Nerveless Connacht stand firm against Leinster to stay top

Connacht 7 Leinster 6: The evening’s entertainment began with a stirring rendition of ‘The West’s Awake’ and concluded with a fevered chant of ‘We Are Top Of The League’. What happened in between on a tumultuous night at the Sportsground confirmed both declarations as being right on the money.

Connacht will go into the final four matches of the regular season holding a four-point lead at the top of the Guinness Pro12 table having seen off their better resourced nearest rivals in thundering fashion on a wild and memorable evening in Galway.

Yet this was no upset. The tables were not turned here on Saturday. Connacht merely continued down the path their head coach Pat Lam set down for them when he succeeded Eric Elwood three seasons ago.