Connacht Rugby player Niall Murray has been selected for the URC 2022/23 Elite XV alongside his teammate Finlay Bealham. 

Murray who hails from Roscommon has had a phenomenal season and helped Connacht reach the URC semi-final, along the way Niall stole an unbelievable 18 lineout throws well clear of any other player and ahead of some teams season totals.

Ireland accounted for six of the 15 players selected, which were determined by a media vote, with four coming from South Africa, two each from Scotland and Italy and one from Wales.

A total of 11 teams – and seven of the top eight sides – had at least one player included, with Leinster leading the way with three.

Dan Sheehan, who pipped OFX Top Try Scorer Tom Stewart to the hooker position, Scott Penny and Ross Byrne were nominated – the latter the only player to have made the Elite XV for two successive seasons.

Defending champions the DHL Stormers had Daniel du Plessis and Steven Kitshoff in the team while Connacht duo Finlay Bealham and Niall Murray were also chosen.

Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby), Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Simone Gesi (Zebre Parma), Gavin Coombes (Munster), Vaea Fifita (Scarlets), Grant Williams (Cell C Sharks), Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) and Federico Ruzza (Benetton) made the cut as well.

Players had to have made a minimum of nine appearances to be considered, with the media panel given a shortlist of 10 players per position, provided by URC StatMaster. The player with the most votes in each position earned a place in the team.

URC Elite XV

15: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls)

14: Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby)

13: Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors)

12: Daniel du Plessis (DHL Stormers)

11: Simone Gesi (Zebre Parma)

10: Ross Byrne (Leinster)

9: Grant Williams (Cell C Sharks)

1: Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers)

2: Dan Sheehan (Leinster)

3: Finlay Bealham (Connacht)

4: Niall Murray (Connacht)

5: Federico Ruzza (Benetton)

6: Vaea Fifita (Scarlets)

7: Scott Penny (Leinster)

8: Gavin Coombes (Munster)

Places in the Elite XV are the latest prizes to be revealed as part of three weeks of URC Awards announcements.

The Try of the Season, Ironman, Gilbert Golden Boot and Vodacom Fans’ Player of the Season are too be disclosed next week.

The BKT Coach of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season and Vodacom Fans’ Player of the Season are then revealed in the build-up to the Grand Final.

URC Awards 2022-23

OFX Top Try Scorer: Tom Stewart (Ulster)

Tackle Machine: John Hodnett (Munster)

Turnover King: Thomas Young (Cardiff)

Elite XV: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors), Daniel du Plessis (DHL Stormers), Simone Gesi (Zebre Parma), Ross Byrne (Leinster), Grant Williams (Cell C Sharks), Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Niall Murray (Connacht), Federico Ruzza (Benetton), Vaea Fifita (Scarlets), Scott Penny (Leinster), Gavin Coombes (Munster)

Next-Gen Player of the Season: Tom Stewart (Ulster)

Match Preview: Leinster v Munster in the BKT URC Semi-Final

The highly anticipated match between Leinster and Munster in the BKT URC is scheduled for May 15th, Saturday at 5:30pm.

Leinster

Leinster boasts an impressive record this season with 89 tries scored, the most of any team. They’ve also scored 16 tries from tap penalties, which is ten more than any other team has managed.

Harry Byrne and Dave Kearney are the only players who have assisted tries with kicks in the Quarter-Finals. Meanwhile, Hugo Keenan made 86 metres last weekend, beating four defenders and making a clean break.

Munster

Gavin Coombes made 23 carries in the Quarter-Finals, the most of any player. He is second in the league for metres in contact, with 206 so far this season.

John Hodnett made 21 tackles off the bench, second only to Matt Fagerson (24) and has made the second-most low tackles in the BKT URC (96). Munster has made the most carries per 80 minutes of any team this season, with an average of 128.

Did You Know?

Leinster has dominated Munster in recent years, winning all but one of their last 11 matches. They are also on a four-match winning streak in this fixture.

However, both teams have struggled in the last few league matches, with Leinster having a cumulative points difference of -22 but that was with a weekend side in SA and Munster at -1. Bookies expect Leinster to win by 16pts

Team news and injury updates 

Munster on the injury front, there were no issues for Tadhg Beirne on his return from an ankle injury as he played the full 80 minutes in Glasgow.

Peter O’Mahony (elbow) will go for a scan today and his availability will be determined later in the week.

Diarmuid Barron (shoulder) will be reviewed as the week progresses to determine his availability.

Malakai Fekitoa, Conor Murray, Calvin Nash and RG Snyman were all removed for Head Injury Assessments and are following the return to play protocols. They will all be unavailable this weekend.

Continuing to rehab: Liam O’Connor (neck), Eoin O’Connor (shoulder), Jack Daly (knee), Paddy Patterson (knee), Keith Earls (groin), Paddy Kelly (head), Andrew Conway (knee), Liam Coombes (thigh).

Leinster on the injury front Joe McCarthy: came through the game at the weekend with no issues after his recovery from an ankle injury

Rónan Kelleher: was involved in the wider match day squad at the weekend and will be available to train fully this week after his recovery from a shoulder injury

INJURY UPDATE – FURTHER ASSESSMENT REQUIRED:

Scott Penny: has entered the Graduated Return to Play Protocols and will be further assessed as the week progresses

Robbie Henshaw: is expected to step up his rehabilitation from a minor quad issue this week and will be further assessed as the week progresses

James Lowe: is expected to step up his rehabilitation from a calf injury and will be further assessed as the week progresses

Cian Healy: picked up an ankle injury against Cell C Sharks and will be further assessed as the week progresses

There are no further updates on:

Vakhtang Abdaladze (neck), Ed Byrne (tricep), Rhys Ruddock (hamstring), Johnny Sexton (groin), Jamie Osborne (knee), Martin Moloney (knee)

Final Thoughts

With both teams eager to get back to their winning ways, this match promises to be an exciting one. Leinster’s impressive attacking record and Munster’s strong carrying game and defensive performance make this a must-watch fixture. The rivalry between these two teams is always intense, and fans can expect a fierce battle on the field.

Match Preview: DHL Stormers v Connacht in the BKT URC

On May 14th, Saturday at 3pm the DHL Stormers will host Connacht in a highly anticipated match in the BKT URC. Here’s a preview of the upcoming game.

DHL Stormers

The DHL Stormers have been in great form this season, with Manie Libbok leading the charge with his impressive performance in the Quarter-Finals. With 185 points this season, he’s the highest scorer in the league and has made 11 try assists. The team also boasts a high gainline success rate of 58.2% and has thrown more offloads than any other team this season, showcasing their attacking prowess. Their back row has scored 22 tries, the most by any team, and they have scored as many first-phase tries as any other team with 32.

Connacht Rugby 

Connacht has their own standout player in Conor Oliver, who has made 234 tackles this season with a 91% tackle success rate. Meanwhile, Jack Carty has made the most kicks in play in the league, with 188 and an average of 14 per 80 minutes. However, their rate of tackle dominance is the second-lowest in the league at 3.5%, and they have conceded the most metres in contact of any team with 2,018.

Did You Know?

The DHL Stormers and Connacht have only faced each other twice in the BKT URC, and the home team has won both times. The DHL Stormers have lost just one of their last 21 home matches in the league against Munster in Round 17. Meanwhile, Connacht has won seven of their last eight BKT URC matches.

Final Thoughts

The DHL Stormers have been impressive at home this season and will look to continue their form against Connacht. Meanwhile, Connacht will hope to improve their tackle dominance and gain more ground in contact. With two talented teams facing off, this promises to be a thrilling match in the BKT URC.

The DHL Stormers are preparing to face off against Connacht in the upcoming BKT URC home semi-final at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town. While the Stormers were pleased to secure a home game thanks to Connacht’s upset victory over Ulster, they won’t be taking their opponents lightly.

DHL Stormers’ impressive home record

The DHL Stormers have established a formidable record at the DHL Stadium, with 19 successive wins. The team has also won two matches in Stellenbosch and took a home match to Gqeberha, winning all three matches. In the history of the BKT URC, they have lost just eight times in 40 matches.

Respect for Connacht

Despite their success, the DHL Stormers remain wary of Connacht’s dogged spirit. The Irish side has consistently punched above their weight and has shown their ability to take on the bigger teams. DHL Stormers head coach John Dobson has emphasized the need for respect towards their opponents, acknowledging their culture and team ethos.

“They are tough opposition. With respect to Connacht, a team that has crossed the equator is more preferable opposition rather than somebody flying down from up country or Durban,” said Dobson.

“We can feel confident, but that confidence must not be interpreted as arrogance. We have massive respect for the culture and team ethos of Connacht. They fight, and their attack shape is really good. The way they took Ulster apart at the breakdown was good.

“Like Seabelo (Senatla) always says, ‘we got dog’; they have that ‘dog’ in them. Connacht is a great story, to do what they are doing with the smallest budget. They are a team that does not go away, and Ulster experienced that, as have other teams. They have a helluva lot of mongrel in them.”

DHL Stormers’ preparation

DHL Stormers assistant coach Dawie Snyman has highlighted that the hosts are preparing for a heavyweight arm-wrestle against Connacht. The team is expecting a tough match against quality opposition. Snyman also acknowledged Connacht’s fighting spirit, noting that they fight for everything on the field.

“They are a tough team, we realised that when we played them in Galway last year. They are a quality side, well-coached and they have experienced players in the Irish setup.

“Connacht are a team we won’t take lightly. That game in the first round was tight until the red card and they still came back. They fight for everything. They fight for every ball, every ruck and you can see they’re playing for each other on the field.

“That makes them quite a threat, but we’ve got our own character and we’re a strong team.” Whatever the result, both teams will know they have been in a dog fight.

Conclusion

Both teams are preparing for a challenging match, and the outcome is likely to be a closely fought dog fight. While the DHL Stormers hold the advantage of playing on home soil, Connacht’s determined spirit and ability to punch above their weight make them a formidable opponent but bookies expect  Stormers to win by 15pts.

Gregor Townsend has today named his extended 41-player Scotland squad ahead of this year’s Rugby World Cup. The group will be led by captain Jamie Ritchie and includes flanker Rory Darge and winger Darcy Graham, both returning to the international set-up having been unavailable through injury previously.

The 41-player group will gather for an initial training camp on 29 May to begin preparations for warm-up matches in The Famous Grouse Nations Series against France, Italy and Georgia at BT Murrayfield in July and August.