URC Tackle Machine and Turnover King

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   John
Hodnett and Thomas Young have added their names to the United Rugby
Championship Awards roll of honour by collecting the Tackle Machine and Turnover
King prizes respectively.

Munster back-row Hodnett and Cardiff Rugby
flanker Young landed the Tackle Machine and Turnover King prizes,
joining Ulster’s Tom Stewart who scooped up OFX Top Try Scorer yesterday.

The awards kicked off three
weeks of announcements in the build-up to the Vodacom URC Grand Final on Saturday May 27.

The Elite XV, Next-Gen
Player of the Season and Vodacom Fans’ Player of the Season will be disclosed
next week.

Try of the Season, Gilbert Golden Boot
and Ironman will be awarded after the Semi-Final. While the
BKT Coach of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season will be divulged in
the week of the Grand Final. 

Here, we take a closer look at the first three
winners and the performances which led to their achievements, which were
determined using URC StatMaster data provided by Oval Insights. 
Tackle
Machine: John Hodnett (Munster with 151 tackles and 96% accuracy)

This award is given to the player who boasts
the best tackle success rate among those who have attempted 150 or more over
the course of the campaign.  

Hodnett takes home the prize having made 151
tackles at a success rate of 96%.  

The 24-year-old edged out Young, who made the
second-highest number of tackles in the Vodacom URC this season with 199, and Ulster’s
Nick Timoney, who both had 95%.  

Timoney finished fifth in this category last
season with 94.64% having made a competition-high 247 tackles.
Turnover
King: Thomas Young (Cardiff Rugby)
Awarded to the player who has won the most
turnovers during the regular season, a Jackal tie-breaker was required to
ratify the winner. 

Thomas Young and Marco Van Staden were tied on 17, with the
Cardiff player - who scored two tries in the victory over the Ospreys in Round
18 which clinched the Welsh Shield - winning the decider 7-6 on Jackal decider.

Deon Fourie, of the DHL Stormers, came second
behind Jac Morgan (Ospreys) last season and was two adrift with 15 this time
around.

URC
Awards 2022-23

OFX Top Try
Scorer: Tom Stewart (Ulster)
Tackle
Machine: John Hodnett (Munster)

Turnover
King: Thomas Young (Cardiff Rugby)