Cathal Forde grabs double as Connacht march on 

Stuart Lancaster’s maiden season gets better and better.

Connacht's Cathal Forde scores his side's second try despite Hakeem Kunene of Hollywoodbets Sharks. Pic: Tom O’Hanlon/Inpho

Challenge Cup: Connacht 29 Sharks 12 

Cathal Forde, who crossed for two tries, said Connacht laid the foundation for victory in the opening half when they withstood enormous pressure from the Sharks.

Connacht trailed by five points at the break but took control when they had the elements after the restart and Forde made the pressure count with his first tries of the season.

“It was a very difficult wind in the first half but we defended very well and then came at them in the second half and thankfully the pressure paid off,” said Forde.

Sharks, having played with the wind and rain behind, led by 12-7 at the break having enjoyed 67% in the opening half.

The Connacht defence was superb as the Durban side came at them in waves, constantly putting boot to ball but contesting the aerial challenges extremely well.

They hit the front with a sixth-minute penalty from outhalf Jean Smith, son of Glasgow head coach Franco, but then opted for the right corner with two easier kicks after that.

And while the Sharks, with Springbok Eben Etzebeth back after his 12-week ban for gouging, won the lineouts, they couldn't find a way through a defence which made 117 tackles to 41 in the opening half, chalking a 94% success rate in execution.

That meant the Sharks couldn’t find a way through and Smith opted for the posts after 21 minutes to extend the lead to 6-0.

Connacht made their first foray to the Sharks' 22 count. Hooker Dave Heffernan made the hard yards initially down the right, quick feed across saw Bundee Aki step the tackle before feeding Shamus Hurley-Langton and he put Chay Mullins away down the left to score his first try since he dotted down against the Sharks in the league in November.

Sam Gilbert, back from injury and coming into the game with a 88% success rate off the tee, landed a superb conversion from the left to edge Connacht 7-6 in front after 22 minutes.

Connacht spent most of the remainder of the half inside their own half, a 7-0 penalty count not helping their cause, but their line remained intact and all the Sharks could muster were two more penalties from Smith to lead 12-7 at the break.

Connacht finally got a penalty when scrumhalf Matthew Devine was not released by Makazole Mapimpi and a few phases and a penalty to the right corner ended with a try after several short bursts when Forde got in under the posts for his first try since the Challenge Cup quarter-final loss to Racing 92 a year ago.

Gilbert added the extras in front of the posts to push Connacht 14-12 in front.

A break from deep by Devine was the origin of the try which pushed Connacht clear with Shamus Hurley-Langton finishing off another patient series of forays off a lineout to lead 19-12 after 55 minutes.

Forde then wrapped it up when Paul Boyle put him through the middle to again score under the posts. Gilbert converted and then added a penalty from the right to push the lead out to 29-12 with 13 minutes remaining and they saw it home from there with ease as Lancaster’s maiden season gets better and better.

Scorers: 

Connacht: Tries: C Forde (2), C Mullins, S Hurley-Langton. Cons: S Gilbert (3). Pen: Gilbert.

Sharks: Pens: J Smith (4).

Connacht: S Gilbert (J Devine 68); S Jennings, C Forde, B Aki, C Mullins; J Ioane (S Naughton 18), M Devine (C Reilly 67); B Bohan (P Dooley 53), D Heffernan (D Tierney-Martin 56), S Illo (F Bealham 53); J Joyce (N Murray 63), D Murray; J Murphy (P Boyle 56), S Hurley-Langton, C Prendergast (c).

Sharks: H Kunene (S Masuku 63); E van der Merwe, L Malan, M Potgieter, M Mapimpi; J Smith, R Braude (C Everson 68); O Nche (L Mazibuko 56), E Swart (E Bester 58), V Koch (M Mdanda 56); E Etzebeth (C Rahl 56), D Slabbert; T Mavesere (V Tshituka 56), J Potgieter, Nick Hatton (c).

Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland).