Ofisa layoff dents Connacht hopes

CONNACHT are set to be with-out Ray Ofisa for their mam-moth Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final against Toulon on Friday.

The Samoan flanker was replaced in the 50th minute after suffering a recurrence of vertigo in the nine-try rout by Magners League basement rivals the Scarlets. And Connacht head coach Michael Bradley confirmed he expects to be without his back-rower for the last four tie in Galway.

Bradley said: “Ray is now a big doubt. He had his some vertigo and we thought we would risk him today. But he doesn’t seem to be ok.”

The province were on the end of a hiding by the time Ofisa departed the field in west Wales. The Scarlets were intent on not finishing bottom, surged into a 31-3 half-time lead with tighthead prop Rhys Thomas crashing over for two tries.

In between the Wales front-row’s rare exploits, Jonathan Davies and Rob McCusker touched down for a comprehensive bonus-point before the floodgates opened after the interval. Eoin Griffin scored a consolation for Connacht but Nigel Davies’ continued to ram home the advantage with tries from Josh Turnbull, a double for Regan King, a second from Davies and Sean Lamont to leave Bradley despondent.

He added: “We are disappointed with the result. But we have to recognise we didn’t have our strongest side over here. We were left to chase the match against a Scarlets side who are in good form and it was always going to be difficult.”

Connacht fell behind in the fifth minute when Rhys Priestland fired home a close-range penalty after Tiernan O’Halloran had palmed away Matthew Rees’ pass inside his 22. But Davies’ men got their just rewards in the eighth minute when Thomas bulldozed past four challengers to touchdown under the posts.

Priestland converted and the hosts had surged into a 10-point lead in as many minutes. Ian Keatley missed a 14th- minute penalty chance and the Connacht fly-half was made to pay when flanker McCusker stormed under the posts from Dan Evans’ perfectly-timed pass to seal a satisfying opening quarter for the hosts. The Scarlets were rampant and Davies scored a third try in the 24th minute after Lou Reed won an attacking line-out. Keatley got the visitors on the scoreboard with a penalty but the Scarlets completed a comprehensive first-half display by claiming the bonus-point. Priestland chipped to the left corner, Rees flicked the ball back to the lurking Thomas who added his second with ease. Priestland struck the up right with a penalty before King pounced for the fifth try on 47 minutes. Connacht managed a riposte courtesy of Griffin’s breakaway after a neat run by O’Halloran before the Scarlets added four more scores late on to seal their biggest ever Magners League win.

Scorers for Scarlets: Try: R Thomas 2, McCusker, J Davies 2, King 2, Turnbull, Lamont; Con: Priestland (4); Pen: Priestland

Scorers for Connacht: Try: Griffin; Con: Keatley; Pen: Keatley

SCARLETS: D Evans; S Lamont, R King, J Davies, A Fenby (L Williams 67); R Priestland (D Newton 77), M Roberts (T Knoyle 67); I Thomas (P John 32-40, 61), M Rees (E Phillips 72), R Thomas (D Manu 61), L Reed, D Welch (D Day 61), R McCusker, D Lyons (capt), J Turnbull

CONNACHT: L Bibo; T O’Halloran (K Campbell 53), T Nathan, E Griffin, B Tuhoy; I Keatley (M Nikora 52), C O’Loughlin; R Loughney, A Flavin (capt – D Murphy 67), R Morris (C Higgins 45), D Nolan, B Upton, A Browne (D Murphy 56-66), M McComish, R Ofisa Treviranus (E McKeown 50)

Referee: A Macpherson (SRU)