Round 17 of the 2025 United Rugby Championship delivered high-stakes action across the league, with playoff implications on the line in nearly every match.
Leinster secured the top seed in emphatic fashion, Munster and the Bulls flexed their form ahead of the knockout rounds, and Scarlets made history with a huge win in Johannesburg. Meanwhile, Glasgow, Ulster, and Connacht suffered major setbacks as the playoff picture began to take final shape.
- Sharks 29 – 10 Ospreys
- Munster 38 – 20 Ulster
- Vodacom Bulls 45 – 21 Cardiff Rugby
- Benetton 33 – 7 Glasgow Warriors
- DHL Stormers 48 – 12 Dragons
- Leinster 76 – 5 Zebre Parma
- Connacht 21 – 31 Edinburgh
- Emirates Lions 19 – 32 Scarlets
Here are all the results, recaps, and key highlights from URC Round 17:
SHARKS DOMINATE OSPREYS TO SECURE HOME QUARTER-FINAL DESPITE ETZEBETH INJURY
Sharks 29 – 10 Ospreys (HT: 14–3)
The Hollywoodbets Sharks clinched a vital bonus-point win with a 29–10 victory over the Ospreys in Durban, locking in home advantage for the United Rugby Championship quarter-finals. The result all but ends the Welsh side’s playoff hopes, with other weekend results likely to seal their fate. Sharks flexed their muscle early through dominant set-piece and physicality, with Jason Jenkins and Andre Esterhuizen powering over for first-half tries. Jaden Hendrikse was at the heart of both, controlling the tempo and delivering a beautifully delayed pass for Esterhuizen’s finish. Dan Edwards slotted an early penalty for the visitors, but despite several promising line breaks and a disallowed solo try from Kieran Hardy, the Ospreys trailed 14–3 at the break. After halftime, a dropped high ball and smart kick from Hendrikse led to an opportunistic score for Ethan Hooker, before replacement hooker Sam Parry brought Ospreys within range by finishing a classic rolling maul. But any hopes of a comeback were dashed late on when Makazole Mapimpi broke free and offloaded to Phepsi Buthelezi, who sealed the bonus point. A sour note for the Sharks came with the injury to Eben Etzebeth, who left the field on a medical cart with a suspected knee issue.
SHARKS
- Tries: Jenkins (9’), Esterhuizen (32’), Hooker (50’), Buthelezi (64’)
- Conversions: Masuku (10’, 51’), Fassi (33’)
- Penalties: Masuku (80’)
OSPREYS
- Tries: Parry (59’)
- Conversions: Edwards (60’)
- Penalties: Edwards (1’)
MUNSTER RUN IN SIX TRIES TO CRUSH ULSTER’S PLAYOFF HOPES AT THOMOND PARK
Munster 38 – 20 Ulster (HT: 24–20)
Munster put on a clinical display in Limerick, scoring six tries to overpower Ulster 38–20 and deliver a crushing blow to their Irish rivals’ United Rugby Championship playoff ambitions. Tom Farrell crossed twice while Peter O’Mahony marked what may be his final Thomond Park appearance with a try in a rousing second-half performance that shut out the visitors. Ulster had started brightly, with Stuart McCloskey finishing off a clever offload from Iain Henderson to open the scoring in the fifth minute. But Michael Milne replied shortly after, crashing over from close range, and Scott Wilson’s yellow card put the visitors on the back foot. Tom Farrell, Tadhg Beirne, and Niall Scannell all touched down before the break, with Beirne charging down a clearance to score and Scannell finishing from a rolling maul to secure the bonus point before halftime. Ulster stayed in touch through Jude Postlethwaite’s well-taken try and two penalties from Jack Murphy, but they failed to add any points in the second half for the second week in a row. With McCloskey sin-binned in the 54th minute, Munster capitalized immediately as Farrell darted through a gap for his second. The final try came from O’Mahony, who soared above the defense to collect Jack Crowley’s crosskick and score—his final act before being replaced to a standing ovation. The win lifts Munster to fifth in the table, while Ulster’s playoff hopes hang by a thread, needing a miracle on the final weekend.
MUNSTER
- Tries: Milne (12’), Farrell (23’, 54’), Beirne (27’), Scannell (34’), O’Mahony (58’)
- Conversions: Crowley (28’, 35’, 55’, 59’)
ULSTER
- Tries: McCloskey (5’), Postlethwaite (25’)
- Conversions: Murphy (6’, 26’)
- Penalties: Murphy (17’, 40’)
BULLS BLITZ CARDIFF AS LATE COMEBACK FALLS SHORT IN PRETORIA
Vodacom Bulls 45 – 21 Cardiff Rugby (HT: 31–0)
The Vodacom Bulls delivered a dominant performance at Loftus Versfeld, racing into a 45–7 lead before a late Cardiff rally fell short, leaving the Welsh region empty-handed in their chase for a United Rugby Championship play-off spot. A ruthless first half from the hosts saw them cross four times through Harold Vorster, Wilco Louw, Canan Moodie, and Cameron Hanekom, while Sebastian de Klerk added a second-half brace off the back of two assists from Willie le Roux. Fly-half Johan Goosen added five conversions and a penalty before being replaced by Keagan Johannes, who slotted the remaining conversions. Cardiff, trailing 45–7 after 52 minutes, sparked into life with the introduction of Taulupe Faletau and Teddy Williams, scoring three tries in the final quarter through Alex Mann, Williams, and Gabriel Hamer-Webb. However, a missed opportunity earlier in the half proved costly, as Cardiff fell just short of the fourth try that would have secured a potentially vital bonus point. The Bulls’ bonus-point win solidifies their home dominance and keeps their top-four hopes alive, while Cardiff now face a must-win final round to secure their first-ever URC play-off berth.
VODACOM BULLS
- Tries: Vorster (6’), Louw (15’), Moodie (20’), Hanekom (38’), De Klerk (42’, 51’)
- Conversions: Goosen (7’), Johannes (16’, 21’, 39’, 43’, 52’)
- Penalties: Goosen (2’)
CARDIFF RUGBY
- Tries: Mann 46’), Williams (71’), Hamer-Webb (75’)
- Conversions: Thomas (46’, 72’, 76’)
BENETTON STUN GLASGOW TO END WARRIORS’ TOP-TWO DREAMS IN URC
Benetton 33 – 7 Glasgow Warriors (HT: 19–0)
Benetton Treviso delivered a crushing blow to Glasgow Warriors’ top-two ambitions in the United Rugby Championship with a commanding 33–7 bonus-point victory in Treviso. The hosts roared into the lead with two early tries in the opening ten minutes through Paolo Odogwu and Siua Maile, both converted by Jacob Umaga, catching Glasgow flat-footed and unable to recover. Fullback Rhyno Smith added a third try before the break, as the Italians surged into a 19–0 halftime lead. Things didn’t improve for the visitors in the second half. Tommaso Menoncello powered over for Benetton’s fourth try, and fly-half Umaga capped a superb personal performance by scoring the fifth himself and adding two more conversions to finish with 13 points. Huw Jones salvaged some pride for Glasgow, finishing out wide after a quick tap from George Horne, but it was too little, too late. Despite the return of key players like Scott Cummings and Jones, Franco Smith’s side were second-best all evening. The result leaves Glasgow in third place with one round remaining, needing to beat Leinster in Dublin and hope other results go their way to have any hope of securing a home semi-final. Benetton, meanwhile, remain in the mix for a play-off place and will take huge confidence from their most complete performance of the season.
BENETTON
- Tries: Odogwu (5’), Maile (7’), Smith (25’), Menoncello (51’), Umaga (56’)
- Conversions: Umaga (6’, 8’, 52’, 57’)
GLASGOW WARRIORS
- Tries: Jones (63’)
- Conversions: Horne (64’)
STORMERS CRUSH DRAGONS TO CONFIRM RECORD-BREAKING SEASON LOW
DHL Stormers 48 – 12 Dragons (HT: 14–0)
The Dragons’ worst-ever season in the United Rugby Championship was officially confirmed in Cape Town, as the Stormers ran in seven tries to secure a dominant 48–12 victory at DHL Stadium. Despite showing glimpses of resistance and effort, the result marks the Dragons’ 16th consecutive defeat, guaranteeing their lowest points tally in a single-division URC campaign. Ironically, it came after one of their more spirited showings of the season, particularly in the first half where they managed to hold the Stormers to just two scores. Wandisile Simelane opened the scoring inside two minutes, brushing off defenders with ease, before Seabelo Senatla acrobatically added a second. The Dragons’ defence, led by fullback Huw Anderson, held firm for much of the half despite Stormers’ dominance, and captain Salmaan Moerat’s yellow card just before the break kept the door ajar for the visitors. Early in the second half, Aaron Wainwright powered over from short range to make it 14–5, offering a glimmer of hope. But that momentum didn’t last. Stefan Ungerer pounced on poor positioning to score from distance, and on his 100th appearance, Damian Willemse dotted down to put the game well beyond reach. Veteran Dan Lydiate, making his 150th league appearance, was forced off the field on a medical buggy with a head injury—potentially bringing a storied career to an unfortunate close. The Dragons responded again when Dane Blacker sniped over following a strong run by Aneurin Owen, but their set-piece issues continued to plague them, and three tries in the final eight minutes from Suleiman Hartzenberg, Paul de Wet, and a second for Simelane sealed an emphatic Stormers win. With the bonus-point victory, the Stormers all but secured their spot in the URC play-offs, while the Dragons remain firmly rooted to the bottom of the table, with nothing left to play for but pride in the remaining rounds.
DHL STORMERS
- Tries: Simelane (1’, 80’), Senatla (35’), Ungerer (49’), Willemse (55’), Hartzenberg (73’), De Wet (77’)
- Conversions: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (1’, 36’, 56’), Willemse (74’, 78’)
- Penalties: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (47’)
DRAGONS
- Tries: Wainwright (43’), Blacker (69’)
- Conversions: Evans (69’)
LEINSTER SMASH ZEBRE TO SEAL TOP SEED WITH RECORD URC WIN
Leinster 76 – 5 Zebre Parma (HT: 38–0)
Leinster delivered a ruthless 12-try demolition of Zebre Parma at the Aviva Stadium to secure top spot in the United Rugby Championship with a record 76–5 victory—their largest winning margin in the competition’s history. Coming off a painful Champions Cup semi-final loss, the Irish province responded in emphatic style, with All Black Jordie Barrett starring in a Player of the Match performance that included two tries and multiple assists, including a stunning cross-field kick for Jamie Osborne. Leinster featured nine players selected for the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour, six of whom started. Lions-bound Ronan Kelleher, Josh van der Flier, and James Lowe all dotted down in a commanding display. The floodgates opened after just three minutes when Jack Conan blasted through midfield to set up Kelleher. Within moments, Van der Flier put Luke McGrath over, and Ryan Baird powered in from a lineout drive. Despite Zebre’s spells of possession, they failed to trouble the scoreboard before the break. Barrett then crossed for two quick tries—his first securing the bonus point—before Lowe finished in the corner to make it 38–0 at half-time. Leinster’s tempo never dropped. Sam Prendergast scored after a sweeping counter-attack, Van der Flier added his own try, and Barrett’s outrageous cross-kick found Osborne for a spectacular finish. Substitutes James Culhane and Ciaran Frawley (on his 100th appearance) added further tries. Zebre’s only response came via Gonzalo Garcia, who darted over late in the second half to deny Leinster a clean sheet. But Osborne’s second try after the clock had gone red secured a record-breaking 71-point winning margin for the hosts. Leinster now sit nine points clear atop the URC standings with one round to go and are guaranteed top seeding in the playoffs. For Zebre, it was another sobering outing in a challenging season.
LEINSTER
- Tries: Kelleher (2’), McGrath (4’), Baird (17’), Barrett (24’, 30’), Lowe (39’), Prendergast (43’), Van der Flier (48’), Osborne (54’, 80’), Frawley (60’), Culhane (75’)
- Conversions: Prendergast (2’, 18’, 25’, 31’, 44’, 49’), Frawley (75’, 80’)
ZEBRE PARMA
- Tries: Garcia (65’)
EDINBURGH EDGE CONNACHT IN THRILLING CLASH TO BOOST PLAY-OFF HOPES
Connacht 21 – 31 Edinburgh (HT: 0–14)
Edinburgh kept their URC playoff hopes alive with a dramatic 31–21 bonus-point victory over Connacht in Galway, with a late Charlie Shiel try proving decisive in a thrilling second-half contest. The visitors dominated the opening 40 minutes, building a 14–0 lead through first-half tries by Pierre Schoeman and Hamish Watson, both of whom showcased why they were named in this week’s British & Irish Lions squad. Charlie Savala and Ben Healy shared the kicking duties to give Edinburgh a comfortable halftime advantage. But Connacht roared back after the break. Young wing Finn Treacy ignited the comeback with two tries in 11 minutes, slicing through the Edinburgh defence on both occasions to bring the sides level at 14–14. Ben Muncaster then surged over off the back of a powerful maul to edge Edinburgh ahead again, only for Shayne Bolton to hit back in the corner for Connacht, with JJ Hanrahan levelling the scores once more at 21–21. With both sides pushing hard in the final quarter, it was Charlie Shiel who produced the game-breaking moment in the 73rd minute. Spotting space down the blindside, the replacement scrum-half broke away from a ruck and raced clear under the posts to secure the bonus point. Ben Healy added a late penalty to seal the win and deny Connacht a losing bonus. The result moves Edinburgh to ninth in the table, just two points off sixth place with one round remaining. Connacht, meanwhile, are officially eliminated from playoff contention.
CONNACHT
- Tries: Treacy (41’, 51’), Bolton (65’)
- Conversions: Hanrahan (42’, 52’, 66’)
EDINBURGH
- Tries: Schoeman (7’), Watson (26’), Muncaster (57’), Shiel (72’)
- Conversions: Thompson (8’, 27’, 58’, 73’)
- Penalties: Healy (79’)
SCARLETS STUN LIONS IN JOHANNESBURG TO BOOST PLAY-OFF PUSH
Emirates Lions 19 – 32 Scarlets (HT: 7–17)
The Scarlets produced a historic performance in Johannesburg, beating the Lions 32–19 to secure their first-ever URC win on South African soil and move into sixth place with one round remaining in the regular season. It was a complete team display from the Welsh side, with Blair Murray scoring a brace and Sam Costelow orchestrating brilliantly from fly-half in a game that swung back and forth before the visitors sealed the win late on. Despite losing Sam Lousi to a yellow card early, the Scarlets struck first with Murray finishing a sweeping move created by slick hands from Johnny Williams and Costelow. The Welsh full-back then doubled up just minutes later following a brilliant line break from Ellis Mee and another smart assist from Costelow. The Lions responded through scrum-half Nico Steyn, who powered over from close range after sustained pressure, but Scarlets went into the break leading 17–7 thanks to a long-range drop goal from Costelow. Early in the second half, Taine Plumtree crossed from short range after a surging run by Costelow and Murray, but the Lions kept the contest alive with a try in the corner from David Kriel. With fatigue and altitude setting in, the Scarlets endured a nervy spell. They squandered two clear scoring chances and saw a potential try held up before Kriel’s second try narrowed the gap to just three points at 22–19. But Vaea Fifita broke the game open with a stunning solo run and offload to Williams, who scored in the corner. Costelow nailed the touchline conversion and then added a long-range penalty to seal a famous bonus-point win. This result keeps the Scarlets firmly in playoff contention heading into the final round, while the Lions’ own hopes took a significant hit.
EMIRATES LIONS
- Tries: Steyn (32’), Kriel (50’, 61’)
- Conversions: Wolhuter (33’), Dobela (51’)
SCARLETS
- Tries: Murray (14’, 27’), Plumtree (44’), Williams (71’)
- Conversions: Costelow (15’, 28’, 72’)
- Penalties: Costelow (79’)
- Drop goal: Costelow (40’)
STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 17
With just one round remaining in the 2025 URC regular season, the playoff picture is coming into focus.
Leinster have locked in the top seed, while the Bulls, Munster, Stormers, and Sharks are all battling for home quarter-final spots. Scarlets and Edinburgh surged back into contention, while Ulster, Connacht, and the Lions face an uphill battle. Round 18 promises to deliver high-stakes rugby as the final playoff places are decided.
Who impressed you most in Round 17? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let’s talk rugby.
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