CONNACHT’S HOPES OF a place in the URC knockout stages and a spot in next season’s Champions Cup rugby are all but over after a disappointing display in front of a crowd of 4,889 at Dexcom Stadium.
It was an emotional occasion as the diggers will move in to demolish the Clan Stand after this game, while several players will also move off in the next few weeks, but with Pete Wilkins labelling this a ‘must-win’ encounter to stay in the hunt, Connacht never produced the display which might net that result in an error-ridden game.
Connacht led 7-3 at the end of a tight opening half where both sides enjoyed strong periods of possession but a combination of good defending and some poor handling ensured scores were at a premium.
It took 22 minutes before the opening score arrived when Manie Libbok tapped over in front of the posts after John Porch had fumbled a high kick and Connacht coughed up the penalty a few phases later.
A good break from the retiring Tiernan O’Halloran, playing the final home game of his 238 appearances across 15 years, almost yielded the opening try but when he subsequently tapped a penalty, the Stormers got back to prevent the score.
Angelo Davids had a try ruled out down the left after a forward pass by his full-back Warrick Gelant and after winning a penalty from the resultant scrum, Connacht went to the right corner. While they didn’t score from it, they managed to pen the South Africans inside the 22 and after a couple of surges, scrum-half Caolin Blade spotted a gap and squeezed over nine minutes from the break.
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Jack Carty added the conversion from the left to extend the lead and Connacht held it until the half-time whistle after a superb defensive effort kept last year’s runners-up out.
The Stormers hit back 11 minutes after the restart when Libbok broke to set up Davids for a try which the out-half converted for a 10-7 lead.
Connacht hit back but after going to the right corner with a penalty but they butchered the opportunity with a lineout mishap.
They got back in the game on the hour, however, when a patient build-up after another penalty — this time to the left corner — yielded a try for replacement tighthead Jack Aungier just moments after coming on.
That edged Connacht 12-10 in front with Carty unable to convert but with the game hanging in the balance, it was the Stormers who showed the greater composure to earn the win.
Connacht sprung Argentine international Santiago Cordero for his first action since suffering an ACL injury in his first week in Galway last summer, with Clifden native O’Halloran given a great ovation as he went off.
Tiernan O'Halloran bids farewell to the home fans for the final time. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
But it was the Cape Town side who carved out the four match points. Libbok edged them back in front with a penalty from 40 metres after 68 minutes and he put four between them five minutes later from closer to the posts.
That was enough for the Stormer and with a trip to Leinster to come in a fortnight’s time, that might be that for Connacht’s season.
Scorers: Connacht: Tries: C Blade, J Aungier. Con: J Carty (1 from 2).
Scorers: Stormers: Try: A Davids. Con: M Libbok Pens: Libbok (3 from 3).
Connacht: Tiernan O’Halloran (Santiago Cordero ‘62); John Porch, David Hawkshaw, Bundee Aki, Byron Ralston; Jack Carty (Cathal Forde ’70), Caolin Blade (Colm Reilly ’70); Peter Dooley (Jordan Duggan ‘64), Dave Heffernan (c) (Dylan Tierney-Martin ‘70), Finlay Bealham (Jack Aungier ‘57); Joe Joyce (Murray ’69), Darragh Murray (Oisín Dowling ‘62); Cian Prendergast, Shamus Hurley-Langton (Jarrad Butler ’64), Sean Jansen (Butler ’27-‘38).
Stormers: Warrick Gelant; Suleiman Hartzenberg, Dan du Plessis (Jean-Luc du Plessis ‘77), Damian Willemse, Angelo Davids (Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu ’62); Manie Libbok, Herschel Jantjies (Stefan Ungerer ‘66); Brok Harris (Kwenzo Blose ‘77), Joseph Dweba (Andre-Hugo Venter ‘53), Frans Malherbe ((Neethling Fouche ‘53); Salmaan Moerat (c), Ruben van Heerden (Adre Smith ‘66), Evan Roos, Ben-Jason Dixon, Hacjivah Dayimani (Marcel Theunissen ‘62).
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Connacht's hopes of play-off and Champions Cup rugby all but over after Stormers defeat
Connacht 12
Stormers 16
John Fallon reports from Dexcom Stadium
CONNACHT’S HOPES OF a place in the URC knockout stages and a spot in next season’s Champions Cup rugby are all but over after a disappointing display in front of a crowd of 4,889 at Dexcom Stadium.
It was an emotional occasion as the diggers will move in to demolish the Clan Stand after this game, while several players will also move off in the next few weeks, but with Pete Wilkins labelling this a ‘must-win’ encounter to stay in the hunt, Connacht never produced the display which might net that result in an error-ridden game.
Connacht led 7-3 at the end of a tight opening half where both sides enjoyed strong periods of possession but a combination of good defending and some poor handling ensured scores were at a premium.
It took 22 minutes before the opening score arrived when Manie Libbok tapped over in front of the posts after John Porch had fumbled a high kick and Connacht coughed up the penalty a few phases later.
A good break from the retiring Tiernan O’Halloran, playing the final home game of his 238 appearances across 15 years, almost yielded the opening try but when he subsequently tapped a penalty, the Stormers got back to prevent the score.
Angelo Davids had a try ruled out down the left after a forward pass by his full-back Warrick Gelant and after winning a penalty from the resultant scrum, Connacht went to the right corner. While they didn’t score from it, they managed to pen the South Africans inside the 22 and after a couple of surges, scrum-half Caolin Blade spotted a gap and squeezed over nine minutes from the break.
Jack Carty added the conversion from the left to extend the lead and Connacht held it until the half-time whistle after a superb defensive effort kept last year’s runners-up out.
The Stormers hit back 11 minutes after the restart when Libbok broke to set up Davids for a try which the out-half converted for a 10-7 lead.
Connacht hit back but after going to the right corner with a penalty but they butchered the opportunity with a lineout mishap.
They got back in the game on the hour, however, when a patient build-up after another penalty — this time to the left corner — yielded a try for replacement tighthead Jack Aungier just moments after coming on.
That edged Connacht 12-10 in front with Carty unable to convert but with the game hanging in the balance, it was the Stormers who showed the greater composure to earn the win.
Connacht sprung Argentine international Santiago Cordero for his first action since suffering an ACL injury in his first week in Galway last summer, with Clifden native O’Halloran given a great ovation as he went off.
But it was the Cape Town side who carved out the four match points. Libbok edged them back in front with a penalty from 40 metres after 68 minutes and he put four between them five minutes later from closer to the posts.
That was enough for the Stormer and with a trip to Leinster to come in a fortnight’s time, that might be that for Connacht’s season.
Scorers: Connacht: Tries: C Blade, J Aungier. Con: J Carty (1 from 2).
Scorers: Stormers: Try: A Davids. Con: M Libbok Pens: Libbok (3 from 3).
Connacht: Tiernan O’Halloran (Santiago Cordero ‘62); John Porch, David Hawkshaw, Bundee Aki, Byron Ralston; Jack Carty (Cathal Forde ’70), Caolin Blade (Colm Reilly ’70); Peter Dooley (Jordan Duggan ‘64), Dave Heffernan (c) (Dylan Tierney-Martin ‘70), Finlay Bealham (Jack Aungier ‘57); Joe Joyce (Murray ’69), Darragh Murray (Oisín Dowling ‘62); Cian Prendergast, Shamus Hurley-Langton (Jarrad Butler ’64), Sean Jansen (Butler ’27-‘38).
Stormers: Warrick Gelant; Suleiman Hartzenberg, Dan du Plessis (Jean-Luc du Plessis ‘77), Damian Willemse, Angelo Davids (Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu ’62); Manie Libbok, Herschel Jantjies (Stefan Ungerer ‘66); Brok Harris (Kwenzo Blose ‘77), Joseph Dweba (Andre-Hugo Venter ‘53), Frans Malherbe ((Neethling Fouche ‘53); Salmaan Moerat (c), Ruben van Heerden (Adre Smith ‘66), Evan Roos, Ben-Jason Dixon, Hacjivah Dayimani (Marcel Theunissen ‘62).
Referee: Federico Vedovelli (Italy).
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Disappointment