Joyous scenes in Galway as Connacht break back into the Champions Cup
Connacht are back in the Heineken Champions Cup for the first time in three years after man-of-the-match Jack Carty inspired their 29-22 Guinness PRO14 bonus point win over Cardiff Blues at the Sportsground.
Andy Friend’s men survived a nervy finish, brought on by Jason Harries’ 79th-minute try, as they booked their Champions Cup spot and a PRO14 quarter-final trip to provincial rivals Ulster as the result guarantees them a third place finish in Conference A.
A tense and closely-fought first half ended 14-7 in Connacht’s favour, the wind-backed home side striking for tries from Caolin Blade (11 minutes) and Gavin Thornbury (26) either side of a well-taken Owen Lane effort for Gareth Anscombe’s Blues.
Ireland fly-half Carty sparked a crucial 10-point surge on the restart with a sparkling team try and although Cardiff eventually restored the seven-point deficit thanks to an Anscombe penalty and Josh Turnbull’s 70th-minute try, an opportunist score by Matt Healy from the restart ultimately proved enough to ensure European top tier rugby in Galway next season.
This is what it means! ? ? #LowLieTheFields pic.twitter.com/VQxdVOlxiH
— Connacht Rugby (@connachtrugby) April 13, 2019
Just four points behind Connacht in the table before kick-off, Cardiff won the toss and elected to play into the stiff wind. Having watched Carty miss a penalty, the Blues got no reward for a promising multi-phase attack which saw Matthew Morgan and Willis Halaholo stretch Connacht out wide before Tom Farrell forced a penalty at ruck time.
The hosts’ first serious attack resulted in the opening try, Paul Boyle bursting clean through and offloading slickly for scrum-half Blade to snipe over close to the the posts. TMO Ken Henley-Willis ruled out any offside or forward pass and Carty comfortably converted, also impressing a few phases later with a superb kick pass out to Healy.
The Welshmen entered the second quarter on level terms, looking the sharper with ball in hand and big winger Lane exploited a gap on Darragh Leader’s inside shoulder to dart in under the posts.
Anscombe made it seven points apiece but Connacht were clinical from limited opportunities, blindside Boyle winning a turnover penalty and claiming the line-out ball which Thornbury turned into a maul try in the right corner.
Carty swept over a terrific touchline conversion before missing a long-range 33rd-minute penalty, Dave Heffernan setting up the chance with a muscular carry.
A deserved guard of honour for our departing players at the end of the game. Thank you for everything you’ve given our province guys. #StrongerInGreen pic.twitter.com/iZBIXIZUr6
— Connacht Rugby (@connachtrugby) April 13, 2019
Josh Turnbull and Seb Davies’ expert maul defence ensured the gap remained at seven points for half-time – but it was all Connacht at the start of the second period despite facing into the elements.
Poor discipline from the Blues allowed Carty to score a 12-metre penalty, before the Athlone man scored one of the tries of the season.
The attack from deep began with Leader’s quickly-taken line-out, Bundee Aki’s brilliant hands and Healy’s great pace driving their team forward before Carty cruised through a gap and collected his own kick through to touch down ahead of Morgan.
Anscombe cancelled out some of the damage with a quick penalty for a 24-10 scoreline and Connacht were fortunate to avoid conceding a try to Harries on the hour.
The outcome of a TMO review ruled that he had simultaneously grazed the touchline in the act of scoring, leaving referee Mike Adamson to award an attacking scrum.
Connacht were on the cusp of a yellow card when a bout of forward ended with Turnbull driving over in the left corner.
Anscombe’s excellent conversion made it 24-17 but all the good work was undone when the westerners disrupted at the restart, the loose ball forcing Lane back near his try-line and it went loose again for Healy to gleefully steal in and score by the corner flag with TMO confirmation.
Carty was wayward with the extras before Cardiff again showed their battling qualities, working the ball wide for winger Harries to deservedly reach over.
Anscombe’s drop-kicked conversion missed the target, and although a late penalty brought the Blues back into Connacht territory, Friend’s charges won a final turnover for Blade to kick the ball dead.
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments