Connacht keep URC qualification hopes alive with win over gutsy Ospreys

Connacht's Darragh Murray feels the force of the scrum. Pic: James Crombie/Inpho

URC: Connacht 21 Ospreys 14 

Connacht captain Paul Boyle said he’s gutted not to get the bonus point even though they extended their winning run to five games and keep their URC qualification hopes alive.

But they were made to fight all the way by a gutsy Ospreys side who paid a big price when skipper Jac Morgan was binned in the closing stages when Ulster-bound scrumhalf Matthew Devine came off the bench to score the winning try.

“It’s nice to get five from five,” said Boyle. “But we are really gutted not to get the bonus point. But we were not good enough and it is a small step backwards on recent weeks.” 

The sides were deadlocked at 7-7 at the break after Connacht, playing against the strong wind, had to saturate enormous pressure in front of a crowd of 7,943.

They got a break just before the interval when a try from captain Morgan was scratched after a pass from outhalf Dan Edwards, who had made a superb break from deep, was adjudged on review to have been forward.

That came after Connacht sustained huge pressure after conceding a string of penalties inside their 22 which did not incur a card from Italian referee Federico Vedovelli.

The Connacht defence was good and after hooker Dave Heffernan stopped centre Evardi Boshoff short of the line, winger Shane Jennings got hands on the ball and won the relieving penalty.

Connacht had laid down an early marker with some good possession rugby into the breeze and they were rewarded after eleven minutes when Shamus Hurley-Langton crowned his first match in three months from injury with a try from close range after Josh Murphy had won a lineout in the right corner.

Fullback Sean Naughton converted but then had to switch to the left wing when Finn Treacy, a double try scorer in the win away to Uister last week, went off injured with Jack Carty coming in at outhalf and Josh Ioane switching to 15.

The Ospreys deservedly got back on level terms after 23 minutes when winger Dan Kasende, who had started the move with a break down the right, squeezed over after several forays after a tapped penalty but they were unable to hit the front from sustained pressure in the second quarter.

Connacht wasted little time in getting on top after the restart and Hurley-Langton bulldozed for his second try after they opted for a scrum from a penalty in front of the posts and then went wide a couple of phases later. Naughton added a fine conversion from the left to make it 14-7 after 46 minutes.

Connacht lost lock Darragh Murray to a yellow card for coming in from the side and while they survived the initial foray, they paid a heavy price when a punt from the 22 from Carty carried all the way over the deadball line.

Ospreys got a penalty advantage from the scrum but didn’t need it as they played the ball through the hands to send Luke Morgan in from the right and he managed to get near enough the posts for Edwards to drill the conversion into the wind and level the match at 14-14 after 56 minutes.

Connacht had plenty of possession but Ospreys defended well but then it all changed eight minutes from time. Devine tapped and went from a penalty inside halfway and captain Morgan couldn’t resist tackling him, ending his afternoon with a yellow card.

Naughton went for the posts from 40 metres but the wind pulled it left and wide.

But from the restart Naughton broke in midfield and had Devine on his shoulder to race in and score the winner under the posts.

There was still time to get the try bonus point but Ospreys held out for a deserved losing bonus point.

Scorers for Connacht: Tries: S Hurley-Langton (2), M Devine; Cons: S Naughton (3).

Scorers for Ospreys: Tries: D Kasende, L Morgan; Cons: D Edwards (2).

CONNACHT: S Naughton; S Jennings, C Forde (Murphy 68), B Aki, F Treacy (J Carty 17); J Ioane, B Murphy (M Devine 63); D Buckley (B Bohan 52), D Heffernan (M Victory 66), F Bealham (S Illo 52); N Murray (D O’Connor 59), D Murray; J Murphy (S O’Brien 59), S Hurley-Langton (O McCormack 69), P Boyle (c).

OSPREYS: J Walsh; D Kasende, E Boshoff (M Nagy 51), K Williams, L Morgan; D Edwards, L Davies (H Williams 79); S Thomas (G Phillips 53), S Parry (E Daniel 66), R Henry (B Warren 53); R Davies (R Smith 53), H Sutton; J Ratti (J Fender 73), J Morgan (c), M Morse (M Morris 51).

Referee: Frederico Vedovelli (Italy).