Bayonne 27
Connacht 29
CONNACHT PULLED OFF another superb win with a hard-fought, confidence-filled win away to Bayonne.
Despite Par Lam naming a brand new starting line-up for the fixture, the men of the west battled to victory over the Top 14 side.
20-year-old scrum-half Caoilin blade comes away the hero as the second of his two tries arrived in the 77th minute with Miah Nikora’s resulting conversion giving the visitors a slender two-point margin of victory.
The hosts took an early lead through a thrilling breakaway try from Saimoni Vaka on the back on a fifth minute turnover.
Nikora narrowed the gap with a penalty minutes later, but Bayonne reached the 14-point mark as Mathieu Ugalde caused havoc in the Connacht defence with a grubber in the 22 that he was able to sneak through and ground himself.
After 28 minutes, Blade put Connacht right back into the game. The young scrum-half storming in for the score after Darragh leader found the gap.
The sides would trade penalties before the going in at the interval with Connacht trailing 17 – 16. After the break, Bayonne flew out of the traps ominously. The new look XV could have been forgiven for accepting their fate after Pierre Sayerse’s try put the home side eight points to the good after 42 minutes. However, even after Christophe Loustalot stretched that gap to 11, Lam’s side kept chiselling away.
On 57 minutes Nikora reduced the arrears and 10 minutes later he kicked Connacht within a score. And on the back of a maul (a theme carrying over from last week’s encounter) Blade pounced.
The hands would be required at the pump again as Bayonne pushed back in an attempt to avoid a home defeat, and they had an opportunity to steal the lead back. However, Ugalde’s last gasp kick was not as cleverly judged as his early grubber. The flags stayed down and Connacht keep winning.
I thought Barcelona are over a billion in debt & now they are spending €1.5 billion on their stadium and they also want to buy Mohammed Salah?
Wha?
@O’Brien Michael: I’ve come to learn that when rich people and teams are in debt it’s not the same as us being in debt. They can always find someone else to lend them more
@O’Brien Michael: They have signed a huge sponsorship deal with Spotify including the naming rights to the Camp Nou. Once they satisfy the Spanish league funding requirements they can sign who they want.
Woe and betide any financial institution that try to foreclose on Barca
@thomas walsh: yes but surely someone at some stage is going to have to say enough is enough.
We are not even talking about being millions in debt we are talking billions now.
Barcelona just defy belief what they are at.
@Diarmuid: how much is the sponsorship deal worth Diarmuid?
@Diarmuid: did the tour of the nou camp about 7-8 years back,cost about 15 euros each at the time. Place was full of people,bus’s and bus’s everywhere.Think it costs about 60 now to do the tour won’t get as many doing it.
@O’Brien Michael: if memory serves me think it’s worth around €300 million over 4 years
@Joe Gorham: Joe I done the tour in summer 2019. Think it was around €30 each well worth. €60 certainly seems a huge increase.
@O’Brien Michael: This is an infrastructural project and the loans will be separate to the current debt to be paid back over 35 years. The idea is that the extra income from the expansion and upgrade will pay off the construction loans.
It’s also not just the stadium. There will also be a new Blaugrana indoor arena, offices, a hotel and a new museum.
@Diarmuid: it does lad I work with just back from Barcelona and he said it’s too dear now to do unless your a barca fan.
Ed Sheeran playing a heap of gigs
Cork county board are project managing the build. Should only cost about 3 Billion
accbank still handing out loans