Who’s hot and who’s not: Ulster and Leinster, European boost for South African teams, another blow for Manu Tuilagi

It’s time for our Monday wrap of who has their name in lights and who is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons after the weekend.

Ulster and Leinster shine: The two most emphatic United Rugby Championship quarter-final winners over the weekend were Ulster on Friday and Leinster on Saturday as they comfortably dispatched Munster and Glasgow Warriors respectively. Ulster, led by the outstanding James Hume, scored some scintillating tries in their 36-17 triumph at Kingspan Stadium and will now head to Cape Town to face a difficult Stormers team in the last four. Leinster meanwhile took out their Champions Cup final anger on the Warriors, winning 76-14 as Jordan Larmour stood out for them. Leo Cullen’s men showed no signs of a European hangover and their clash with the Bulls on Friday will be tasty.

@UlsterRugby's James Hume reacts to his Player of the Match performance in beating Munster in the URC Play-Offs

"You see the back line we have, and the young wingers, the back three, what we can do when we tear up like that." pic.twitter.com/Hqmh2kPTIO

— Premier Sports (@PremierSportsTV) June 3, 2022

Gloucester end on a high note: Even Saracens boss Mark McCall was full of praise for how the Cherry and Whites are playing right now as they ended their season on a positive note, hammering their opponents 54-7. While Saracens did choose to rest several star names ahead of this week’s semi-final against Harlequins, rarely do you see McCall’s men picked apart in the manner they were at Kingsholm and it’s yet another sign Gloucester will be a force to be reckoned with next season. Keep an eye out for George Skivington’s side, who are building well.

Our season has come to an end, but what a season it has been.

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