Connacht must turn it around quickly

Scarlets 17 Connacht 8: After a third successive loss, Connacht are in choppy waters, and Edinburgh’s impending visit to the Sportsground has taken on a must-win feeling.

Connacht have never suffered three losses on the bounce at the start of the Pro 12, but coach Pat Lam believes there was enough in their display in a rain-sodden Parc y Scarlets on Saturday to suggest the Pro 12 champions can turn the corner.

There was greater intensity to Connacht’s display and a well-orchestrated try in the first-half, but they allowed the home side to dominate the second-half through Rhys Patchell’s kicking game, and the finishing prowess of Welsh player Liam Williams proved lethal.