Connacht shock Stormers to secure superb bonus point win in Cape Town
STORMING WIN: Connacht's Sean Naughton celebrates with teammates after scoring his sides fifth try of the match. Pic: ©INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/EJ Langer.
Connacht produced their best display of the Stuart Lancaster era to dig deep and carve out a shock, but thoroughly deserved, bonus point win at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town.
The win now gives them a glorious chance of making the URC knockout stages and also entry into next season’s Champions Cup.
It was an emotionally charged day for the Stormers as tearful players and coaches paid tribute to their long-serving manager Chippie Solomon, who died last week, as his family brought the match ball out to the pitch.
It was almost as if Connacht brought the weather with them from Galway and both teams struggled in the wet conditions, both in the loose and set piece.
But Connacht adjusted better and scrapped away on the floor with Shayne Bolton, John Devine, Sam Illo and Sean Jansen winning some great, hard-earned, ball.
They took a lot of the emotion out of the occasion by getting on top initially, albeit after Sean Naughton overcooked the kick-off but winning a penalty against the side with the best scrum in the league was a boost.
They went down the wing and after Stormes flanker Deon Fourie was binned for a high tackle on Cian Prendergast, they pushed on from the next penalty, going across and back again with good handling before Shamus Hurley-Langton got through three challenges in the left corner after good hands from Sam Gilbert and Harry West to score after seven minutes.
Gilbert judged the difficult penalty from the left wing to perfection.
A lost lineout inside their own 22 proved costly for Connacht and while the handling by the Stormers was suspect, not least from the blitz defence operated by the visitors, they got in for an equalising try under the posts from Evan Roos after 13 minutes, one of a dozen Springboks in their starting side.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted and then edged them 10-7 in front at the break with a penalty from inside his own half.
But Connacht, despite losing skipper Prendergast temporarily and centre Cathal Forde and hooker Dave Heffernan permanently, all to injury in a bruising opening half, more than held their own.
They looked more likely to score but replacement hooker Matthew Victory was stopped inches short and the ball slipped from Jansen on the recycle.
Connacht lost Jansen to injury within a minute of the restart, and they fell 17-7 adrift after 47 minutes when a Stormers maul marched them back 20 metres before a penalty to touch ended with loosehead Ntuthuko Mchunu scoring after another good maul.
Connacht hit back and when Illo was stopped short from a lineout penalty, Paul Boyle squeezed over from the recycle with Gilbert’s conversion cutting the gap to 17-14 after 56 minutes.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu found a gap to stretch the lead out to 24-14 after 62 minutes and it looked like the Stormers would push on from there, but they made a mess of the restart and Harry West put Devine down the right for his first Connacht try after 63 minutes to leave them five behind.
The next score was going to be key. Connacht messed up a lineout on the home 22 but from the clearance, Bolton countered, chipped and chased and pounced on Stormers hesitancy to collect and send Ben Murphy through under the posts for the try bonus. Gilbert tapped over the conversion to lead 26-24.
More good kicking from Gilbert kept Stormers penned back but when they came with an onslaught three minutes from time Naughton pounced to intercept a pass from replacement scrumhalf Stefan Ungerer to race from inside his own half and score under the posts. Gilbert’s fourth conversion ensured the Stormers got nothing from the game as Connacht celebrated superb victory.
E Roos, N Mchunu, S Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu (3). Pen: Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
S Hurley-Langton, P Boyle, J Devine, B Murphy, S Naughton.
S Gilbert (4).
W Gelant; D Willemse (W Simelane 78), R Nel (c), D du Plessis, L Zas; S Feinberg-Mngomezulu, C Reinach (S Ungerer 70); N Mchunu (O Kebble 59), S Ntubeni (AH Venter 34), Z Porthen (N Fouché 50); A Smith (R van Heerden 62), JD Schickerling; D Fourie (P de Villiers 50), BJ Dixon (M Theunissen 62), E Roos.
S Gilbert; H West, J Devine, C Forde (H Gavin 5), S Bolton; S Naughton, B Murphy (C Reilly 79); B Bohan (P Dooley 56), D Heffernan (M Victory 24), S Illo (J Aungier 56); D O’Connor (J Murphy 60), D Murray; C Prendergast (c) (P Boyle 24-30), S Hurley-Langton, S Jansen (Boyle 41, O’Connor 69).
Federico Vedovelli (Italy).
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