Connacht

Image source, Inpho

United Rugby Championship round four

Connacht (33) 48

Tries: Bealham, Jansen, Forde, Gilbert, Prendergast, West, Hefferman (2) Cons: Frawley (4), Gilbert

Zebre (17) 27

Tries: Ferrari, Botturi, Belloni, Ribaldi, Staville Cons: Montemauri

Connacht returned to winning ways in the United Rugby Championship with an eight-try 48-27 victory over Zebre at Dexcom Stadium.

Stuart Lancaster's side produced an impressive attacking display in the first half and scored five tries to lead 33-17 at the break.

The tempo of the game dropped after the restart with Zebre able to secure their first point of the season when they sealed a try bonus point.

The result means that Connacht move up to sixth position in the URC, while Zebre remain bottom.

Heffernan makes strong return

Zebre made a bright start to the game when flanker Giacomo Ferrari crossed on five minutes, but Giovanni Montemauri could not add the extras.

However, the home side responded emphatically with quick-fire tries from Finlay Bealham, Sean Jansen, Cathal Forde and Sam Gilbert in 15 minutes putting them in control.

The visitors continued to push with Jacopo Botturi able to cross to momentarily halt the home side's momentum.

Prendergast restored Connacht's lead before Mirko Belloni finished off a flowing attack to secure the visitors' third try before the break.

Dave Heffernan, who made his first start of the season since returning from injury, made an immediate impact and registered Connacht's sixth try on the hour mark.

West followed shortly afterwards to further strengthen the hosts' lead as the Irish province looked to build on their Champions Cup win last weekend.

The away side secured a bonus point when Giampietro Ribaldi powered over before Bautista Staville added a fifth try late on.

Connacht extended their lead in the closing seconds with Heffernan crossing from a close-range maul, but Sam Gilbert missed the conversion.

Line-ups

Connacht: Gilbert; Treacy, West, Forde, Hansen; Frawley, Reilly; Jansen, Byle, Prendergast, D Murray, N Murray, Bealham, de Buitlear, Cahir.

Replacements: Heffernan, Duggan, Illo, O'Connor, Connors, Blade, Naughton, Ryan.

Zebre: Belloni; Wade, Zanon, Casarin, Gesi; Montemauri, Fusco; Ruggeri, Botturi, Ferrari, Ortombina, Ruffolo, Hasa, Di Bartolomeo, Pelliccioli.

Replacements: Ribaldi, Pisani, Castellano, Canali, Stavile, Dominguez, Da Re, Migliori.

Referee: Hanru van Rooyen (SARU)

Issy Todd
BBC Sport NI contributor

Image source, Inpho

Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship

Connacht (10) 10

Tries: Heaney, Deely

Ulster (24) 29

Tries: McKinley, Clenaghan 2, Marley, Sheerin Cons: Moyles 2

Ulster completed their Women's Interprovincial Championship campaign on a high with a third place finish, following a strong 29-10 victory over Connacht at Dexcom Stadium in Galway.

After a narrow 15-10 defeat by the western province in the opening interpro in August, Murray Houston's side came out determined to rectify the result and two tries by Maebh Clenaghan in the first half, along with scores by Olivia McKinley and Niamh Marley, gave the visitors a strong lead at the break.

Connacht made a flying start when Aoife Heaney raced through multiple defenders to score after just a minute, following a quick pop pass from Anna McGann.

Ulster hit back almost immediately with McKinley crossing from close range after a patient spell of possession to get her second senior try with Abby Moyles adding the conversion.

Houston's side extended their lead through a powerful maul, with Maebh Clenaghan dotting down.

Connacht responded on 13 minutes through Maebh Deeley who missed her own conversion, but they would lose Ailish Quinn to the sin bin after a series of penalties.

Ulster took advantage as Maebh Clenaghan got over for her second try and following a superb 50:22 from Moyles, a fine move off the line-out resulted in Marley finishing to open a 24-10 lead at the break.

It was a scrappier second period with the only score coming five minutes from time as Sheerin collected a crossfield kick by Moyles to cement an impressive victory and a third-place finish for Ulster.

Connacht: Clara Barrett; Aoife Heaney, Anna McGann, Lyndsay Clarke, Clare Gorman; Meabh Deely, Aoibheann Reilly (co-capt); Ella Burns, Stacy Hanley, Lily Morris, Faith Oviawe, Poppy Garvey, Emma Kelly, Ailish Quinn (co-capt), Jemima Adams Verling.

Replacements: Kara Mulcahy, Evie Kennedy, Hannah Coen, Emma Fabby, Roisin Power, Emily Foley, Siofra Hession, Sarah Purcell.

Ulster: Ella Durkan; Katie Gilmour, Caitlin Crowe, Leah Irwin, Niamh Marley; Abby Moyles, Rachael McIlroy; Sarah Roberts, Maebh Clenaghan, Sadhbh McGrath, Fiona Tuite-O'Sullivan, Olivia McKinley, Moya Hill, Rebecca Beacom, Claire Boles (capt).

Replacements: Emily Whittle, Sophie Barrett, Ava Fannin, Ellen Patterson, Stacey Sloan, Georgia Boyce, Siobhan Sheerin, Rebecca Mann.

Image source, Inpho

Ireland's Mack Hansen will make his long-awaited return from injury in Connacht's pre-season friendly against RC Vannes in France on Friday evening.

The 28-year-old back has been sidelined since November with a foot problem which required surgery.

In addition to missing the second half of Connacht's 2025-26 season, Australia-born Hansen was forced to sit out Ireland's Six Nations campaign and last month's Nations Championship fixtures.

He has been named to start Friday's game at Stade de la Rabine at left wing in a team which also includes the returning Byron Ralston, who starts at centre in his first game since October.

Stuart Lancaster's side begin their United Rugby Championship campaign at home to Stormers on 25 September.

Image source, Inpho

Ulster will face Cheetahs, Perpignan, Dragons, Bayonnais and Zebre in pool one of the 2026-27 European Challenge Cup.

Richie Murphy's side lost this year's final against Montpellier and are back in the second-tier European competition after finishing ninth in the United Rugby Championship table.

They have been drawn against French opposition again in Top 14 sides Bayonnais and Perpignan, who finished 12th and 13th in the division.

The province will also come up against South African side Cheetahs, who they beat in the group stage last year, as well as familiar URC opposition in Italian side Zebre and Welsh team Dragons.

In the Champions Cup, this year's beaten finalists Leinster will be up against French sides Clermont Auvergne and Pau as well as English teams Leicester Tigers and Sale Sharks and fellow URC outfit Glasgow Warriors in Pool One.

Due to tournament rules, the URC champions will not play against Glasgow.

Connacht, who sneaked into the URC play-offs and qualified for the Champions Cup ahead of Ulster, have been handed a tough draw in Pool Two.

They will be up against Toulouse, Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle, Saracens, Exeter Chiefs and Lions, who they will not play.

Munster are in Pool Three and will take on back-to-back winners Bordeaux, Racing 92, English sides Bristol Bears and Gloucester and Stormers, who they won't face.

The pool stage of both the 2026-27 Champions Cup and Challenge Cup will see the introduction of try-scoring bonus points awarded only to teams who cross at least three more times than their opponents – rather than for simply scoring four or more tries.

There will also be a change in qualification criteria for the last-16 stage with only three teams from each of the four pools going through automatically, with the remaining four last-16 spots allocated on the basis of table points collected.

Champions Cup draw

Pool 1: Leinster, Glasgow, Pau, Sale, Leicester, Clermont

Pool 2: Toulouse, Lions, Saracens, La Rochelle, Exeter, Connacht

Pool 3: Bordeaux-Begles, Stormers, Racing 92, Munster, Bristol, Gloucester

Pool 4: Northampton, Bath, Cardiff, Montpellier, Stade Francais, Bulls

Challenge Cup draw

Pool 1: Cheetahs, Ulster, Perpignan, Dragons, Bayonne, Zebre

Pool 2: Treviso, Lyon, Newcastle, Sharks, Castres, Scarlets

Pool 3: Ospreys, Edinburgh, Black Lion, Harlequins, Toulon, Vannes

Image source, Getty Images

Connacht are boosted by the return of forwards Dylan Tierney-Martin and Darragh Murray for Friday's United Rugby Championship [URC] quarter-final away to Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun [19:45 BST].

The pair represent two of five changes made by coach Stuart Lancaster for the last eight clash with Tierney-Martin replacing Eoin de Buitléar at hooker, while Sam Illo sin place of Finlay Bealham at tight-head prop.

In the second row, Joe Joyce drops out to accommodate Murray's return, while Paul Boyle comes in for the injured Sean Jansen at number eight in a back row that also contains team captain Cian Prendergast and Shamus Hurley-Langton.

The sole change in the backs sees John Devine in for the injured Harry West at outside centre and will play alongside Bundee Aki.

The half-back partnership of Ben Murphy and Josh Ioane remains, as does the back three of wingers Shayne Bolton and Shane Jennings, plus full-back Sam Gilbert.

Dave Heffernan is fit again for a place on the bench, while Sean O'Brien is named as the back row replacement Hugh Gavin takes the place of the unavailable Jack Carty on the bench.

"This is exactly where we wanted to be at the start of the season, so credit must go to all the players for what they've displayed in the last few months to get us to this position," Lancaster said.

"Now we have to go out there and seize the opportunity. Glasgow are a formidable opponent especially away from home, with an array of talented players who are very well coached, but we are excited by the challenge ahead of us."

Connacht: Gilbert; Jennings, Devine, Aki, Bolton; Ioane, Murphy; Bohan, Tierney-Marti, Illo, Murphy, Murray, Prendergast (capt.), Hurley-Langton, Boyle.

Replacements: Heffernan, Dooley, Bealham, Joyce, O'Brien, Devine, Gavin, Naughton.