Connacht hopes take a beating

CHALLENGE CUP Harlequins 20 Connacht 9:CONNACHT'S EUROPEAN hopes took a beating at the Twickenham Stoop last evening when Harlequins lived up to their favourites' tag with a hard-fought Amlin Challenge Cup third round win.

Despite Connacht’s endeavours, they gifted Conor O’Shea’s team two tries and the Londoners’ had sufficient pace and ability to capitalise on their chances. They have now consolidated their lead in Pool One, making it unlikely Connacht will qualify this season.

Although Connacht created opportunities and had more than enough possession, they once again struggled to provide the finishing touches and lacked the necessary composure in attack. Instead they conceded two soft tries in each half that effectively ended the game as a contest.

The former Challenge Cup winners, boasting five internationals, possessed a well-organised defence, and gave little away at the breakdown.

Harlequins’ director of coaching Conor O’Shea was frustrated with his side’s lack of possession, but his Connacht counterpart Eric Elwood said he would take winning ugly any day.

Connacht found themselves 7-0 down after eight minutes when poor defending proved costly. A kick deep into Connacht territory gave them the position, and despite Miah Nikora’s clearance, former All Black Nick Evans set up the counterattack from a quick-throw-in. Tom Guest found little resistance from Connacht’s poor scrambled defence and it was one of the softest tries Connacht have conceded this season.

Harlequins relished the opportunities to counter from deep, opting to take quick lineouts which put the visitors’ defence under pressure, and it resulted in three more points from Evans six minutes later when a Connacht tackler was pinged for not releasing. However Connacht replied two minutes later with the first of three penalties from outhalf Miah Nikora.

Before the break both outhalves exchanged kicks to leave Harlequins in front by 13-6 although the home side could have scored again, but for a try-saving tackle from Brian Tuohy just inches from the line.

However Connacht’s lack of precision with the ball in hand provided Harlequins with the opportunity 10 minutes after the restart when good work by Tom Guest allowed Mike Brown in for try number two.

The 20-6 lead proved too much for Connacht despite Nikora kicking a third penalty in the 56th minute to reduce the deficit.

HARLEQUINS: M Brown, G Comacho, G Lowe, T Casson, T Williams, N Evans, K Dickson, J Marler, J Gray, J Johnston, O Kohn, T Vallejos, T Guest, C Robshaw (capt), W Skinner, T Guest. Replacements: M Cairns for Marler, C Jones for Gray, and M Lambert fot Johnston (all 51), P Browne for Vallejos (75), J Turner-Hall for Casson and C York for Guest (both 62),

CONNACHT: G Duffy, B Tuohy, I Keatley, K Matthews, F Carr, M Nikora, F Murphy, B Wilkinson, S Cronin, J Hagan, M Swift, M McCarthy, A Browne, J O'Connor, J Muldoon (cpt). Replacements:, R Loughney for Hagan (48), C Willlis for Murphy and M MComish for O'Connor (51,) B Upton for Browne and R Ah You for Hagan (62), T Nathan for Nikora (71m), A Wynne for Duffy (79).

Referee: Pascal Gauzere(France).