Connacht

Richard Petrie
BBC Sport NI Journalist

Image source, Inpho

United Rugby Championship round 16

Lions (21) 33

Tries: Davids, Van Wyk 2, Mahashe, Cronje Cons: Smith 4

Connacht (0) 21

Tries: MDevine 2, Boyle Cons: Naughton, Gilbert 2

The Lions boosted their hopes of making the United Rugby Championship's end-of-season play-offs and simultaneously dealt a blow to Connacht's ambitions with a bonus-point 33-21 victory over the Irish province at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The South African side scored five tries to their opponents' three in Johannesburg and will aim to advance to the last eight knockout stages with home advantage as the competition moves into the final two rounds of regular fixtures.

The defeat brought to an end a run of six URC wins in a row for Connacht.

The Lions took the lead in the fifth minute when wing Angelo Davids had the relatively simple task of dotting down in the corner unchallenged after the hosts had moved the ball quickly through the hands and stretched the Connacht defence.

Centre Henco Van Wyk showed a superb turn of pace to race clear and score soon after the midway point of the half and then Siba Mahashe put the finishing touch to another flowing move by diving over in the corner on the stroke of half-time.

Erich Cronje touched down to complete another clinical build-up soon after the interval but Matthew Devine replied for the visitors when he gathered possession and burst over from close range.

Van Wyk rounded off some more slick ball handling with try number five for his side but Stuart Lancaster's team finished strongly, albeit too late to have a chance to salvage any points.

After Shayne Bolton's score was ruled out after consultation with the television match official [TMO] for a knock-on in the build-up, Devine skipped in under the posts for his second try and then Paul Boyle touched down for a score in the dying seconds.

The Lions face testing trips to Leinster and Munster in their final two matches of the regular URC campaign, with Connacht at home to Munster and away to Edinburgh.

Lions: Horn; Davids, Van Wyk, Kriel, Cronje; Smith, Van den Berg;Kotze, Botha, Ntlabakanye; Venter, Landsberg; Mahashe, Hlekani, Horn

Replacements: Brandon, Davids, Lombard, Nothnagel, Qoma, Pretorious, Steyn, Mpeku.

Connacht: Gilbert; West, J Devine, Gavin, Jennings; Carty, Reilly; Dooley, Tierney-Martin, Aungier; Murray, Joyce; Prendergast (capt), Hurley-Langton, Boyle.

Replacements: Victory, Bohan, Barrett, Murray, Jansen, M Devine, SNaughton, Bolton.

Lauren McCann
BBC Sport NI Journalist

Image source, Inpho

European Challenge Cup quarter-final

Montpellier (26) 45

Tries: Penalty try, Tolofua, Haouas, Miotti, Cadot, Price, Welsch, Cons: Miotti (2), Vincent (2)

Connacht (8) 22

Tries: Tierney-Martin, Naughton, Aungier Cons: Gilbert (2) Pens: Gilbert

Montpellier ended Connacht's six-game winning run as they picked up a 45-22 victory at the Septeo Stadium to progress to the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup.

Stuart Lancaster's side trailed 26-8 at the break in France with ill-discipline contributing to the deficit as Connacht received three yellow cards in the first half.

Montpellier capitalised by scoring four first-half tries and they added three in the second period to ease to victory.

They will now face the winner of the quarter-final between Zebre and Dragons in the last four in May.

Montpellier too strong for Connacht

Image source, Inpho

Sam Gilbert kicked an early penalty to put Connacht ahead on three minutes before Montpellier hit back when they were awarded a penalty try three minutes later following a five-metre maul.

Things went from bad to worse to Connacht when they were reduced to 13 men for a spell as both Dylan Tierney-Martin and Shamus Hurley-Langton were shown yellow cards.

Montpellier took full advantage and added a second try on 14 minutes through Christopher Tolofua.

Returning to full complement, Connacht battled back and reduced the deficit when Tierney-Martin finished off a free-flowing move in the corner.

Mohamed Haouas and Domingo Miotti then crossed before the break with Shayne Bolton also shown a yellow card for Connacht, as Montpellier went in with a comfortable half-time lead.

Sean Naughton then cut the gap for Lancaster's side soon after the restart as he crossed under the posts, but again Montpellier responded to re-establish their healthy advantage.

Auguste Cadot scored the pick of the tries for the hosts on 52 minutes as he weaved his way through a number of challenges before racing over with Ali Price adding a sixth by diving over the line from close range to all but secure the win.

Jack Aungier scored a late consolation try for Connacht before Valentin Welsch rounded off the scoring with a last-minute score for Montpellier.

Montpellier: Banks; Taofifenua, Cadot, Anyanwu, Echegaray; Miotti, Price; Erdocio, Tolofua, Haouas, Verhaeghe, DuGuid; Camara, Becognee, Vunipola (capt)

Replacements: Akrab, Forletta, Welsch, Tauleigne, Nouchi, Rates, T Vincent, A Vincent

Connacht: Gilbert; Bolton, Forde, Aki, Mullins; Naughton, M Devine; Bohan, Tierney-Martin, Illo; Joyce, Murray; Prendergast (c), Hurley-Langton, Boyle

Replacements: Victory, Dooley, Aungier, J Murphy, O'Brien, B Murphy, Carty, J Devine

Image source, Getty Images

Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth will make his first start since serving a 12-week ban for an eye gouge against Wales in November 2025.

The 34-year-old, who has won 141 caps for South Africa and is their most-capped Test international of all time, has been included in the Sharks team to face Connacht in the Challenge Cup round of 16 on Friday (20:00 BST).

The two-time World Cup winner was shown a straight red card in the 79th minute after making contact with the eye of Wales' Alex Mann in their thumping 73-0 win in Cardiff and was subsequently banned for three months.

He is one of seven Springboks to make the trip to Galway for the knock-out match as Sharks head coach JP Pietersen brings a relatively understrength side to the west of Ireland with captain Andre Esterhuizen, Siya Kolisi and Grant Williams among those not in the squad.

Connacht welcome back captain Cian Prendergast to their starting line-up as head coach Stuart Lancaster makes seven changes to the side following their 21-14 defeat to Ospreys last week.

The 26-year-old is joined by fellow Irish internationals Bundee Aki and Darragh Murray in the starting line-up with Finlay Bealham named in the replacements.

After missing their last two matches, full-back Sam Gilbert returns with Chay Mullins coming in on the wing, and Matthew Devine gets the nod at scrum-half as Ben Murphy drops out of the matchday squad altogether.

Sharks are unbeaten in their last two URC games, recording wins over Cardiff and Munster, but have only won six matches in the league this season while Connacht are on a winning run of five matches as they make a late dash for a play-off spot.

Stuart Lancaster's side also hold the upper hand on Sharks, having won four of their last five meetings.

Connacht: Gilbert; Jennings, Forde, Aki, Mullins; Ioane, Devine; Bohan, Heffernan, Illo; Joyce, Murray; Murphy, Hurley-Langton, Prendergast (capt)

Replacements: Tierney-Martin, Dooley, Bealham, Murray, Boyle, Reilly, Naughton, Devine.

Sharks: Kunene; van der Merwe, Malan, Potgieter, Mapimpi; Smith, Braude; Nche, Swart, Koch; Etzebeth, Slabbert; Mavesere, Potgieter, Hatton (c).

Replacements: Bester, Mazibuko, Mdanda, Rahl, Tshituka, Everson, Masuku, Hooker.

Image source, Inpho

Jacob Stockdale has been named at outside centre for Ulster's United Rugby Championship game against Connacht at Affidea Stadium as one of several Ireland squad members named in head coach Richie Murphy's matchday squad.

With Stuart McCloskey unavailable after playing a major part in Ireland's Six Nations campaign, and James Hume and Jude Postlethwaite both injured, Stockdale finds himself called into action in midfield as he is handed the number 13 short.

The 29-year-old, more customarily deployed on the wing or occasionally at full-back, will be joined at centre by Ben Carson.

Stockdale's only previous appearance at centre came in Ulster's comprehensive 68-21 win over Zebre in March 2017.

Hooker Tom Stewart and captain Iain Henderson return to the starting team, while tight-head prop Tom O'Toole is named as a replacement.

Nathan Doak returns at scrum-half to partner Jack Murphy, with Michael Lowry at full-back and Werner Kok and Zac Ward on the wings.

Props Angus Bell and Scott Wilson complete the front row, with Joe Hopes partnering Henderson in the second row.

David McCann returns at blind-side flanker, with Marcus Rea coming in instead of Bryn Ward at open-side and Juarno Augustus remaining at number eight.

Ireland wing Robert Baloucoune is a long-term absentee with an elbow problem, while Cormac Izuchukwu, Hume and Dave Shanahan are all missing after sustaining concussions in last week's win over Edinburgh.

Jake Flannery is also injured, while Harry Sheridan is serving a suspension.

For Connacht, Bundee Aki is one of five Ireland squad members who are drafted into the starting XV as head coach Stuart Lancaster makes a total of nine personnel changes to the starting team which began last week's win over Scarlets.

Skipper Cian Prendergast, Finlay Bealham, Darragh Murray and Billy Bohan come into the side after being involved with Ireland.

Dave Heffernan makes his comeback from injury at hooker.

Ulster sit third in the URC table, with Connacht lying ninth in the standings.

Ulster: Lowry; Kok, Stockdale, Carson, Z Ward; Murphy, Doak; Bell, Stewart, Wilson; Henderson (capt), Hopes; McCann, Rea, Augustus.

Replacements: Herring, Crean, O'Toole, Dalton, B Ward, McKee, Scott, McIlroy.

Connacht: Naughton; Jennings, Forde, Aki, Treacy; Carty, Reilly; Bohan, Heffernan, Bealham; Joyce, D Murray; J Murphy, Prendergast (capt), Jansen.

Replacements: Victory, Dooley, Illo, Murray, Boyle, B Murphy, Ioane, Devine.

Image source, Getty Images

Bundee Aki has returned to the Ireland squad for Friday's Six Nations game against Wales in Dublin (20:10 GMT), while Leinster pair Jimmy O'Brien and Robbie Henshaw are also back in contention.

Aki was handed a four-match ban in January for "verbal abuse and disrespect" towards match officials in Connacht's United Rugby Championship (URC) loss to Leinster in January.

That kept the 35-year-old out of his province's URC game against Leinster and Ireland's first three games in the Six Nations, but is now back with the squad.

O'Brien has also linked up with the squad and Henshaw is expected to return early this week after they both played the full 80 minutes in Leinster's 8-7 URC defeat by Cardiff on Friday.

Both were left out of Andy Farrell's initial 37-man squad for the Six Nations because of injury, but their return will bolster Ireland's options with James Lowe ruled out for the remainder of the tournament with a groin injury.

Fly-half Harry Byrne suffered a concussion in Leinster's defeat on Friday and is out, while Cormac Izuchukwu continues his graduated return to play protocols and will join the squad alongside the other nine players who have also returned to camp.

Farrell will name his team on Wednesday afternoon.

Image source, Getty Images

Connacht scrum-half Matthew Devine will make the switch to Ulster at the end of the current season.

The 23-year-old will arrive on a one-year contract and reunites with Ulster head coach Richie Murphy who he played under when Ireland U20s won the 2022 Six Nations Grand Slam

Devine, who also worked with Ulster assistant coach Mark Sexton during his spell with the western province, has scored three tries this season for Connacht after graduating from the province's academy system.

"I'm delighted to sign with Ulster Rugby and can't wait to make the move up north," Devine said.

"It's a brilliant opportunity for me to join a team who are making great strides forward and playing some of the most exciting, attacking rugby in the URC.

"Having worked with the coaching staff before with the U20s, I have a great relationship with them, and I feel their style suits my game. I'm looking forward to meeting my new teammates and the Ulster supporters."

Devine will bolster Murphy's options at scrum-half with Ulster Rugby general manager Rory Best delighted to secure the services of the Ballinasloe native.

"We feel we have secured one of the most talented young scrum-halves in Ireland, who has a strong desire to kick on in his career and develop with his high potential,"Best said.

"He will add strong competition to our scrum half positions moving forward."