Connacht take heart from hard earned tries

Connacht 24, Bristol Shoguns 33

The concession of five tries - two from intercepts in each half - proved Connacht¹s ultimate failing against English Premiership side Bristol Shoguns at the Galway Sportsground last evening.

However Connacht will take heart from their own tally of three tries, all hard earned and well worked efforts, particularly when they turned first half defending into attack in the second half.

Lining out with an experimental side that featured six new players at senior provincial level, Connacht found their rhythm in the second half, helped by the introductionof old warriers Eric Elwood and former Australian lock Warwick Waugh, making his debut for the province.

Having kept Bristol at bay despite some concerted pressure, poor Connacht tackling gifted Jamie Williams the opening try after 14 minutes, while the left winger was again the grateful recipient of poor Connacht passing, intercepting from inside his own 22 to claim the third try.

Sandwiched between were two worthy efforts from each side. Connacht¹s opened their tally on 15 minutes after Paul Flannery and Paul Neville created the opening for outhalf Shane Moore to scamper in, while at the other end English u-21 player Duncan Hayward finished off a quickly taken

tap penalty.

A more confident Connacht in the second half were rewarded when debutant James Norton found the space out wide to score after 54 minutes after Neville took a quick tap penalty 10m out , but Connacht provided Bristol with their second gift try when substitute Brendan Daniel ¹s intercept kept

the Shoguns in front.

Henry Bourke closed the gap after 75 minutes, but Williams finished off the Shoguns scoring with his hat-trick in the dying moments, giving Bristol a deserved victory for their superior control and

confidence in attack.

Connacht: J Meagher, J Norton, D O¹Sullivan, M McPhail, T Robinson, S Moore, C Keane, D McFarland (cpt), J Flannery, F Boiroux, A Maher, R Frost, M Swift, P Neville, P Neville, J O¹Sullivan.Replacements, H Bourke for Flannery (30m), C Rigney for Maher (h/t), W Waught for Swift (55m), E Elwoord for Moore (60m), M Wall for Keane (60m), T Allnutt for O¹Sullivan

(70m).

Bristol Shoguns: J Clarke, M Johnson, D Rees, D Hayward, J Williams, M Carrington, P Richards, T Payne, S Nelson, R Skuse, S Morgan, B Sturnham (cpt), C Short, M Salter, R Oakley. Replacements, B Daniel for Johnson (h/t), A Sheridan for Morgan (55m), S Drahn for Carrington (73m)

Referee: Gearoid Doyle (Ulster)

Scoring sequence

8m Williams try, Carrington conversion 0 - 7

15m Moore try and conversion 7 - 7

23m Hayward try, Carrington conversion 7 - 14

31m Williams try, Carrington conversion 7 - 21

39m Moore drop goal 10 - 21

Half time 10 - 21

54m Norton try, Moore conversion 17 - 21

65m Daniel Try, Carrington conversion 17 - 28

75m Bourke try, Elwood conversion 24 - 28

80m Williams try 24 - 33