URC semi-finals: The facts, stats and data that matter

It’s semi-finals time in the United Rugby Championship with the Stormers taking on Connacht, while Leinster host Munster.

Thanks to statistics provider, Oval Rugby, and supported by historic information from Stuart Farmer Media Services (SFMS), the URC are able to provide some good insights into this Saturday’s matchups in Cape Town and Dublin.

Here then are some of the key findings ahead of the semi-finals.

Stormers v Connacht

Stormers:

• Manie Libbok scored more points than any other player in the quarter-finals, a total of 18. His tally of 185 this season is the highest in the URC. He has also made more try assists than any other player (11).

• The Stormers have the highest rate of gainline success in the competition (58.2%). They have also thrown more offloads than any other team (213).

• The Stormers back row has scored more tries than any other this season, a total of 22. They have scored as many first phase tries as any other team (32).

Connacht:

• Conor Oliver has made more tackles than any other player this season (234). His tackle success rate is 91%.

• Jack Carty has made the most kicks in play in the competition, a total of 188 and an average of 14 per 80 minutes. He has made 3,290 more kicking metres than his nearest competitor, Manie Libbok.

• Connacht have the highest rate of collision dominance in the carry in the URC (26%). However, their rate of tackle dominance is the second-lowest (3.5%) and they have conceded more metres in contact than any other team (2,018).

Did you know?

The Stormers and Connacht have only met twice in the URC; the home team has won on both occasions.

The Stormers have lost just one of their last 21 home matches in the league, against Munster in Round 17.

Connacht have won seven of their last eight URC matches.

Leinster v Munster

Leinster:

• Leinster’s Harry Byrne and Dave Kearney were the only players who assisted tries with kicks in the quarter-finals.

• Hugo Keenan made more metres than any other player in the quarter-finals, a total of 86. He also beat four defenders and made a clean break.

• Leinster have scored more tries than any other team (89). The 16 tries they’ve scored from tap penalties are 10 more than any other team has managed.

Munster:

• Gavin Coombes made the most carries in the quarter-finals (23). He is second in the competition for metres in contact, having made 206 so far this season.

• Playing 74 minutes off the bench, John Hodnett made 21 tackles last weekend, second only to Matt Fagerson (24). Hodnett has made the second-most low tackles in the URC (96).

• Munster have made more carries per 80 minutes than any other team this season, an average of 128.

Did you know?

Leinster have won all but one of their last 11 matches against Munster; they are on a four-match winning streak in this fixture.

Leinster have won just two of their last four league matches. Over these fixtures, their cumulative points difference is -22.

Munster have also won just two of their last four league matches with a points difference of -1.