Connacht give URC knockout hopes boost with bonus point win over Scarlets

Fiachna Barrett, right, and John Devine of Connacht after the final whistle. Pic: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile

URC: Connacht 31 Scarlets 14

Flanker Seán Jansen took his try haul to ten for the season as Connacht gave their URC knockout hopes a massive boost with a bonus point win at Dexcom Stadium.

It’s their third win in a row and gives them a fighting chance of a top half finish and a place in next season’s Champions Cup in addition to reaching the league quarter-finals.

Connacht led 12-0 at the end of the opening half thanks to a pair of hard-earned tries from Jansen as the Irish-qualified Kiwi took his try haul into double figures this season.

But Stuart Lancaster’s men didn’t have it all their own way in a match where Scarlets were missing 20 players and Connacht unavailable list jumped to 19 when loosehead Denis Buckley had to be replaced by Peter Dooley before kick-off.

And Connacht lost full-back Sam Gilbert after ten minutes, with the New Zealander having been taken out in the air by winger Macs Page when he fielded a high clearance earlier in the contest.

Seán Naughton came on at out half and took over the kicking duties with Josh Ioane switching to full-back.

Early pressure eventually yielded an opening try for Connacht after 16 minutes when Jansen, who delivered the winning try with the clock in the red last time out against Glasgow Warriors, found a gap after they pounded the Scarlets line. Naughton converted from the left to make it 7-0.

Four minutes later John Devine, making his first start, raced through to score after his former Garbally College and Ballinasloe RFC teammates Colm Reilly and Shane Jennings were involved in the build-up along with Cathal Forde and Naughton, but the try was scratched on review when Devine was adjudged to have impeded Scarlets centre Joe Roberts.

Scarlets Johnny Williams tackled by Eoin de Buitléar and Joe Joyce. Pic: Tom O’Hanlon/Inpho

Scarlets then enjoyed a good bout of possession but struggled to get through a solid defence with Dooley doing superbly to get under Munster-bound hooker Marnus van der Merwe from a tapped penalty after 26 minutes.

Connacht extended their lead three minutes before the break. Paul Boyle won an excellent penalty inside halfway, and a couple of penalties later to the left corner eventually yielded a second try for Jansen.

The lead was pushed out to 19-0 six minutes after the restart when tighthead Jack Aungier got in under the posts but just when it seemed Connacht were about to push on and wrap up the bonus point, they found their lead shredded to five points when Scarlets scored two converted tries in the next seven minutes.

Centre Joe Roberts outpaced Chay Mullins to score the first after a chip from the other winger Page and then Roberts sent his fullback Ioan Jones through to score with 18-year-old replacement Carwyn Leggatt-Jones converted both.

The Connacht ship was steadied when 131kg replacement tighthead Fiachna ‘Big Red’ Barrett from Geesala in north Mayo burst through and when he was stopped, he was back on his feet for the recycle and got over for his first try for the province. Naughton’s conversion made it 24-14 after 57 minutes.

Connacht dominated after that but they didn’t cross again eleven minutes from time when replacement hooker Eoin de Buitlear got through after another tapped penalty.

Scorers for Connacht: Tries: S Jansen (2), J Aungier, F Barrett, E de Buitlear. Cons: S Naughton (3).

Scorers for Scarlets: J Roberts, I Jones. Cons: C Leggatt-Jones (2).

CONNACHT: S Gilbert (S Naughton 10); S Jennings, J Devine, C Forde (O McCormack 62), C Mullins; J Ioane, C Reilly (B Murphy 57); P Dooley (J Duggan 52), D Tierney-Martin (E de Buitlear 30), J Aungier (F Barrett 52); D O’Connor (N Murray 62), J Joyce; J Murphy, P Boyle (c), S Jansen (S O’Brien 60).

SCARLETS: I Jones (T Lewis 65); J Davies, J Roberts (G McDonald 62), J Williams, M Page; C Leggatt-Jones, G Davies (A Hughes 46); K Mathias (S O’Connor 60), M van der Merwe (Harry Thomas 65), Henry Thomas (H O’Connor 46); S Lousi (D Davis 65), J Ball (J Price 20-30, 46); M Douglas, J Taylor, F Anderson (c).

Referee: Ru Campbell (Scotland).