Leinster, Tom Stewart and Sharks amongst our recipients : PlanetRugby

Following the conclusion of the United Rugby Championship (URC) regular-season, we bring you Planet Rugby’s awards for the 2022/23 campaign.

There is of course the knockout stages still to come, but here’s our gongs for the season just gone as the outstanding Leinster steamrolled to top spot.

Team of the season: Leinster

There was only one winner here. Leo Cullen’s charges won their opening 15 URC games before stumbling to a draw against the Stormers in round 16. Up until the final round of the regular season, they hadn’t tasted defeat, before a young side faced a fully stocked Bulls in Pretoria and succumbed to a first loss.

It was a typically ruthless season for the stubborn Dubliners who just refused to be beaten and marched into the play-offs. Even with their heaviest defeat ever to the Bulls, Leinster boasted a points difference of 217, 41 more than second-placed Ulster and were 11 points clear at the summit of the standings.

Wooden spoon: Zebre Parma

The best thing about Zebre Parma’s season is that it is over. It’s the brutal truth for the Italians, who lost every single URC game this term. Last season wasn’t much better, as they won just once in 18 appearances.

2022/23, though, was a worrying leap backwards. Last season they conceded 630 points over the campaign, an average of 35 points per game, but that figure ballooned to 734 or 40.8 points per match. They did improve their scoring, averaging 19 points per game, up from 18, but there is still a nine-point deficit between their attack and defence.

Player of the season: Tom Stewart

Talk about taking your chance with both hands.

Stewart has been one of the big success stories of the URC season as he finished the regular season with a staggering 16 tries.

The hooker has not just solely relied on mauls for his scores as he’s popped up out wide and has shown the future at hooker is bright at Ulster.

He’s putting serious pressure on the more established Rob Herring and is already catching the attention of Ireland head coach Andy Farrell.

Tom Stewart has played 880 minutes so far this season and has scored 16 tries, meaning he’s averaging a try for every 55 minutes he plays for Ulster.

— The Loose Head (@TheLooseH) April 19, 2023

Overachievers: Ulster

A close call between the Irish provinces as Connacht did well to claim a place in the play-offs and a probable Champions Cup spot, but Ulster edge them for the award.

While many expected Ulster to reach the play-offs, few would have had them as high as second.

Dan McFarland’s side started the season extremely well but hit a mid-season slump, losing four games between December and February, which cost many of their stars a call-up to the Ireland squad.

They dusted themselves off in March and won their remaining four fixtures in a row to finish the season with 13 victories and five losses.

They failed to score four or more tries only twice this season, a stat matched only by the Stormers.

With the second-best…