STAT ATTACK – United Rugby Championship Semi-Final – Stormers v Connacht

DHL STORMERS v CONNACHT

At DHL Stadium, Cape Town, 4pm.                                 

Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU, 72^nd competition game, 3^rd semi-final)

Assistant: Sam Grove-White, Hollie Davidson (both SRU)

TMO: Ben Blain (SRU)

HEAD-TO-HEAD – RECENT URC MEETINGS

Date	Venue	S	C	Stormers scorers	Connacht scorers
Sat 26 Feb 22	Sportsground	17	19	Manie Libbok(T/C) Sergeal Petersen(T) Damian Willemse(T)	Tom Daly(T) Paul Boyle(T) Peter Sullivan(T) Conor Fitzgerald(2C)
Sat 24 Sep 22	Danie Craven Stadium	38	15	Manie Libbok(3C/4P) Marcel Theunissen(T) Hacjivah Dayimani(T) Andre-Hugo Venter(T) Evan Roos(T)	Dylan Tierney-Martin(T) David Hawkshaw(C) Jack Aungier(T) Conor Fitzgerald(P)

Overall URC head-to-head record:

Played 2, Stormers won 1, Connacht won 1.

Did you know?

• Defending Vodacom United Rugby Championship champions, Stormers have won their last two matches since Munster beat them 26-24 at DHL Stadium in Round 17.  This is the only home defeat for the Stormers since Emirates Lions won in Cape Town in December 2021.
• DHL Stormers have not beaten an Irish province since a 38-15 win over today’s opponents, Connacht, at Stellenbosch last September.
• Connacht have played in just one previous BKT United Rugby Championship semi-final match, beating Glasgow Warriors 16-11 in Galway in 2016.
• Connacht have won three of their last four away games in the Championship.
• The Irishmen have won their last two matches against South African opponents but both matches were played at the Sportsground.
• Connacht’s most recent win in South Africa was in April 2022 on a visit to Emirate Lions.
• The two sides have met just twice before with the home team winning on each occasion.

COMPARISON	Stormers	Connacht
Last 3 URC results:	15 Apr – Munster (H) L 24-26	15 Apr – Cardiff Rugby (H) W 38-19
	21 Apr – Benetton (H) W 38-22	22 Apr – Glasgow (A) L 27-29
	6 May – Bulls (H) W 33-21	5 May – Ulster (A) W 15-10
URC 2022/23	3rd – W12 D2 L4 – 68pts	7th – W10 D0 L8 – 50pts
URC form	wwWdLW (23pts)	WwwWWl (25pts)
Top try scorer	6 – Clayton Blommetjies	11 – Caolin Blade
Top points scorer	185 – Manie Libbok	100 – Jack Carty