This Saturday 4th May, Ulster will host Connacht in the quarter-final of the Guinness PRO14 Championship (kick-off 5.35pm at Kingspan Stadium).
For Ulster, it will be a first knockout game at Kingspan Stadium in five years, while it will also be an opportunity for the home supporters to bid farewell to retiring legends Rory Best and Darren Cave.
Tickets for the game, priced from £20 for adults and £14 for juniors, are available now at ulsterrugby.com/buytickets. Family passes are also available, offering savings of 15% for two adults and two children.
Match Officials:
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU, 46
th competition game)
Assistant Referees: John Lacey, George Clancy (both IRFU)
TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Eugene Ryan (IRFU)
Head to head - Recent Guinness PRO14 Championship Meetings:
| Date |
Venue |
U |
C |
Ulster scorers |
Connacht scorers |
| Fri 7 Oct 16 |
Sportsground |
25 |
30 |
Craig Gilroy(T) Paddy Jackson(2C/2P) Rory Best(T) Jared Payne(T) |
Jack Carty(T/2C/2P) James Connolly(T) Cian Kelleher(2T) |
| Fri 23 Dec 16 |
Kingspan Stadium |
23 |
7 |
Paddy Jackson(2C/3P) Stuart McCloskey(T) Clive Ross(T) |
Jack Carty(T/C) |
| Fri 6 Oct 17 |
Kingspan Stadium |
16 |
8 |
Jacob Stockdale(T) John Cooney(C/3P) |
Jack Carty(P) Tom McCartney(T) |
| Sat 23 Dec 17 |
Sportsground |
16 |
44 |
Craig Gilroy(T) Rob Lyttle(T) John Cooney(2P) |
Tiernan O'Halloran(T) Jarrad Butler(T) Jack Carty(4C/2P) Eoghan Masterson(T) Bundee Aki(T) Ultan Dillane(2T) |
| Fri 5 Oct 18 |
Kingspan Stadium |
15 |
22 |
Jacob Stockdale(T) Nick Timoney(T) John Cooney(C/P) |
Tiernan O'Halloran(T) Jack Carty(C/P) Bundee Aki(T) Penalty Try(T) |
| Fri 28 Dec 18 |
Sportsground |
12 |
21 |
Angus Kernohan(T) John Cooney(C) Jordi Murphy(T) |
Caolin Blade(T) Jack Carty(3C) Bundee Aki(T) Shane Delahunt(T) |
Overall Guinness PRO14 head to head record:
Played 32, Ulster won 24, Connacht won 7 with 1 game drawn.
Did you know?
- Ulster Rugby have made it to the play-offs for the first time since 2016 and have lost just one of their last eight Guinness PRO14 matches: 7-30 at Glasgow in Round 19.
- Ulster’s only reversal at Kingspan Stadium in any tournament since February 2018 was to Connacht in the Guinness PRO14 in October.
- This is only the second time that Connacht Rugby have reached the play-offs since they were re-introduced in 2010. Previously it was in season 2015/16 when they won the title.
- Connacht’s 14-27 defeat at Munster on Saturday ended a four-game winning streak in the Guinness PRO14.
- Connacht have won just twice away from home in 2019: at Bordeaux in Round 6 of the European Challenge Cup and at Zebre in Round 19 of the Guinness PRO14.
- Connacht have won their last three matches against Ulster since the Ulstermen’s 16-8 victory at Kingspan Stadium in October 2017, a run which included their first victory in Belfast for over 57 years.
2018/19 Guinness PRO14 Season Comparison:
|
Ulster |
Connacht |
| Last 3 PRO14 results: |
5 Apr - Glasgow (A) L 7-30 |
6 Apr - Zebre (A) W 6-5 |
| |
12 Apr - Edinburgh (A) W 29-7 |
13 Apr - Cardiff Blues (H) W 29-22 |
| |
27 Apr - Leinster (H) W 14-13 |
27 Apr - Munster (A) L 14-27 |
| |
|
|
| PRO14 2018/19 |
Conf B: 2nd - W13 D2 L6 - 63pts |
Conf A: 3rd - W12 D0 L9 - 61pts |
| PRO14 form |
WwWlwW (24pts) |
lWWwWl (19pts) |
| Top try scorer |
7 - Rob Herring |
6 - Tom Farrell |
| Top points scorer |
89 - John Cooney |
149 - Jack Carty |
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Guinness PRO14 Final Series
Quarter-Final 1: Munster (A2) v Benetton Rugby (B3)
Quarter-Final 2: Ulster (B2) v Connacht (A3)
Semi-Final 1: Leinster (B1) v Munster or Benetton
Semi-Final 2: Glasgow Warriors (A1) v Ulster or Connacht*
Final: Saturday 25th May, 6.30pm at Celtic Park, Glasgow
