Living on their nerves but Connacht remain in a European race
There have been times during their Challenge Cup campaign this season when Connacht seemed to be doing their utmost to make life difficult for themselves. Saturday afternoon continued that trend - yet they remain on the cusp of a quarter-final spot after another close shave.
Understrength teams, chances squandered and soft scores conceded, have been the story of this campaign for Connacht but they have shown good survival instincts and a win in Bordeaux on Saturday will secure a quarter-final spot, possible against Worcester Warriors or the Sharks again.
“We are making breaks, you have got to make your own luck,” said coach Andy Friend. “I don’t believe we are getting the rub of the green more than anyone else. We are making our own luck. I always got told that the harder you work the luckier you get and we are working hard at the moment.” Friend admitted he couldn’t bear to watch when Sale were handed a chance to win it at the death but was relieved when they went to the corner instead of the posts.
I was surprised they didn’t kick for goal,” added Friend. “For me that’s last chance saloon. You have a crack at it, you have international players there who were probably kicking at about 80%. That’s a pretty good roll of the dice but they went to the corner and a decision which went against us in the first-half went against them that time so at least the referee was consistent.
It would have been a tough pill to swallow for Connacht had they lost it at the death but they could have had few complaints had Sale snatched the win. The hosts opened up a 17-0 lead after 23 minutes thanks to tries from Kyle Godwin and former Sharks scrum-half James Mitchell, but they butchered two five-metre lineouts and another one from a good attacking position inside the 22. Their lead was reduced to 17-7 in the final play of the opening half when Chris Ashton scored, leaving Steve Diamond’s men ten adrift with wind advantage to come.
Faf De Klerk cut the gap after 52 minutes when he nabbed their second try after Jono Ross made the hard yards down the right, but he surprisingly failed to convert having also missed a kickable penalty just after the restart.
Jack Carty, who had got Connacht off the mark with a penalty after 14 minutes and also converted both tries, had an opportunity to push Connacht’s lead out to eight at the end of the third quarter but he never got hold of a penalty from the left as he tried to steer it low into the wind.
Sale hit back and de Klerk reduced the gap to two with a penalty from the 22 to make it 17-15 with 18 minutes left.
Four minutes later he edged them in front for the first time with a kick from the left but Connacht, having got to the right corner with a penalty, then won one in a much better position and replacement out-half David Horwitz made no mistake to go 20-18 in front.
That set up a frantic finish and when Connacht turned it over as the clock was close to red, that should have been enough but they lost the lineout from a penalty and then presented Sale with a match-winning opportunity which they failed to take.
K Godwin, J Mitchell tries; J Carty 2 cons, pen; D Horwitz pen.
C Ashton, F de Klerk tries; F de Klerk con, 2 pens.
T O’Halloran; C Kelleher, K Godwin, B Aki, M Healy; J Carty, J Mitchell; D Buckley, T McCartney, F Bealham; U Dillane, J Cannon; E Masterson, J Connolly, J Butler.
Q Roux for Cannon (48), C Fainga’a for Masterson (54), C Blade for Mitchell (54), C Carey for Bealham (60), S Delahunt for McCartney (63), D Horwitz for Carty (63), M Burke for Buckley (67), D Leader for Healy (71), Cannon for Roux (77).
C Ashton; D Solomona, S James, J O’Connor, A Reed; K Wilkinson, F de Klerk; R Harrison, R Webber, W John; B Evans, J Phillips; J Ross, T Curry, J Strauss.
L James for O’Connor (56), B Curry for Strauss (63), A Ostrikov for Phillips (73).
Pierre Brousset (France).
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