The BKT United Rugby Championship Finals Series begins this weekend with four quarter-finals across two days as the race for the title enters knockout territory. Connacht, Munster and defending champions Leinster are all in action, while three South African sides – the Bulls, Stormers and Lions – look to keep their campaigns alive on home soil or across the water in Dublin.
Top seeds Glasgow Warriors host an in-form Connacht at Scotstoun on Friday evening in what shapes as the most intriguing tie of the round, before a South African double-header on Saturday sees the Bulls welcome Munster to Loftus Versfeld and the Stormers host Cardiff at DHL Stadium in a rematch of the final regular-season fixture. The weekend concludes under the lights at the Aviva Stadium, where Leinster look to bounce back from their Investec Champions Cup final defeat by taking on the Lions.
Should all four home sides progress, the semi-final draw would see the Stormers travel to Dublin to face Leinster, while the Bulls would host Glasgow at Loftus Versfeld. However, upsets in Glasgow or Dublin would reshape the picture entirely, with the Bulls and Stormers eyeing home semi-finals should Connacht or the Lions spring surprises.
Glasgow Warriors v Connacht Rugby
Venue: Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
Kick-off: Friday, 29 May – 19:45 IRE & UK / 20:45 ITA & SA
Referee: Adam Jones (WRU, 51st league game)
Assistant Referees: Ben Breakspear (WRU), Craig Evans (WRU)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (WRU)
Form
Glasgow locked in the top seed in the playoffs with wins over Ulster and Cardiff in their final two games of the regular season and have been formidable at Scotstoun, losing only twice in the URC at this ground since the start of the 2023/24 season – to Ospreys in March 2025 and to the Bulls in April 2025. Their only home defeat this calendar year came against Toulon in the Champions Cup quarter-final in April.
Connacht, by contrast, are the competition’s form team, having won eight of their last nine URC games to snatch eighth place after claiming just two victories in the first half of the season. Stuart Lancaster’s side have transformed their campaign in the second half of the season to secure both a playoff spot and Champions Cup qualification for next season. However, history is firmly against the visitors – Connacht have lost on all nine of their previous visits to Scotstoun since the Warriors moved there in 2012, with their last away win against Glasgow coming at Firhill in 2010.
Team news
Glasgow welcome back Scotland second row Scott Cummings for his first appearance since January after recovering from a calf injury sustained during Scotland’s Six Nations win over France in March. The British and Irish Lions international replaces the injured Gregor Brown and adds significant experience and physicality to the Warriors’ engine room. Patrick Schickerling starts at loosehead having been rested for last weekend’s away win at Ulster, while Matt Fagerson and Rory Darge both return to the back row having also missed the trip to Belfast. Jamie Dobie remains unavailable. Kyle Steyn captains the side, with Sione Tuipulotu and Stafford McDowall forming a powerful midfield combination.
Connacht are boosted by the return of hooker Dylan Tierney-Martin and lock Darragh Murray, both of whom come back into the starting XV after recovering from injury. Cian Prendergast captains the side from the back row alongside Shamus Hurley-Langton and Paul Boyle, with Bundee Aki providing experience and physicality in the midfield. Josh Ioane continues at fly-half with Ben Murphy at scrum-half. The bench features a strong collection of finishers including the experienced trio of Dave Heffernan, Peter Dooley and Finlay Bealham in the front row.
Glasgow Warriors: 15 Josh McKay, 14 Kyle Steyn (CAPT), 13 Stafford McDowall, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Kyle Rowe, 10 Dan Lancaster, 9 George Horne; 1 Patrick Schickerling, 2 Johnny Matthews, 3 Zander Fagerson, 4 Scott Cummings, 5 Alex Samuel, 6 Matt Fagerson, 7 Rory Darge, 8 Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: 16 Gregor Hiddleston, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Sam Talakai, 19 Jare Oguntibeju, 20 Euan Ferrie, 21 Sione Vailanu, 22 Jack Oliver, 23 Ollie Smith.
Connacht Rugby: 15 Sam Gilbert, 14 Shane Jennings, 13 John Devine, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Shayne Bolton, 10 Josh Ioane, 9 Ben Murphy; 1 Billy Bohan, 2 Dylan Tierney-Martin, 3 Sam Illo, 4 Darragh Murray, 5 Josh Murphy, 6 Cian Prendergast (CAPT), 7 Shamus Hurley-Langton, 8 Paul Boyle.
Replacements: 16 Dave Heffernan, 17 Peter Dooley, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 Joe Joyce, 20 Sean O’Brien, 21 Matthew Devine, 22 Hugh Gavin, 23 Sean Naughton.
What they said
Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith said: “Connacht will present a strong challenge tomorrow evening. They have a well-drilled squad full of talent, and come here as one of the most in-form teams in the competition. We are pleased to welcome Scott back into our matchday 23 after his injury layoff – he has worked hard and worked closely with our medical and S&C teams to put himself in the best possible position ahead of his return. We know the difference that the Warrior Nation can make, and we look forward to hearing them get behind the team at Scotstoun as we kick off the playoffs tomorrow night.”
Connacht Rugby head coach Stuart Lancaster said: “This is exactly where we wanted to be at the start of the season, so credit must go to all the players for what they’ve displayed in recent months to get us to this position. Now we have to go out there and seize the opportunity. Glasgow are a formidable opponent especially away from home, with an array of talented players who are very well coached, but we are excited by the challenge ahead of us.”
Where to watch
Premier Sports, TG4, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
Vodacom Bulls v Munster Rugby
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: Saturday, 30 May – 12:00 IRE & UK / 13:00 ITA & SA
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR, 62nd league game)
Assistant Referees: Federico Vedovelli (FIR), Fillipo Russo (FIR)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
Form
The Bulls have been in remarkable form since recovering from a bruising mid-season wobble that saw them lose seven games in a row across all competitions. Johan Ackermann’s side have won nine of their last 10 URC games and come into the quarter-finals with a winning streak of six matches in the competition, having also lost just once in their last 10 games overall – that defeat coming against the Stormers in the home derby. Captain Marcell Coetzee has spoken about the backs-against-the-wall mentality that emerged from those difficult weeks, insisting the squad have been in knockout mode for some time already.
Munster’s season has been a story of inconsistency. Having started the campaign with five wins from five in the URC, the province somehow needed three wins from their final four games to secure a playoff spot and Champions Cup qualification. They arrive in Pretoria without Tadhg Beirne and Jack Crowley among a lengthy injury list, but know how to win at altitude, having done so in 2024. The head-to-head between these sides stands at 3–2 in the Bulls’ favour from five meetings, with the most recent being a gripping 34–31 thriller at Loftus Versfeld in March that the hosts shaded after Embrose Papier crossed for a brace. Both sides have been ever-present in the URC finals across all five seasons of the competition.
Team news
The Bulls have loaded up with power and pace for the knockout clash. Ruan Nortje returns to the engine room for what will be his 150th appearance for the franchise, replacing Cobus Wiese who drops to the bench. Kurt-Lee Arendse moves back to the right wing in place of Devon Williams, while Stravino Jacobs returns on the left wing for Sergeal Petersen. Captain Marcell Coetzee returns from a bout of flu to take his place in the back row alongside Cameron Hanekom and Elrigh Louw, with Jeandre Rudolph moving to an impact role from the bench. Handre Pollard and Embrose Papier form the halfback pairing, with Willie le Roux at full-back. The bench is formidable, featuring Springboks Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Wiese among the forwards.
Munster have made just one change from the side that faced the Lions in their final regular-season fixture, with Alex Nankivell returning to the starting XV after his late withdrawal from that game. Craig Casey again captains the side from scrum-half, with JJ Hanrahan at fly-half in the continued absence of Jack Crowley. Tom Ahern and Evan O’Connell form the second-row partnership in the absence of Tadhg Beirne, while the back row of Jack O’Donoghue, John Hodnett and Brian Gleeson offers a blend of experience and dynamism. Fineen Wycherley is set to reach 150 Munster appearances if called upon from the bench.
Vodacom Bulls: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Embrose Papier; 1 Gerhard Steenekamp, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 3 Wilco Louw, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 5 Ruan Nortje, 6 Marcell Coetzee (CAPT), 7 Elrigh Louw, 8 Cameron Hanekom.
Replacements: 16 Marco van Staden, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Jeandre Rudolph, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Stedman Gans, 23 Sergeal Petersen.
Munster Rugby: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Andrew Smith, 13 Alex Nankivell, 12 Seán O’Brien, 11 Shane Daly, 10 JJ Hanrahan, 9 Craig Casey (CAPT); 1 Jeremy Loughman, 2 Niall Scannell, 3 Michael Ala’alatoa, 4 Tom Ahern, 5 Evan O’Connell, 6 Jack O’Donoghue, 7 John Hodnett, 8 Brian Gleeson.
Replacements: 16 Diarmuid Barron, 17 Josh Wycherley, 18 Conor Bartley, 19 Fineen Wycherley, 20 Gavin Coombes, 21 Ben O’Donovan, 22 Dan Kelly, 23 Alex Kendellen.
What they said
Vodacom Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann said: “We’re looking forward to playing in front of our home crowd. We have tremendous respect for Munster, a team that has shown its pedigree and were champions two seasons ago. They have a rich history and a proud culture. We are privileged to be in the quarter-finals, and will hopefully put in a good performance.”
Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee added: “If you take me through the season, we were under pressure, and it kind of forced us to be in a knockout rugby mindset every week. So I think we got used to that pressure now, knowing what the task is at hand. They’ll always stay in the fight until the last minute. Munster in particular, they’ve got ways to break you down and disrupt your rhythm. We just have to counter that this weekend.”
Where to watch
SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
DHL Stormers v Cardiff Rugby
Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Kick-off: Saturday, 30 May – 14:30 IRE & UK / 15:30 ITA & SA
Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU, 40th league game)
Assistant Referees: Andrew Brace (IRFU), Andrew Cole (IRFU)
TMO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)
Form
The Stormers enter the quarter-finals under pressure after an inconsistent run of form that saw them slip from a potential top-two finish to third place. John Dobson’s side started the season brilliantly and were unbeaten through early January, but have since won just one of their last five games – a run that includes a draw with Ulster, defeats to Connacht and Cardiff, and two losses to the Sharks. Their most recent outing, a 22–16 defeat to Cardiff at the Arms Park two weeks ago, was particularly chastening. However, the Stormers have been formidable at DHL Stadium this campaign, suffering only two home defeats, and have won both of their previous home quarter-finals in 2022 and 2023.
Cardiff arrive in Cape Town having achieved something few predicted at the start of the season. This is their first time making the playoffs of any iteration of this competition since 2002/03, made all the more remarkable given head coach Matt Sherratt departed a week before the season started, with Corniel van Zyl stepping up from forwards coach. The Welsh side won 11 of 18 URC games and never dropped out of the top eight all season, with their home form at Cardiff Arms Park the foundation – 10 wins from 11 in all competitions. Their weakness has been on the road, with just one URC win outside Wales all season, at Zebre in November. Still, they arrive with the confidence of that victory over the Stormers fresh in the memory.
Team news
The Stormers are boosted by the return of several key players. Regular captain Ruhan Nel returns from injury to lead the side from inside centre, while the pacy Seabelo Senatla is back on the right wing. Both full-back Damian Willemse and wing Leolin Zas were doubts after a collision in training on Wednesday but have been declared fit to start. Up front, the pack that dominated the scrum against Cardiff is retained, with the changes coming on the bench where Vernon Matongo, whom Dobson expects to become a top Springbok, returns from injury, and Ruan Ackermann – son of Bulls head coach Johan – is available for the first time since his influential display in the narrow win over the Bulls in early January. Salmaan Moerat also returns to the bench and could be playing his last home game as a Stormer before departing for La Rochelle. Lock Ruben van Heerden, also heading to France, starts in what could be his DHL Stadium swan song.
Cardiff make four changes to the side that beat the Stormers in the Arms Park. Josh Adams returns to fitness and takes his place on the left wing, while influential lock Josh McNally comes into the second row. Props Rhys Barratt and Keiron Assiratti are introduced in the front row, with Liam Belcher captaining the side from hooker. The coaches opt for six forwards on the bench. Wales flanker Alex Mann and wing Mason Grady were considered for selection after returning from injury but neither features in the matchday 23.
DHL Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruhan Nel (CAPT), 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Imad Khan; 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 3 Neethling Fouché, 4 Adré Smith, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 6 Paul de Villiers, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 8 Evan Roos.
Replacements: 16 JJ Kotzé, 17 Vernon Matongo, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Salmaan Moerat, 20 Ruan Ackermann, 21 Marcel Theunissen, 22 Stefan Ungerer, 23 Jurie Matthee.
Cardiff Rugby: 15 Cam Winnett, 14 Jacob Beetham, 13 Ben Thomas, 12 Rory Jennings, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Ioan Lloyd, 9 Johan Mulder; 1 Rhys Barratt, 2 Liam Belcher (CAPT), 3 Keiron Assiratti, 4 Josh McNally, 5 Rory Thornton, 6 James Botham, 7 Dan Thomas, 8 Taine Basham.
Replacements: 16 Daf Hughes, 17 Danny Southworth, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 George Nott, 20 Alun Lawrence, 21 Evan Lloyd, 22 Ellis Bevan, 23 Tom Bowen.
What they said
DHL Stormers director of rugby John Dobson said: “Absolutely, this is a game that we need to show our true colours. We started off the season really well but this game will determine if we are still the team that was so good in the early part of the season or whether we have a lot of work to do to set things right before the next season starts. This calendar year, since the Bulls game in early January, we have been inconsistent and it has understandably led to questions about our game and how we are tracking.”
Stormers captain Ruhan Nel warned against complacency: “If there’s any sort of comfort or relaxation because they’re coming to our turf, it’s a given win for us – that’s completely the wrong mentality. They beat us fair and square, not because of the pitch but because we were outplayed, and we are fully aware of the danger that Cardiff bring and how good they are.”
Cardiff Rugby coach Corniel van Zyl said: “The pressure was on us last time out at Cardiff Arms Park, but I think that has obviously shifted back onto them a little now. If we can start well and apply pressure through what we do best – scoring points – then we can put them under pressure. That is ultimately the only way we can impose ourselves on them.”
Cardiff wing Josh Adams added: “We haven’t just crept into these play-offs, let’s be straight. We finished sixth and didn’t drop out of the top eight all season. We have finished sixth with all the uncertainty in Welsh rugby over the past 12 months – or longer – and how we have kept our focus and been disciplined in what we want to achieve has been excellent.”
Where to watch
SuperSport, S4C, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
Leinster Rugby v Fidelity SecureDrive Lions
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Kick-off: Saturday, 30 May – 20:00 IRE & UK / 21:00 ITA & SA
Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU, 63rd league game)
Assistant Referees: Hollie Davidson (SRU), Ru Campbell (SRU)
TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
Form
Leinster’s quarter-final arrives just one week after their Investec Champions Cup final defeat to Bordeaux-Béglès, a heavy 41–19 loss that extended their agonising run to five European final defeats in six years. Leo Cullen’s side are now chasing the URC title as the one piece of silverware that can salvage a season of near-misses. Despite that European setback, Leinster’s domestic record has been strong – they finished second in the regular season, have won all five of their previous URC quarter-final appearances, and are making their eleventh successive appearance in the competition’s playoffs. They have not lost at the Aviva Stadium this season.
The Lions are making their first-ever URC playoff appearance at the fifth time of asking, a landmark moment for Ivan van Rooyen’s side. The Johannesburgers have remained in Ireland since the conclusion of the regular season to maximise preparation time for this clash. While the Lions have scored 17 more points than Leinster across their 18 regular-season matches, they face one of the strongest defensive units in the competition. Their recent record in Ireland is sobering – the Lions have won just once in their previous 10 games on Irish soil, that coming at Connacht in 2024, and they were beaten 31–7 by Leinster in their Round 17 meeting just three weeks ago. The loss of key players Morne van den Berg (bicep), Ruan Venter (knee) and Asenathi Ntlabakanye (doping ban) weakens their squad significantly.
Team news
Leinster name a formidable side. James Lowe starts on the left wing and is set to earn his 100th Leinster cap, currently level with Shane Horgan on 69 tries for the province’s all-time try-scoring record. Hugo Keenan is at full-back, with Jimmy O’Brien and Rieko Ioane on the right wing and outside centre respectively, and Jamie Osborne at inside centre. Sam Prendergast continues at fly-half with Luke McGrath at scrum-half. The pack is near full strength with Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong in the front row, Joe McCarthy and James Ryan in the second row, and a back row of Max Deegan, Scott Penny and captain Caelan Doris. The bench is laden with internationals including Josh van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Harry Byrne and Robbie Henshaw.
The Lions received a significant boost with captain Francke Horn and centre Henco van Wyk both declared fit after injury concerns following the loss to Munster. Richard Kriel has also been cleared through his return-to-play protocols after suffering a concussion. With Morne van den Berg out, Nico Steyn starts at scrum-half with World Junior Player of the Year Haashim Pead on the bench. Erich Cronje comes in on the wing. JC Pretorius will bring up 50 caps for the Lions if called upon from the bench. The rest of the squad is unchanged from the Munster defeat.
Leinster Rugby: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Jimmy O’Brien, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jamie Osborne, 11 James Lowe, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Luke McGrath; 1 Andrew Porter, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Joe McCarthy, 5 James Ryan, 6 Max Deegan, 7 Scott Penny, 8 Caelan Doris (CAPT).
Replacements: 16 Gus McCarthy, 17 Alex Usanov, 18 Thomas Clarkson, 19 Diarmuid Mangan, 20 Josh van der Flier, 21 Jamison Gibson-Park, 22 Harry Byrne, 23 Robbie Henshaw.
Fidelity SecureDrive Lions: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Richard Kriel, 11 Erich Cronje, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Nico Steyn; 1 SJ Kotze, 2 PJ Botha, 3 Sebastian Lombard, 4 Reinhard Nothnagel, 5 Darrien Landsberg, 6 Siba Mahashe, 7 Batho Hlekani, 8 Francke Horn (CAPT).
Replacements: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Eddie Davids, 18 RF Schoeman, 19 Ruan Delport, 20 Siba Qoma, 21 JC Pretorius, 22 Rynhardt Jonker, 23 Haashim Pead.
What they said
Leinster prop Andrew Porter said: “We’re incredibly lucky that we still have something to play for. We’re throwing everything into this weekend and there’s still a trophy to be won. We’re leaving no stone unturned this week. We want to have something to celebrate, that’s what we’re chasing. We’re chasing the URC trophy now and we have to throw everything into it.”
Lions flanker JC Pretorius, set for his 50th cap, said: “For me it is an honour and a privilege to get my 50th cap. Coming from Sevens I never thought I would get here and it actually arrived very quickly. I think Bordeaux made 250 tackles – that’s how you put teams under pressure. They like to play quick rugby so we need to be making the right choices at the right time and not going into a bad trap of getting stuck in the breakdown when the defence needs you.”
Where to watch
TG4, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
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