NEW YORK, NY – Round 2 of the United Rugby Championship (URC) this weekend, there were several exciting matches but you can’t write about the weekend without starting with the BIGGEST UPSET of the weekend:
Zensational Zebre Parma pulled off a historic upset against Munster, winning 42-33! This was Zebre’s first-ever win over the Cork men, marking a significant achievement for the perennial doormats of the league.
Standout Players:
- Geronimo Prisciantelli (Zebre) played a pivotal role, contributing crucial points in both halves.
- Gavin Coombes (Munster) scored two tries for his side but ultimately couldn’t prevent the loss.
The match saw Zebre come back from a deficit, showcasing resilience and skill to secure their famous victory.
Some Other Notables:
- Connacht made a stunning comeback against the Sharks, overturning a 20-point halftime deficit to win 36-30. Cathal Forde had a nice match for the Galway Gang.
- The Bulls defeated Edinburgh 22-16 in Pretoria, thanks to a strong performance by their forwards. The Scots will be ruing a missed opportunity for not winning a winnable match.
- The Lions secured a 35-22 victory over Ulster, delivering one of South Africa’s two wins this round.
- The Ospreys were able to beat back the Stormers, in a match some pundits didn’t see going that way.
Several Players Stood Out:
- Dave Heffernan (Connacht): Scored two critical tries in the comeback win against the Sharks.
- Tom Jordan (Glasgow Warriors) excelled by beating 7 defenders, showing his attacking prowess.
- Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors) and Francke Horn (Emirates Lions) were dominant in the lineout, each winning 8 lineouts.
- Sanele Nohamba (Emirates Lions) distributed effectively, making 74 passes.
Certain South African players were missing for their match vs the Pumas, including:
- Eben Etzebeth, who reached a significant milestone, becoming the most capped Springbok player.
- Pieter-Steph du Toit, Cheslin Kolbe, Frans Malherbe, Manie Libbok, Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche, Thomas du Toit, and Makazole Mapimpi, who were crucial in the front row and backs.
- Handré Pollard, who played a pivotal role in guiding the team.
- Salmaan Moerat (Captain) and Jasper Wiese, who provided strength in the loose forwards.
STAT OF THE DAY:
- Rory Darge (Glasgow) has 48 tackles. We like tacklers!
These players have been crucial to their teams’ successes, contributing significantly both in attack and defense in this early stage of the tournament. For more detailed stats, you can visit the United Rugby Championship statistics page
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