Pat Lam says Connacht will recover from heartbreak

Gloucester 40 Connacht 32 (AET): It had all the hallmarks of past heartbreaks. Connacht, punching above their weight, looked set to close in on the ultimate prize, only to be denied at the bitter end, whether by their own hand, or by questionable refereeing decisions.

Connacht coach Pat Lamsaid the journey to elite rugby is far from over. “It’s hard, hard. No one gave us a chance, and we should have and could have won it. For us, we are going to get better and we will build on it next year,” he said. “We are on a journey of where we want to take Connacht Rugby, and this is all part of it.”

Despite another poor start, Connacht went 25-18 up and looked like marching towards Champions Cup rugby and a home date with Bordeaux-Begles when Gloucester struck for a late try and send the game into extra-time.