Munster's John Hodnett receives URC tackle award

TACKLE MACHINE: John Hodnett during a Munster rugby training session. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady

Munster’s John Hodnett was crowned the United Rugby Championship’s Tackle Machine on Wednesday.

The award is given to the player who boasts the best tackle success rate among those who have attempted 150 or more over the course of the campaign with the openside flanker from West Cork making 151 at a success rate of 96 per cent.

The 24-year-old edged out Cardiff’s Tom Young, who made the second-highest number of tackles in the BKT URC this season with 199, and Ulster’s Nick Timoney, both of whom had 95 per cent completion rates.

Young does not go empty-handed having been named the URC’s Turnover King, the award being decided by a “jackal decider” after the Cardiff man tied on 17 with the Bulls’ Marco van Staden.

Young edged the decision by out-jackalling van Staden 7-6.

Ulster hooker Tom Stewart was on Tuesday named OFX Top Try Scorer with 16 regular season tries for the league runners-up. The URC’s other awards are set to be announced in the coming weeks.