Happy Challenge Cup day, rugby fans.

We’re getting settled in for an afternoon with Ireland’s most exciting team and the the hipster’s choice of Premiership clubs, Exeter.

Before we go any further. Here’s a quick reminder of the state of play in pool 2 where Connacht currently trail the Chiefs by two points thanks to their only loss in this competition which came in the reverse fixture at Sandy Park.

Is revenge on the cards today?

Kick off is not until 3.15pm, so you still have time to go and make a cup of tea (or get home to watch it on Sky).

Here are the teams we’ll be watching today: Connacht with plenty of weaponry in their back-line, while Exeter include Ulster exiles Ian Whitten and Gareth Steenson in their squad.

Connacht:  15. Mils Muliaina; 14. Danie Poolman, 13. Robbie Henshaw, 12. Dave McSharry, 11. Matt Healy; 10. Craig Ronaldson, 9. Kieran Marmion; 1. Denis Buckley, 2. Tom McCartney, 3. Rodney Ah You, 4. Quinn Roux, 5. Ally Muldowney, 6. John Muldoon (c), 7. Willie Faloon, 8. George Naoupu

16. David Heffernan, 17. JP Cooney, 18. Finlay Bealham, 19. Andrew Browne, 20. Eoin McKeon, 21. Caolin Blade, 22. Jack Carty, 23. Darragh Leader

Exeter Chiefs: 15. Phil Dollman; 14. Ian Whitten, 13. Jack Nowell, 12. Sam Hill, 11. Matt Jess; 10. Henry Slade, 9. Dave Lewis; 1. Ben Moon, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Alex Brown, 4. Dean Mumm (c), 5. Damian Welch, 6. Dave Ewers, 7. Don Armand, 8. Tom Waldrom

16. Greg Bateman, 17. Brett Sturgess, 18. Carl Rimmer, 19. Kai Horstmann, 20. James Scaysbrook, 21. Haydn Thomas, 22. Gareth Steenson, 23. Byron McGuigan

Over in the other European Competition, Glasgow have beaten Montpellier but failed to claim a bonus point. Read all about it here.

But as for matters in Galway, the sides have gone through their paces on a nice dry track at the Sportsground and Pat Lam was smiling in his pre-match chat with Sky – nothing new there, but he’ll be sending his team out to play an attractive style of rugby today.

Here’s Darragh Leader caught on camera by Dan Sheridan

Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

A late change for Connacht, Craig Ronaldson is out through injury, meaning Jack Carty starts at number 10.

Colm O'Neill / INPHO Colm O'Neill / INPHO / INPHO

KICK-OFF. 

We’re underway at the Sportsground with Carty kicking to the Chiefs’ left wing.

A heavy cold shadow coats the field and most of the play has been under it so far. Some bright play from Connacht to start off with, but Chiefs are up in the line quickly and Connacht forced to kick.

Henshaw finds space outside on the right flank and Danie Poolman is soon chasing a grubber in to the corner, but the South African just loses out in the footrace.

TRY! Connacht 5 Exeter 0 (Healy)

Marmion’s service from the base of the ruck has been incessant and excellent so far and Connacht don’t have to wait too long before their pressure is turned in to points.

Moving the ball left to right across the 22, they create the overlap with Willie Faloon carrying before Matt Healy scampers over the line.

Carty was unable to find the mark with the conversion.

Murray Kinsella is supposed to be off today, but he’s bunkered down in his analysis box watching this one.

A slight concern for Henshaw after that try, has his ankle strapped up.

That score has woke the Chiefs up a bit and after a bit of kick tennis they bring the pressure with Slade showing some nice hands in attack before sending a kick in behind the defence and finding touch five metres out.

Connacht came out of that initial line-out, but a penalty allows Slade pin them back again. A good maul from the Chiefs is also penalised for side entry. Slade not interested in the posts from the touchline. We’re back in maul country.

Cowan-Dickie’s line-out is missed by his jumpers and McCartney recovers it for Connacht.

A knock on keeps the home side are stuck in their own territory though and a penalty at the scrum puts them in danger of really annoying this official.

The Chiefs fans always travel well, and their Tomahawk Chop hymn is easily heard again today.

Colm O'Neill / INPHO Colm O'Neill / INPHO / INPHO

PENALTY TRY!  Connacht 5 Exeter 7

The referee has lost patience with the Connacht front row.

Another moment of genius on display from Robbie Henshaw as he spins wide to Healy with a gorgeous long pass.

Slade checks to see if the referee is paying attention with a cheeky hand to slow the ball and he’s penalised.

TRY! Connacht 10 Exeter 7 (Faloon)

A superb catch and drive from the line-out on the left touchline, Naoupu spearheading the maul as it rolled slowly but surely over the line.

No need for the TMO here, Faloon has it. Carty missed the conversion.

Joe Schmidt is in the stands here watching Robbie Henshaw turn on the style in front of the Sky cameras.

A Slade penalty misses the mark, but only injury will keep Henshaw from the Ireland XV this term.

Exeter able to build another good set of phases and it ends with a penalty and a stern warning for John Muldoon.

PENALTY! Connacht 10 Exeter 10 (Slade)

TRY! Connacht 15 Exeter 10 (Poolman)

That was an absolute gem or a try. Naoupu collected at the base of a backpeddling scrum and allowed Marmion and Healy to make ground up the left.

Sensing the break, Connacht then attacked to the right again with brilliant intensity and an excellent long pass from Carty opened up space for Henshaw and McSharry to handle and pass it on before the 2 one 1 presented itself.

And when it’s Mils Muliaina as the man with the ball in a 2 on 1, well, you’re going to punish. Danie Poolman took the All Black centurion’s pass over the line.

HALF-TIME: Connacht 17 Exeter 10

Jack Carty slots his first conversion of the day and it gives the hosts a lead of a full score at the half-time break.

Crucually, they’re also just one try away from a bonus point. Winning is still more important, of course, but a BP could really rub it in.

We’re off and running in the second half.

PENALTY: Connacht 17 Exeter 13 (Slade)

Just the start the Chiefs wanted as they close the gap after Big George is pinged at the breakdown.

TRY! Connacht 17 Exeter 20 (Mumm)

The Australian reaches into the sky and plucks a looping pass from the air. There’s nobody at home 30 metres from the Connacht line and he trundles over to give the Chiefs the lead.

OOOOh. Connacht almost get a bounce of fortune back their way as Darragh Leader charges down Slade, but the young back can’t collect the bouncing ball.

Exeter have their scrummaging groove back and the completely muller the green pack on the 10-metre line to win a penalty.

Slade points for the posts, he’s shaken off an apparent injury and…

PENALTY! Connacht 17 Exeter 23 (Slade)

Wow!

Muldoon throws another intercept, Welch stealing the ball. He has a fair distance to go though, and as soon as Henshaw got near him, the big second row cried mercy and hit the deck.

Connacht survive this one.

Exeter’s pack roaring ‘a big hit, let’s go’ before scrummaging, but they go a bit too early and we’re re-setting.

This time the ball does come out clean and Connacht attempt to attack from their 22. It gets as far as Mils, but his grubber hits a Chief and Faloon is hit hard as he picks it up.

Ominous signs, and Exeter look to be growing in strength here.

TRY! Connacht 17 Exeter 20 (Armand)

After a powerful set of phases in which they consistently drove the home side off the gainline, the flanker gets a solid leech and shunts his way over under the posts.

We’ll always have the first half, Connacht.

Worth noting at this point that the Chiefs will seal their passage to the quarters with a win here. An unlikely Connacht comeback would put them in control of the group, but not quite in the knockouts.

The worst scrum yet for the home side as they are shoved all the way around before the whistle goes. In open play they’re starting to be torn apart too and Henshaw’s first error opens the door for Nowell.

Sam Hill looked like he had the footwork to step out of the scramble defence but JP Cooney came to the rescue to wrap him up. Penalty though.

PENALTY! Connacht 17 Exeter 33 (Slade)

Connacht are out on their feet in defence, but their eyes light up with the ball in hand – particularly when it’s in Robbie Henshaw’s hands.

TRY! Connacht 24 Exeter 33 (Healy)

After Henshaw made the initial break, the ball was lost, but he collocted it beautifully on the full when the Chiefs looked to clear.

That charge piled the pressure on the defence and they were unable to reset within a phase and Healy scampered in for his second and Connacht’s fourth.

That try breathed some life into Connacht and they forced a penalty to try and get into bonus point range.

Unfortunately, Leader’s kick from the right hand side was slightly off the mark.

FULL TIME: Connacht 24 Exeter 33

A bonus point, but that’s all for Connacht after this thrilling spectacle in Galway.

In the end, Pat Lam’s young side were simply out-muscled by the Premiership side, but certainly did their best to make up for their shortcomings with smar, clinical attacks in the first half.

They’re not out of the running for a place in the knock-out stages, but it does become more difficult now.

Thanks for joining in the liveblog. We’re off to watch the Departed and have a lie down before Conor McGregor’s big night in Boston.