**Ulster lock Alan O'Connor has scooped the Tackle Machine prize at the inaugural URC Awards kicking off three weeks of announcements in the build-up to the URC Grand Final.** Wednesday will see the winner of the Gilbert Golden Boot crowned before the Top Try Scorer and Ironman to follow next week, along with the Vodacom Fans’ Player of the Season, Next-Gen Star of the Season and the Dream Team. Loch Lomond Coach of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season will be announced in the week of the final. Here, we take a closer look at the performances that led to his prize, which was awarded using URC StatMaster data provided by Oval Insights. **Tackle Machine: Alan O’Connor (Ulster) - 195 tackles, 97.5% success rate** *“I am proud to have won the 2021/22 URC Tackle Machine award. It's been a great season, and the team and I are really looking forward to this weekend's Quarter Final against Munster. It’s going to be a brilliant atmosphere on Friday night at Kingspan Stadium.”* 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. Alan O’Connor takes home the prize having made 195 tackles at a success rate of 97.5%. The lock’s figure saw him finish ahead of the Ospreys’ Will Griffiths (96.17%), Connacht’s Jarrad Butler (95.29%) and the Dragons’ Ollie Griffiths (94.92%) while Ulster team-mate Nick Timoney – the man who has made the most tackles in the URC this season (247) - rounded off the top five with a rate of 94.64%.
