Connacht 14

Lions 38

John Fallon reports from Dexcom Stadium

CONNACHT’S KNOCKOUT HOPES in the URC suffered a major blow when they were ousted by six tries to two by a Lions side who played over three quarters of the game with just 14 players.

It was a first ever win on Irish soil for the Lions and a first home defeat by Connacht in 10 games against South African sides.

And the Lions were full value for the win, which also puts a big dent in Connacht’s hopes of securing Champions Cup rugby for next season.

The Lions lost huge 153kg tighthead Asenathi Ntlabakanye to a straight red card when he dashed early and hit Conor Oliver high after 17 minutes, just as the Connacht flanker was about to tap a penalty, and it turned out to be a double blow for the visitors as Cian Prendergast managed to squeeze over in the move and score with JJ Hanrahan converting.

That tied the game as it was the Lions who hit the front after seven minutes when they punished sloppy Connacht play. Hooker Tadhg McElroy was unable to connect with his jumper in a lineout around the 22 and Lions made the turnover count with Francke Horn getting in for his fifth try of the campaign after the Lions wore down the home cover with loosehead JP Smith sending his number eight over and Jordan Henrikse converting.

Andrew Smith should have responded but while he raced in from the left with none of the Lions laying a hand on him, he failed to ground the ball when fullback Quan Horn tackled him as he went over.

Connacht failed to make the extra man count when they had the breeze behind them in the opening half. Hanrahan failed to find touch when they won a scrum penalty, while he also kicked a restart dead after the Lions got their second try after 26 minutes, flanker JC Pretorious going over after a five-metre lineout.

There was a let-off for Connacht before the break when Lions, handed possession when David Hawkshaw’s pass went to touch, scored again — but the try by scrum-half Sanele Mohamba was scratched when centre Marius Louw was pinged for obstructing lock Joe Joyce.

But the Johannesburg side extended their 12-7 interval lead nine minutes after the restart when winger Edwill van der Merwe scored from deep after intercepting Byron Ralston’s pass just as Connacht were building phases.

Henrikse’s conversion made it 19-7 but Connacht got back in contention when a neat pass from Cathal Forde put Hanrahan over by the posts, with the conversion leaving five between them.

But Connacht were unable to complete the comeback and Lions secured the bonus point 17 minutes from time when centre Erish Cronje stepped inside replacement tighthead Sam Illo to score a converted try to lead 26-14.

They sealed the win 10 minutes from time when a superb offload by Pretorious to van der Merwe was fed back inside for Francke Horn to score his second try down the left.

And the Lions turned the screw in the dying moments when they broke from deep for replacement Morne van den Berg to score just moments after coming on.

Scorers:Connacht: Tries: Prendergast, Hanrahan. Cons: Hanrahan (2 from 2).
Lions: Tries: F Horn (2), Pretorious, van der Merwe, Cronje, van den Berg. Cons: Hendrikse (4 from 6).

Connacht: Tiernan O’Halloran; Byron Ralston, David Hawkshaw, Cathal Forde, Andrew Smith; JJ Hanrahan (Jack Carty ’56), Caolin Blade (c) (Colm Reilly ’66); Denis Buckley (Jordan Duggan ’51), Tadgh McElroy (Dave Heffernan ‘51), Jack Aungier (Sam Illo ‘51); Niall Murray, Joe Joyce (Darragh Murray ‘54); Cian Prendergast, Conor Oliver (Shamus Hurler-Langton ’17), Sean O’Brien (Paul Boyle ’65).

Emirates Lions: Quan Horn; Richard Kriel, Erich Cronje (Stean Pienaar ’78), Marius Louw (c), Edwill van der Merwe; Jordan Hendrikse (Morne van den Berg ’78), Sanele Nohamba; JP Smith (Morgan Naude ’56), PJ Botha (Jaco Visagie ’56), Asenathi Ntlabakanye; Etienne Oosthuizen (Darrien Landsberg ‘10), Reinhard Nothnagel (Izan Esterhuizen ’79); JC Pretorius, Emmanuel Tshituka (Conraad van Vuuren ’18), Francke Horn.

Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)