Connacht Rugby travel to South Africa to face the DHL Stormers in a URC clash that has shifted significantly following squad announcements and major betting movement.

The handicap has moved from Stormers -16.5 to -20.5, reflecting just how weakened this Connacht side is for the trip.

Connacht Squad: Key Absentees and New Look Side

Connacht are without Bundee Aki, Finlay Bealham, Mack Hansen and out-half Josh Ioane — a huge loss of experience, leadership and attacking threat.

That puts serious pressure on a much-changed squad:

Backs

• Scrum Halves: Ben Murphy, Colm Reilly, Matthew Devine
• Out Halves: Jack Carty, Sean Naughton
• Centres: Cathal Forde, Hugh Gavin, John Devine
• Back Three: Harry West, Sam Gilbert, Shane Jennings, Shayne Bolton

Forwards

• Props: Billy Bohan, Fiachna Barrett, Jack Aungier, Peter Dooley, Sam Illo
• Hookers: Dave Heffernan, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Matthew Victory
• Locks: Darragh Murray, David O’Connor, Joe Joyce, Niall Murray
• Back Row: Cian Prendergast, Josh Murphy, Paul Boyle, Sean Jansen, Shamus Hurley-Langton

This is a squad with talent, but it lacks the spine and cohesion of Connacht’s first-choice XV.

Stormers Strengths

The Stormers bring serious firepower into this game:

• Evan Roos – 9 tries this season
• Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu – 89 points
• Jurie Matthee – 78 points

They combine physical dominance with attacking pace — exactly the kind of team that punishes weakened touring sides.

Why the Betting Line Moved

The shift from -16.5 to -20.5 isn’t random — it’s reaction to:

• Loss of Connacht’s international core
• Travel factor to South Africa
• Reduced control at 10 without Ioane
• Less strike threat without Hansen and Aki

This is what sharp money looks like — reacting early to information.

Betting Analysis

At -20.5, you’re no longer getting early value.

But stylistically, this is still a mismatch:

• Stormers dominate collisions
• Connacht lack game control
• Depth drop-off is significant

Connacht’s best chance is chaos — quick tempo, broken play — but South African conditions rarely allow that.

Prediction

This has all the signs of a long night for Connacht.

They still have quality players like Carty, Prendergast, and Jansen, but the overall drop in experience is too big.

Prediction: Stormers to win comfortably

• Main Bet: Stormers -20.5
• Alternative: Stormers winning margin 21+

Correct Score Prediction: Stormers 40–15 Connacht

Verdict: The market has reacted correctly, but probably still not enough. This Connacht side is a level below what they’ve been fielding in recent weeks, and against a strong Stormers outfit away from home, that usually ends one way.

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Manchester United and Man City are both reportedly keen on the same transfer target this summer

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown is refusing to be drawn into speculation surrounding his future at the Bundesliga club, despite reported interest from Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City this summer.

The German international was questioned about attention from Premier League sides, but remained tight-lipped about what lies ahead.

Speaking to SportsBild about whether he was aware of the transfer rumours, Brown said: “Yes, you do pick up on things like that, but it doesn’t influence me.

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“I’m concentrating on the goals that are within my control. Nothing else interests me right now.”

All three Premier League sides have been linked with a potential move for Brown, with reports connecting the Gunners and title rivals Man City dating back to November 2025.

Various transfer figures have been suggested, though the latest quoted fee of €65million (£56.5m) would see him become the joint-most expensive left-back of all time.

Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella currently holds that record, and the 22-year-old Frankfurt defender was asked about the potential price tag.

He said: “It’s a truly staggering sum. But frankly speaking, I’m not giving numbers like that, or the possibility of a transfer this summer, a second thought.

“My focus is entirely on Eintracht and our goal of qualifying for Europe. And after that, I would really love to be part of the World Cup squad.

“Then, I’ll see what happens in the summer. It’s hard to make plans in football, which is why I don’t dwell on it.”

It is a valuation that Frankfurt’s sporting director Markus Krosche believes is fully justified. Speaking earlier this year about Brown and Can Uzun, he said: “Yes! Because he has three exceptional abilities that you can’t learn.

“He’s smart and tactically astute, has fantastic technique, and is very fast. And all of that is necessary to have a great career ahead of him.

“Now is the wrong time to think about who might leave us and when,” he continued. “They’re both young and should stay with us a while longer. Can has developed tremendously compared to last year. It’s a shame he’s injured now.

“And Nene [Brown] is simply exceptional. He’s made outstanding progress, especially when it comes to defending at a high level. Just look at how he plays against top opponents in the Champions League.”

Few golf shots invite more second-guessing than a ball sitting in water. That’s especially true when just enough of the ball is above the surface, giving you enough false confidence to go for it. But that’s when most golfers get themselves into trouble.

The reality is, water doesn’t just sit there — it changes everything. Before you think about giving one of these lies a go, it’s important to know how to read your lie. Understanding what water does to a shot is often the difference between an impressive par-save and guaranteed disaster.

In a field test conducted by Cameron Robinson, head professional at Brentwood Country Club in Los Angeles, it became clear that the amount of the ball visible above the water is a reliable predictor of how much the shot will be affected.

For example, a ball just grazing the water behaves much like a heavy lie in wet sand. When tested with a 52-degree wedge, the ball launched predictably and carried with enough height to clear a steep bank of 68 inches above the water’s surface. In simple terms, the shot performed close to normal expectations.

But when a ball is partially submerged — even a quarter under water — the resistance at impact is significantly more pronounced. The club no longer moves freely. Instead, it displaces water and strikes the ball almost simultaneously.

“The club meets much more resistance, with both the water and the ball absorbing energy,” Robinson said.

At these depths, Robinson found that a 52-degree wedge could still produce enough launch to clear the bank, but only if he increased his speed and changed his swing to a chopping motion.

The most dramatic shift occurs when the ball is fully submerged. Using a swing that would normally produce a 60-yard shot with a 52-degree wedge, Robinson saw the ball travel only about 15 yards — roughly 25 percent of the expected carry. The strike simply couldn’t transfer enough energy through the water to produce sufficient speed.

Loft, in this case, proved to be a critical variable. Robinson found that while a 60-degree wedge produced the largest splash, it also delivered the worst results. That’s because added loft increases water resistance and reduces strike efficiency. In contrast, switching to a 45-degree pitching wedge gave Robinson a penetrating ball flight and allowed the ball to launch higher and carry farther.

Technique, as Robinson discovered, is just as crucial as club selection when it comes to escaping these tricky lies. He explained that golfers must generate maximum speed at impact while stopping the club abruptly immediately afterward — a motion he calls “putting the brakes on.”

“This [move] creates maximum speed at the strike before the club rapidly decelerates after impact,” Robinson said. “The motion is similar to the technique often used when hitting through thick weeds or heavy rough, where maintaining speed at the ball is critical to prevent the club from losing energy before contact.”

The lesson is simple: water lies are unforgiving but not impossible. If there’s a rule of thumb to live by in these scenarios, Robinson put it best:

With a “bombshell announcement” reportedly coming about LIV Golf, Golf Channel analyst and former PGA Tour pro Brandel Chamblee believes the rival tour is coming to an end.

Golf reporter Ryan French said during an X Spaces broadcast that he had “some pretty good sources” tell him “LIV is shutting down,” according to the FlushingItGolf account that was listening.

“I’ve got everything from, and these are people that I trust, that you guys know,” French said, per the account. “Players didn’t get paid today, power went out because the bill wasn’t paid, employees didn’t get paid. Stuff like that.”

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TV analyst Brandel Chamblee looks on during a practice round before the 123rd U.S. Open Championship at the Los Angeles Country Club in Los Angeles, Calif., on June 13, 2023. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Telegraph Sport reported Wednesday that LIV Golf executives have been called into an emergency meeting in New York amid speculation about the league’s future.

Chamblee, who has been one of LIV Golf’s biggest critics since its inception, backed French’s report, believing the tour will crumble.

BROOKS KOEPKA SHOULD FACE PENALTY IF HE REJOINS PGA TOUR, GOLF PUNDIT SAYS

“Given that the product was so ill-conceived and ended up being worse than anyone could have imagined – with shotgun starts, initially 54 holes, a team concept that was nothing but laughable and tournaments that meant and continue to mean nothing, and such a paltry number of viewers, losing billions along the way – would it surprise anyone if the Saudis came to their corrupted senses and finally euthanized the whole lame-brained tour,” Chamblee wrote on X in response to the reports.

The days of a potential merger between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour seem to be a pipe dream now, especially as LIV stars like Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed come back to their old roots.

Brandel Chamblee of the United States plays during Day One of the Irish Legends at Rosapenna Hotel and Golf Resort in Donegal, Ireland, on Aug. 18, 2022. (Phil Inglis/Getty Images)

In fact, Koepka is a part of a new Returning Member Program, which allows LIV golfers who have won a major or Players Championship since 2022 to return to the PGA Tour under specific conditions and financial penalties.

And while they haven’t done so, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cam Smith are all eligible for Koepka’s program. Reed isn’t in the program, though he is working through a suspension period, where he plans on returning to the Tour as a non-member in August 2026 before hopefully regaining full status in 2027.

Meanwhile, LIV Golf is set to tee off at its Mexico event this week, and they still have nine events scheduled for the rest of the 2026 schedule.

First place individual champion, Captain Bryson DeChambeau of Crushers GC, holds the trophy during the trophy ceremony after the final round of Aramco LIV Golf Singapore on Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Sentosa, Singapore. (Mateo Villalba/AP)

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But, as French said on X Spaces, “Things are not good.”

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