Mack Hansen returns from injury as Connacht pipped by Vannes

Mack Hansen of Connacht, right, and teammates. Pic: Bapiste Fernandez/Sportsfile

Vannes 36 Connacht 35 

Irish winger Mack Hansen made a successful return from injury for his first game since last December as Connacht were pipped at the death by Vannes in Brittany.

The 28-year-old played 52 minutes of the preseason friendly while fellow Australian, centre Byron Ralston, returned for his first action since suffering a knee injury last October.

Connacht’s first match of the new season was delayed by half an hour after their team bus was delayed in traffic due to an accident.

And the wheels came off the Connacht effort in the final quarter as Vannes, who open their Top 14 campaign away to Castres next week, came from 16 points down in the final 17 minutes to score in the final play and win the game.

Connacht, who open their URC campaign at home to the Stormers in four weeks, led 21-12 at the break with full-back Sam Gilbert scoring twice and unlucky to be denied a hat-trick when he chased a break and chip from John Devine in the opening stages of the game but was adjudged not to have grounded the ball.

Shane Jennings got Connacht off the mark after 27 minutes before Hansen set up Gilbert for his first six minutes later and then the Kiwi intercepted inside his own 22 and outpaced home winger Romaric Camou in an 85-metre sprint to score.

Josh Ioane, sharp throughout the opening half, pounced on a hacked clearance to score three minutes after the break, while winger Finn Treacy scored their fifth — all converted from an assortment of angles by the impressive Gilbert — after 53 minutes on a night when Connacht used 28 players.

Vannes, back for their second Top 14 campaign after being relegated 15 months ago, used 31 players with 38-year-old Tongan No.8 Sione Kalamafoni leading a strong pack which gave them the foundation to dominate the closing stages and snatch victory in front of a full house of 12,500 at Stade de la Rabine in southern Brittany.

Connacht: S Gilbert; S Jennings, J Devine, B Ralston, M Hansen; J Ioane, C Reilly; J Duggan, E de Buitléar, F Barrett; N Murray, D O'Connor; S O'Brien, S Hurley-Langton, P Boyle. 

Replacements used: D Tierney-Martin, J Cahir, T Connolly, D Walsh, M Flynn, B Power, B Murphy, S Naughton, S Walsh, H West, F Treacy, D Ryan, A Lindner.