CONNACHT 34
BULLS 7
Garry Doyle at the Sportsground
HERE IN GALWAY’S Sportsground, normality made a welcome comeback. After a season where all you could hear from the terraces were echoes, there was something stirring about having a crowd back in the place.
The shouts, the cries, the songs, they all added up to create a special atmosphere. And that was just the warm-up.
The game itself drew you in early and never allowed you look away. It was dramatic, error-ridden at times, but compelling, mainly because there was a knock-out feel to proceedings, neither team feeling they could afford a second successive defeat after opening-day losses.
And while you wouldn’t have given a prayer for Connacht’s chances early on – the Bulls scoring with their first attack – after that nervy opening, they found a way into the game and ultimately found a way to win it.
Five tries – a slalom effort from winger, Mack Hansen, being the pick of them – grabbed the headlines. But there was much more to it than that. The grit, the spirit to recover from their terrible start, the calmness of Dave Heffernan to correct an early line-out glitch, they were all factors.
So was the brilliance of some individual performances. Tiernan O’Halloran looks like the 2016 version of Tiernan O’Halloran again; Heffernan was immense around the park, the midfield pairing of Tom Farrell and Tom Daly were outstanding while Cian Prendergast has added his name to the lengthy queue of talented flankers seeking Andy Farrell’s attention.
As for the Bulls, well what can you say? They impressed during the warm-up. They impressed in the opening 10 minutes.
Trouble is – a game of rugby lasts 80.
Still, when there was 1 minute, 42 seconds on the clock, no one was mocking them then.
By this stage, the Bulls had scored, Zak Burger with the opportunist break, out-half Johan Goosen arriving in support; Harold Vorster carrying close to the line; Lizo Gpoboka getting across it.
Goosen converted and the gasps and murmurs which followed those moments told you everything you needed to know. This Connacht crowd were worried.
They didn’t need to be. Even allowing for some basic errors, Jack Carty kicked out on the full on four minutes; Heffernan’s opening throw didn’t find its intended target; Connacht were doing certain things well.
Farrell, for a start, was having a great game; Prendergast an even better one.
Those Bulls may have started brightly, their line-out functioning well, their scrum solid, their defence organised. But on 11 minutes they were on the back foot, relying on front-rower, Joe van Zyl, to make a crucial steal after John Porch had put Connacht deep in Bulls territory.
It didn’t matter. Within a minute, Connacht were level, Heffernan and Prendergast establishing a fine rhythm at the set-piece, Prendergast’s take allowing Connacht set up their maul, before Kieran Marmion realised there were gaps to exploit elsewhere.
They did just that, Daly and Farrell showing magic in their fingertips to set up Carty, who had looped around the back to enter the line at the key stage and provide O’Halloran with the easiest of finishes. Carty’s conversion made it 7-7.
His penalty, just over 20 minutes later, made it 10-7 but by then Connacht were cursing a couple of marginal errors, Daly’s delivery to Porch ruled forward, after a thrilling rat-a-tat-tat exchange of passes between Daly, Carty and Porch led to the disallowed try.
A further chance, created by Prendergast’s take, Marmion’s break and Heffernan’s carry brought them to the line, Prendergast just stopped inches short of it. In the end, they left with three points, Carty kicking a penalty after the Bulls were caught offside. 10-7, Connacht.
It would get better after the break. For starters, on 44 minutes, there was the first Daly try, scored when Connacht had an option to kick a penalty, but when they trusted their judgement and went for glory. It paid off, Marmion again making the smart decision to release his backs, rather than just leaving the forwards to do an endless amount of grunt work. Daly, eventually, showed clever feet as well as brute strength to get across. Carty converted and Connacht had a 17-7 lead.
Soon the gap would be up to 15, Hansen scoring the try of his life, when he collected a Garryowen in his own half, before he weaved his way in between five Bulls defenders, pretending to go right when his intention was to drift left before he changed direction once more, to score.
There and then, you could sense the self-pity kicking into the Bulls. The rain fell, the pressure from Connacht remained full-on. Farrell got the try his performance deserved around eight minutes from time and then Daly rounded things off with a fifth try in the closing minute.
And with that, the crowd roared its raucous approval and memories of lockdowns and empty stadiums seemed a million miles away.
Connacht
Tries: O’Halloran, Daly 2, Hansen, Farrell
Conversion: Carty (3/5)
Penalty: Carty (1/1)
Bulls
Tries: Lizo Gqoboka
Conversions: Goosen (1/1)
CONNACHT: Tiernan O’Halloran; John Porch, Tom Farrell, Tom Daly, Mack Hansen; Jack Carty, Kieran Marmion; Jordan Duggan (rep: Matthew Burke ’61), Dave Heffernan (rep: Shane Delahunt ’65), Finlay Bealham (rep:Jack Aungier ’63); Oisin Dowling (Leva Fifita 52), Ultan Dillane; Cian Prendergast (Sam Arnold ’69), Jarrad Butler (Conor Oliver ’60), Abraham Papali’i (Paul Boyle ’45).
Replacements: Caolin Blade
BULLS: Ruan Combrinck; Cornal Hendricks, Lionel Mapoe, Harold Vorster, Stravino Jacobs (Steadman Gans ’72); Johan Goosen (Chris Smith ’61), Zak Burger (rep: Embrose Papier ‘55); Lizo Gqoboka (rep: Simphiwe Matanzima ‘55), Joe van Zyl (rep: Bismarck du Plessis ’50), Jacques van Rooyen (rep: Mornay Smith ’55); Walt Steenkamp (Janko Swanepoel 63), Ruan Nortje; Marcell Coetzee (captain), Arno Botha, Elrigh Louw (Jacques du Plessis ’50).
Referee: Ben Blain (SRU)
A fantastic performance by connacht. It’d be great to see Tom farrell get a shot for Ireland in the November tests, he just looks a superior all round 13 to both Chris farrell and ringrose
@Tim Magner: a baller
@Tim Magner: He has to be in the conversation now at least. I still think with Ireland we don’t pick players to exploit opposition weaknesses enough. Between the 5 lads (including Aki and Henshaw) there’s a serious combination of skills.
@Cian Nolan: daly aswell looks a class act, mccloskey and Hume up North, its an embarrassment of riches. And frawley as a 12 could be anything
Headline sums it up really. Shakey start but Connacht were by far the better team. Hansen got mom but really should have gone to one of the back rowers for the first half performance. Butler, Papalii and especially Prendergast were superb. Great game to watch.
@Ro Molloy: It could have been given to any number of players. Carty was excellent again with incredibly quick hands and he shipped a couple of heavy hits by bravely taking the ball to the line. Both centres were top drawer aswell. Prendergast just keeps getting better and better but the rest of the pack put in a Trojan shift too, the starting props were particularly impressive.
@Max Power:
Carty defence has improved. He is looking good at the moment, he will be asking questions this year again
After the first 15 minutes, this was the best performance from Connacht i have seen in a long time, no silly penalties, ball placement after the tackle first class, ball handling great, defensive maul good.Saw then last when they were rushing everything and made a few mistakes which cost them the game, but today so many of them played brilliantly, great to see O’Halloran starting to look his old self. Can somebody inform me what has Marmion has done to the irish team management.
@Michael Colleary: he’s not from Leinster or Munster ?
Great game to watch. Brilliant top photo
Sort forward Mach Hanson, has to be in my top 5 tries of all time.
Heard O’Driscoll today talk about 10s taking it to the line and risking getting smashed
Carty did that all night long. Great game
After 10 mins, I said it to my lads, when Carty is in that sort of form he is one of the best 10s in the country, he was so aggressive in the tackle, his hands were superb and his kick from hand was top class.the pack and sub forwards were immense I also thought 9 10 11 12 13 were phenomenal
@Pol O’Broin: you must have missed him kicking out on the full. He played well but his kicking was a bit iffy.
@Trevor Johnston: Shaky performance by the team over all in the first quarter. Carty was peerless after that. He kicked everything from the tee until the last couple of tries when the game was won. His non-selection for Ireland is baffling.
The bulls were dreadful.
I thought Daly and Prendergast had great a game. Either really could have gotten motm. This was a really big step up from last weeks debacle. Daly was fantastic last week too, perhaps the only standout player for Connacht last week.
However, I can’t stop there all the lads put in a shift and great to see TOH on fire. One of his best games in a while. When TOH is on fire he’s amazing to watch.
Overall the best thing is the team redeemed themselves, that’s the important thing. It’s not how many times you fall, it’s how you get back up! Connacht lit up the west last night…. Looking forward to seeing their next game!
@Con Cussed: sums up a great display.
Also big props to the ref. Let a lot go but let it go for both sides which added to a free flowing game.
Makes a change from a lot of refereeing we have seen over the lockdown
Liked them way he played the crowd too for Hanson’s try too