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Stuart Lancaster's Connacht pull off stunning URC shock at Stormers' expense
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Connacht produced a brilliant comeback in the United Rugby Championship to claim a bonus-point victory over the Stormers in Cape Town.
The hosts, who would have gone top of the table with a victory, led by 10 points with 17 minutes remaining but the visitors roared back to win 33-24.
Connacht went ahead when Shamus Hurley-Langton crossed for the first try in the seventh minute after Deon Fourie was sent to the sin-bin.
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The Stormers led at the break, though, thanks to a converted try from Evan Roos and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s penalty.
Ntuthuko Mchunu and Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored either side of a try from Paul Boyle to make it 24-14 and put the hosts seemingly in control.
But John Devine quickly pulled another try back, Connacht took the lead through Ben Murphy and Sean Naughton made sure of the victory, with Sam Gilbert adding his fourth conversion.
Prior to the game, Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster was quietly confident.
“We’ve had a good week so far in South Africa and spirits are high ahead of two very important games, and to have four players in Jansen, Heffernan, West and Gavin all return from injury is a great boost for us. We know that playing the Stormers in Cape Town means we can expect huge physicality, so we’ll have to match them in that area from the first minute while being clinical when the opportunities arise.”
DHL Stormers: Warrick Gelant, Damian Willemse, Ruhan Nel (CAPT), Dan du Plessis, Leolin Zas, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cobus Reinach, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Scarra Ntubeni, Zachary Porthen, Adré Smith, JD Schickerling, Deon Fourie, Ben-Jason Dixon, Evan Roos
Replacements: André-Hugo Venter, Oli Kebble, Neethling Fouché, Ruben van Heerden, Marcel Theunissen, Paul de Villiers, Stefan Ungerer, Wandisile Simelane
Connacht Rugby: Sam Gilbert, Harry West, John Devine, Cathal Forde, Shayne Bolton, Sean Naughton, Ben Murphy; Billy Bohan, Dave Heffernan, Sam Illo, David O’Connor, Darragh Murray, Cian Prendergast (CAPT), Shamus Hurley-Langton, Sean Jansen
Replacements: Matthew Victory, Peter Dooley, Jack Aungier, Josh Murphy, Paul Boyle, Colm Reilly, Jack Carty, Hugh Gavin
Referee: Federico Vedovelli
AR 1: Hanru van Rooyen (SARU) AR 2: Sean Muller (SARU)
TMO: Fillipo Russo (FIR)
