BKT United Rugby Championship: Round 5 Highlights

There are now just two unbeaten teams in the BKT United Rugby Championship, as the DHL Stormers and Munster lead the way at the top of the table having both won all five of their matches so far.

Munster were pushed all the way in their interprovincial derby against Connacht, who were boosted by two first-half tries from Byron Ralston. However, the hosts prevailed 17-15 to maintain their winning form.

Flanker and captain Jack O’Donoghue was the man to claim the match-winning score, 12 minutes from time, in front of a Thomond Park crowd of 16,512.

There are only two unbeaten sides in the league because Richie Murphy’s Ulster side fell to their first defeat of the campaign as they lost 49-31 to the Lions in a 12-try thriller in Johannesburg,

That was despite a fine hat-trick from winger Robert Baloucoune, who helped the fifth-placed visitors pick up the consolation of a try-scoring bonus point.

Meanwhile, reigning champions Leinster registered a 50-26 bonus point victory at home to Zebre Parma, the game seeing recent debutant Josh Kenny and Alex Soroka score two tries each.

The league now takes a four-week break as the focus switches to the November internationals. Munster fans have next Saturday’s historic game against Argentina XV at Thomond Park to look forward to. Tickets are available to buy here.

Five-try Ulster were unable to complete an early season double on South African soil, but they still came home from the tour with six well-earned points and a number of players hitting form.

Leinster had six senior debutants on show, including Academy young guns Hugo McLaughlin, Alex Usanov, Caspar Gabriel. and Ciarán Mangan, as they pulled clear of Zebre Parma in the second half.

These provincial rivals shared out six tries in a bruising battle in Limerick, Connacht leading on two occasions but Munster, with Alex Nankivell the player-of-the-match, took the derby spoils for the second week running.