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).
It wasn’t tongue in cheek though. Crook has has several discussions on his shows about this. Fair play to Ferguson for slapping that down the way he did
It was a question and he answered it perfectly. My god… the drama.
@IrishOwl: the same question he has answered a few times already.with crook been the “chief football correspondent” thought he would know the answer coming better than most.he was 100% been smart and trying make light of it now. Gobsh**t for talksh**t.
@Paully kells: think your a bitter man paulie. always angry. maybe open a beer and relax a bit.
We have had our fair share of English born players playing for Ireland, not to mention the hatred towards two current English internationals who were born and grew up in England. We had a CEO that wanted to be the 33rd team in a world cup. Don’t think we’re in any position to criticize these questions.
@Louise Murphy: he’s not bitter at all Lou, I enjoy Paullys comments here and on this occasion he is right. Mute him if it annoys you.
@Louise Murphy: not atal..but I’d say the young lad is getting rather sick of the same question over and over..he’s made it clear…take care
Why do the Sky sports commentators pronounce the foreign player’s names properly eg Henry or Pires , bit they don’t pay the irish player’s the same respect eg Moran, Kernaghan, Hourihane (though they do pronounce this name properly now since he took them up on it live on television)?
@Louis Jacob: Probably for the same reason Hollywood can’t do the Irish accent.
@Louis Jacob: bit they dont?
The Brits have such a polite way of being ignorant.
I suspect a lot of German fans would like to see Harry Kane line out for them. But the English wouldn’t take it too well if he was constantly pestered about it. Tin ear stuff really..
Crook-cheif football correspondent for talk sh**t he hasn’t much between the ears,and he knows damn well he was been disrespectful, well done to Evan with he’s reply put him into place.
The audacity of that question !!
Ignorant on so many levels. Ferguson is ineligible for England now. He doesn’t feel English at all. He is Irish and proud, born and bred here with an Irish father. Yes his mother is English but very disrespectful to be still asking him now.
Talk Sport is trash!
And Rice can’t remember singing come out you black and tans now
I’m all mixed up regarding the rules, does anyone actually know what they are?
You don’t hear them asking any of the English players why they are committed to England……..
A lit bit of English mischief to get some harmless revenge for the abuse Rice and Grealish got when they switched over.
@John Pembroke: deserved all the abuse they got, pair of shitehawks