Connacht get back on track with gutsy win

Connacht 16 Bayonne 13

Bayonne had arrived as pool leaders after their victory over Harlequins, but last night they came up against a side desperate to answer the critics and get their Amlin Challenge Cup back on track.

With an intensity and aggression, particularly at the breakdown, they pegged the visitors inside their own half for long periods and despite being reduced to 14 men after the break, their defensive prowess was once again the hallmark of their success.

From the first attack, Connacht kept the ball in hand and were rewarded with a fourth-minute penalty which Keatley converted.

Some wayward kicking from hand then provided Bayonne with the initiative, and out-half Sebastian Fauque replied with a penalty from half-way.

Utilising their big pack, led by captain and international flanker Julien Puricelli, Bayonne had Connacht on the back foot on several occasions. However, Connacht met them measure for measure, led by captain John Muldoon, man-of-the-match Sean Cronin, Mike McCarthy, and an in-form Johnny O’Connor.

The scrum proved something of a lottery – providing Fauque with his second penalty – but thereafter, Connacht took the game to their opponents. Cronin scored an opportunistic try when Keatley’s kick caught number eight Marc Baget, and from the knock-on, the Connacht hooker scooped up and possession and raced in from the 10m line to score.

Despite losing Darragh Fanning to the sin-bin just before half-time, the home side maintained the pressure and created opportunities, opening up a five-point lead through Keatley’s boot.

Hard tackling from Keith Matthews and Niva Ta’auso in the centre stymied Bayonne’s counterattacking efforts out wide before a superb line break from Cronin provided the platform for Connacht’s second try. Although Fionn Carr was stopped just shy of the line, Gavin Duffy was on hand to crash over to grab a 16-6 lead.

Bayonne replied with a forward-crafted touchdown from replacement hooker David Roumieu, and scrum-half Julien Audy coverted to reduce the deficit to three points.

But a series of crunching tackles forced the turnovers, and coupled with an immense scrum, it provided Keatley with a 78th-minute penalty. Although his effort was wide Connacht had the game won.

CONNACHT: G Duffy, D Fanning, N Ta’auso, K Mathews, F Carr, I Keatley, F Murphy, B Wilkinson, S Cronin, J Hagan, M Swift, M McCarthy, J O’Connor, R Ofisa, J Muldoon (capt).

Replacements: T Nathan for Fanning (64), B Upton for McCarthy (65), B Fa’amausili for Hagan (67).

BAYONNE: P Elhorga, Y Huget, T Lacroix, S Gerber, J Peyras Loustalet, S Fauque, J Audy, P Lafond, A Heguy, T Lea’aetoa, C Treloar, T Flavell, J Puricelli (capt), R Martin, M Baget.

Replacements: D Avril for Lea’aetoa (46), A Boutaty for Trelaor (46), J Pietersen for Fauque (52), D Roumieu for Heguy (56), G Zeilger for Lacroix (56), R Linde for Baget (58), F Da Ros s for Lafond (58), C Garcia for Pietersen (62).

Referee: C Damasco (Italy)