Shark attack sinks Connacht

Connacht’s focus for the remainder of the season will be trying to claim a knockout spot in the PRO14 and a place in next season’s Champions Cup but they will be disappointed to bow out of the Challenge Cup without firing a decent shot.

An understrength selection for a European quarter-final told its own story about where priorities lie at the Sportsground but Andy Friend would rightly have expected that his men would test a Sale Sharks that they beat in Galway two months ago.