URC round-up: Munster guarantee play-off while Leinster secure top spot

Johann van Graan’s men are in second spot on points difference ahead of their final regular season game against Leinster at the Aviva on Saturday May 21

Mon, 02 May, 2022 - 07:05

TJ Galvin

Munster guaranteed themselves a play-off spot thanks to Friday night’s 42-21 win over Cardiff at Musgrave Park. The win leaves Johann van Graan’s men in second spot on points difference ahead of their final regular season game against Leinster at the Aviva on Saturday May 21.

Munster are on 56 points along with the Sharks and the Stormers heading into the last round.

An understrength Leinster lost out to the Stormers in Cape Town by 20-13 but secured the losing bonus point which guarantees they will finish the regular season as the top seeds and, with it, guaranteed home fixtures for as long as they remain in the play-offs.

An Ed Byrne try had restored parity on the hour mark for Leo Cullen’s men but a penalty-try for the Stormers ensured Leinster suffered back to back defeats in South Africa.

Ulster got back to winning ways with a hard fought 16-10 win over Edinburgh at Murrayfield. The narrow win lifts them to fifth in the United Rugby Championship table and keeps alive their hopes of a home play-off. The in-form Robert Baloucoune scored Ulster’s solitary try. The losing bonus point guarantees Edinburgh, currently in eight position, a play-off spot.

Former Munster lock Gerbrant Grobler got over for a brace of tries to thwart Connacht’s hopes of completing a URC clean sweep against the four South African sides this season. The westerners had led by 11 points at half-time but failed to add to their 21 points in the second half.

The Sharks got on top after the restart to keep their hopes of a home quarter-final alive as they eventually carved out a bonus point win, 41-21. Tries from Gavin Thornbury and Caolin Blade had given Connacht a good platform but they couldn’t build on it.

Elsewhere, a 29-17 victory for the Bulls in South Africa over Glasgow Warriors has seen them leapfrog their opponents into sixth in the table. Glasgow are also guaranteed a play-off spot as they are in seventh position.

Here is how the URC table looks heading into the final round.

1 Leinster 17 12 0 5 260 62

2 Munster 17 11 0 6 193 56

3 Sharks 17 11 1 5 148 56

4 Stormers 17 11 2 4 148 56

5 Ulster 17 11 0 6 112 55

6 Bulls 17 10 0 7 123 53

7 Glasgow Warriors 17 10 0 7 50 50

8 Edinburgh 17 9 1 7 86 50

9 Scarlets 17 8 0 9 -35 44

10 Ospreys 16 9 0 7 -64 39

11 Lions 17 7 0 10 -52 37