If you had asked me at the beginning of the season would I take it, I would have definitely said yes even if it was finishing eighth.”

Giving his thoughts on facing the Stormers again in the quarter-finals, try-scoring flyhalf Ioan Lloyd said: “They are one off games and anything can happen. We back ourselves against anyone.

“Against the South African sides, you’ve got to be physical and you’ve got to be solid defensively.

“So that was a big focus and to keep them to one try was great. We spoke about being aggressive with our attack and really taking the game to them. So to get that on the field and convert was great.”

As for where the win ranked among his career highlights, Welsh international Lloyd said: “It’s very much up there. To get to a BKT URC play-off for the first time with my home club is pretty class.

“I’m just happy we got the victory. To get it done was an amazing feeling. After a long season, to get through and play in the games you want to play in is exactly what we’ve talked about all year. It’s class.”

The night was made all the more special by Wales great Leigh Halfpenny coming on to make his final appearance at the Arms Park before retiring at the end of the season, with the 37-year-old receiving a standing ovation as he entered the field three minutes from time.

"I just feel so fortunate to be able to go out on my own terms,” said Halfpenny. "Cardiff gave me my opportunity as an 18-year-old. To be able to finish back here in front of the fans at the Arms Park means a lot. To have my friends and family in the crowd, my wife and two kids, was extremely special. It doesn't get much better than that. I am just so grateful for everything that rugby has given me."

Halfpenny added: “It was a massive game for us in terms of the play-offs and the boys were outstanding. I am delighted. To get the win and make the play-offs is extremely special.”

Connacht boss Stuart Lancaster has pinpointed the key tipping point games that turned his team’s season around. They only won two of their first nine matches in the URC but then proceeded to claim eight victories from the next nine to book a place in the play-offs.

Their presence in the knock-out stages - where they will face Glasgow - was confirmed when they secured a bonus point win over Edinburgh at the Hive Stadium on Friday night. Reflecting on the pivotal matches in a season of two halves, head coach Lancaster said: “One was the Zebre game. We got a bonus point in the last play, in the 90th minute. Then the Glasgow game at the Dexcom was huge, getting a try in the last play again and also up in Ulster. Those are probably the three standout games for me.

“But probably another one was Montpellier away in the Challenge Cup where a lot of the young lads played and really stood up. There are a lot of different stages to it, but they were the pivotal games that gave us the belief on the back of the training we were doing.”

Giving his verdict on the performance against Edinburgh, he said: “It wasn’t our greatest by a long way. It felt like we defended for 70% of the game, to be honest. But we managed to hang in there and the determination and grit we have developed during the season paid off, particularly in the second half. We do a lot of work on our defence and to restrict Edinburgh to the one try was amazing really.”

Looking ahead to the play-offs, he said: “You are two games away from a final, aren’t you? You just need to get in it. So game on.”

Flanker Cian Prendergast, the Player of the Match against Edinburgh, said: “You can’t doubt the lads for endeavour, physicality and effort. I am really proud of that. We’ve just worked so hard for this and, with some of the results we’ve got, I think the group deserves it and we are looking forward to it now. We have a brilliant coaching staff, a brilliant group of players and belief is building. We will just take it week by week and see what happens.”

It’s the culmination of the EPCR competitions next weekend with two Irish teams flying the flag for the URC in Bilbao.

Ulster take on French club Montpellier in the Challenge Cup final on Friday night. If they win, they will claim their first silverware since 2006. They will also book a place in next season’s Champions Cup, qualifying instead of Connacht who finished one place above them in the URC table in eighth. Then it’s on to Saturday and the Champions Cup final which sees Leinster locking horns with holders Bordeaux-Begles.

The following week, it's back to URC action and the quarter-finals of the play-offs.

Fixtures

Quarter-finals

Friday, May 29

QF1: (1) Glasgow Warriors v (8) Connacht @ Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow (7.45pm UK/8.45pm SA)

Live on Premier Sports, SuperSport, TG4, URC.tv, FloRugby

Saturday, May 30

QF4: (4) Vodacom Bulls v (5) Munster @ Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (12pm UK/1pm SA)

Live on SuperSport, Premier Sports, URC.tv, FloRugby

QF3: (3) DHL Stormers v (6) Cardiff @ DHL Stadium, Cape Town (2.30pm UK/3.30pm SA)

Live on SuperSport, S4C, Premier Sports, URC.tv, FloRugby

QF2: (2) Leinster v (7) Fidelity SecureDrive Lions @ Aviva Stadium, Dublin (8pm UK/9pm SA)

Live on TG4, Premier Sports, SuperSport, URC.tv, FloRugby

Semi-Finals – Saturday, June 6

SF1: Winner QF1 v Winner QF4

SF2: Winner QF2 v Winner QF3

URC Grand Final – Saturday, June 20

Winner SF1 v Winner SF2