Forde holds his nerve as Connacht edge tense Scarlets affair
TENSE AFFAIR: Connacht's Ben Murph right, celebrates with Bundee Aki after scoring his side's third try. Picture: Gareth Everett/Sportsfile
Connacht seem determined to torment their supporters this year with mad-cap encounters but few will protest if they can keep managing to win topsy-turvy encounters which swing all over the place.
Their best player after three games this season was their hero in this one in west Wales as Cathal Forde kept his composure to land a match-winning penalty from the right wing two minutes from the end in Llanelli.
The 23-year-old delivered a perfect kick from the wing in a game where the lead changed hands five times.
Connacht led 21-14 at the end of a chaotic opening half, racing into a 14-0 lead after just 15 minutes before a yellow card to Bundee Aki saw them hauled back before they again hit the front before the break.
Early pressure from Connacht failed to yield a score but then they gifted the visitors a try when full-back Ioan Nicholas threw a wild pass back inside to nobody after a chip from Jack Carty and Piers O’Conor was alert to pounce and score his first try for the province since his summer move from Bristol.
Carty added a superb conversion and a brilliant 50:22 from O’Conor led to a yellow card for Tom Rogers when the Scarlets winger prevented a quick throw.
Connacht went to the corner and hooker Dave Heffernan got over after a sustained drive but the score was scratched on review when flanker Josh Murphy was pinged for obstruction.
Connacht availed of the extra man for Carty to chip and Mack Hansen to race in to score, with the conversion making it 14-0 and the small crowd in the soulless Parc y Scarlets must have feared the worst.
But then Aki, playing his first match of the season was binned for a high tackle on out-half Sam Costelow and by the time he returned Scarlets were level.
They scored off the initial penalty, going to touch down the right and working the ball infield with centre Blair Murray making the key break that sent scrum-half Gareth Davies in for the first of his two opening half tries.
Connacht wore down the clock with some good touch-finders from Carty but Scarlets, after Connacht full-back Santiago Cordero had knocked off after an attacking scrum near the 22, broke from deep and used the extra man perfectly as they created overlaps throughout the field for Johnny Williams to send Davies in for another converted try.
Scarlets pressed before the break but after messing up after a penalty to the right corner, Connacht made them pay as Finlay Bealham won another scrum penalty. An excellent inside pass from Aki put Conor Oliver away from inside his own 22 and when he was finally nabbed before halfway, Paul Boyle was on his shoulder to take it up and send scrum-half Ben Murphy away for his third try of the season. Carty’s conversion made it 21-14 at the interval.
The second-half was a much more mundane affair. Scarlets hit back after the restart with Sam Costelow converting a penalty off the left post and then while he was temporarily off the field, Ioan Lloyd also landed a penalty via the same upright to cut the gap to 21-20 after 51 minutes.
Connacht turned down penalty opportunities and went to the corner but were unable to finish the move and extend their lead and secure their third try bonus point in a row.
And it looked like they might pay a price when Costelow edged Scarlets in front with a penalty seven minutes from time after Hansen was nabbed as he tried to run the ball from inside his 22 and the support didn’t get there in time.
But then two minutes from time Hansen did superbly keep the ball in play just outside the Scarlets 22 and as Connacht piled forward, Scarlets replacement hooker Marnus van der Merwe was penalised for not releasing.
That presented Forde, who had taken over the kicking duties after Carty went off, with the opportunity to win and he duly delivered a perfect kick from the right touchline to secure the win.
Tries: G Davies (2). Cons: S Costelow (2). Pens: Costelow (2), I Lloyd.
Tries: P O’Conor, M Hansen, B Murphy. Cons: J Carty (3). Pen: C Forde.
I Nicholas (I Lloyd 43-57, 63); T Rogers, J Williams, E James, B Murray; S Costelow (M Page 46, C Tuipulotu 59), G Davies; A Hepburn (K Mathias 41), R Elias (M van der Merwe 56), H Thomas (S Wainwright 56), S Lousi (A Craig 63), M Douglas, J Macleod (capt), D Davis, T Plumtree (Craig 36-41).
S Cordero (D Hawkshaw 64); M Hansen, C Forde, B Aki, P O’Conor; J Carty (S Bolton 54), B Murphy (C Blade 55); D Buckley (P Dooley 52), D Heffernan (D Tierney-Martin 52), F Bealham (T Lasisi 64); N Murray (O Dowling 56), D O’Connor; J Murphy, C Oliver, C Prendergast (c) (P Boyle 32).
Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa).
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