Nine-try rout helps Connacht blow off steam and Lyon to put troubles to one side
HEAVY WEATHER: A general view of a scrum during the EPCR Challenge Cup Pool 1 match between Connacht and Lyon Olympique at Dexcom Stadium in Galway. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Ben Murphy scored a hat-trick as Connacht put their troubles on and off the field behind them by running in nine tries against Lyon at Dexcom Stadium to guarantee top spot in Pool 1 of the Challenge Cup even before they head to Cardiff for the final round next weekend.
Murphy, who signed a contract extension during the week, was in superb form as Connacht put their disappointing league form behind them.
“I think it is testimony to how we have responded. We obviously had a disappointing couple of weeks in the Christmas inter-pros so to come in and put 52 points on a pretty greasy night is very happy,” said the scrum-half who took his try haul to seven in ten games since his summer move from Leinster.
Connacht’s application was top class from the outset and they raced into a 19-3 lead after 18 minutes against a Lyon side who made 14 changes to the team which edged out Perpignan in a home relegation tussle last weekend.
Lyon rallied briefly but Connacht had the bonus point in the bag by the break on a perfect night for rugby in Galway.
Connacht got a dream start when captain Cian Prendergast intercepted a pass from Italian scrum-half Martin Page-Relo as Lyon attacked and he quickly sent Murphy away from the 22 with the scrum-half scoring under the posts when he managed to escape the clutches of winger Vincent Rattez to score under the posts after less than two minutes.
Page-Relo pulled back a penalty for a Lyon side who also came into this contest having won both their opening games when he converted from the right after Dave Heffernan was pinged for a maul offence to make it 7-3 after 12 minutes.
Lyon built on that but when flanker Marvin Okuya went offside despite warnings from referee Hollie Davidson when they looked set for a 50:22, Connacht made them pay. Out-half Josh Ioane found touch five metres from the line down the left and after Prendergast won the lineout, Connacht got the drive before No.8 Sean Jansen peeled away to score after 15 minutes.
Three minutes later another good drive off a lineout ended after a few phases with tighthead Finlay Bealham getting over, with Ioane’s conversion making it 19-3.
However, Lyon hit back and while they butchered a couple of promising lineouts in the corners as Joe Joyce and Prendergast pilfered, the French got the set-piece right after 23 minutes and Fijian hooker Sam Matavesi got over, with Page-Relo converting from the right to cut the gap to 19-10.
By then Oisin Dowling was in the bin after repeated fouling by Connacht, but they didn’t concede while down a man, with Bundee Aki going into the scrum to cover for the loss of the lock.
Ioane added a penalty six minutes from the break and then a turnover by him and Aki saw Connacht counter with a penalty and a few phases off the lineout saw Aki, Ioane and Chay Mullins combine to send Murphy over for his second try and wrap up the bonus point.
Fijian winger Semi Radradra was binned for taking out Mullins after the pass as Lyon started the second-half 27-10 behind and down a man.
Interval replacement Josh Murphy scored a minute and a half after the restart and then Aki and Chay Mullins combined to send Murphy through for his hat-trick to lead 37-10 after 46 minutes.
Thibaut Regard responded for Lyon but Connacht were on top in all the key areas and they extended their lead when another replacement Jack Aungier bulldozed over after another good lineout drive after 54 minutes.
A try from replacement hooker Guillaume Marchand eleven minutes from time gave Lyon the prospect of a try bonus point which would have kept the pool alive to the final round.
But it was Connacht who finished on a high with replacement hooker Dylan Tierney-Martin getting their eighth try seven minutes from the end.
Replacement scrum-half Caolin Blade got over in the final play but the score was scratched on review when Jordan Duggan was pinged for taking out a man off the ball.
But they continued to play with the clock in the red and a penalty to the corner ended with flanker Shamus Hurley-Langton driving over for their ninth try to complete the rout.
B Murphy (3), S Jansen, F Bealham, J Murphy, J Aungier, D Tierney-Martin, S Hurley-Langton. J Ioane (2). Ioane.
S Matavesi, T Regard, G Marchand. M Page-Relo (2), M Meliande. Page-Relo.
S Cordero; C Mullins, P O'Conor, B Aki (C Forde 72), S Jennings (D Hawkshaw 53); J Ioane, B Murphy (C Blade 60); P Dooley (J Duggan 60), D Heffernan (D Tierney-Martin 53), F Bealham (J Aungier 53); O Dowling (J Murphy 41), J Joyce (P Boyle 60); C Prendergast (c), S Hurley-Langton, S Jansen.
A Tchaptchet; S Radradra, J Maraku, T Regard (A Parisien 55), V Rattez; F Smith (M Meliande 41), M Page-Relo (C Cassang 60); H Kaabeche (J Ainsley 48), S Matavesi (G Marchand 48), I Aptsiauri (L Pakihivatau 53); F Lambey (c) (K Geraci 60), T Lavanini; S Blanc-Mappaz, M Okuya (PS Pacheco 55), M Gouzou.
Hollie Davidson (Scotland).
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