Brilliant Blade provides cutting edge for Connacht

Bayonne 27 Connacht 29

Scrum-half Blade is the latest to come off the Connacht underage conveyor belt and the 20-year old, who had only three brief appearances off the bench before Saturday night, looked perfectly at home on his first start.

It hardly mattered that Bayonne, who face Bordeaux in a relegation game next weekend, also rested a number of players but they were stronger than the side sent to Galway where Connacht picked up a bonus point win.