CHALLENGE CUP Connacht 19 Worcester 7:NOT THE prettiest performance, maybe, but on a sub-zero night in Galway this remarkable, back-to-back victory against English opposition leaves Connacht entering the Christmas season on a high.
If nothing else, it was quite a parting seasonal gift to the locals from coach Michael Bradley in his final season at the province. Irish coach Declan Kidney was among those in the crowd of 2,300.
Connacht’s St Stephen’s Day visit to Thomond Park may halt this wonderful gallop but, in the Amlin Challenge Cup, they have put themselves in a great position.
They had sufficient muscle and know-how to comfortably deal with a Worcester side that, although youthful, did not come to Galway to roll over.
In typical Connacht fashion, the first half proved to be a jittery affair before they upped their game and ended the match seeking to gloss the scoreboard.
They had to be content with two tries, the first from the school-of-hard-knocks text book finished by John Muldoon, the second a gem touched down by Gavin Duffy. Loudly as the home crowd willed Robbie Morris to make it across the line in a thrilling, 78th-minute dash, the redoubtable prop was hauled down inches from glory. Still, it was a solid evening’s work.
“We said last week that if we could get anything out of the game it would make this week easier and we did that,” said Bradley afterwards.
“It was going to be difficult because the pressure switches to us, being the home game. The back line they had out there was dangerous and we had the team set up to move the ball on a wide-wide pattern and we caught ourselves out. Worcester stayed in the game easily and were able to defend us.
“In the second half, we played more emphasis on closer targets and we were more competitive. That seemed to be the format for the winning of the game.”
Connacht made heavy work of it in the first half. They were solid but lacked imagination and paid dearly for a 22nd-minute infringement from their lineout, resulting in a Worcester scrum in the heart of the Connacht 22.
From the set-piece the young English team produced the first example of crisp three-quarter play, with fullback Chris Pennell steaming onto a perfect short pass from Alex Grove and crossing the line untouched. The score highlighted everything that was lacking in the Connacht game up to that point.
And it suggested Mike Ruddock’s decision to give youth its fling here might pay off. The English team had nothing tangible to play for and consequently approached the game fearlessly.
Surprised by their 7-0 lead, they did not trouble the Connacht defence much after that but seemed content to soak up the attacks with their well-organised drift defence.
But even if Connacht were slow in starting, there were enough encouraging signs. Frank Murphy has been scapegoat when things turn bad for Connacht but he tries to make things happen and he was at the heart of the game-breaking try on 48 minutes.
It began when Bernie Upton took a beautiful lineout and, following a tremendous surge from the pack, Murphy darted through a gap and initiated a passing sequence that led to Duffy’s try.
He pre-empted that move with a terrific break after 10 minutes, when intense pack pressure on the Worcester scrum coughed up ball which Muldoon deftly flicked to Murphy and the Cork man was off and running, carrying the ball deep into the Worcester 22 and waiting for the cavalry to arrive. For a few seconds, one of the great Sportsground tries beckoned, but Murphy’s final pass – which had to cover half the field – went to ground and the chance disappeared.
John Muldoon’s commanding, bulldozing form continued last night. The captain stepped up to carry a lot of tough ball, took down two up-and-unders and was prominent throughout the field.
Connacht had to wait until the 17th minute for their first score, an Ian Keatley penalty. Their first try came just two minutes later.
The ball seemed to be drifting across the field in another ineffectual three-quarters move when Carr, overlapping from the left wing, stepped into Keatley’s pass, moved the ball to Murphy and Muldoon popped up to take the ball on the right wing and hammer a path through to touch down in the corner.
Connacht were always in control. Duffy was masterful under the high ball, Troy Nathan punched holes in the defensive line upon his introduction and, though Keatley had a mixed night kicking, his open play was always bright.
It leaves Connacht sitting pretty in the table. Montpellier come here on January 16th for what is shaping up to be the match that will define Connacht’s season. But this double over English Premiership opposition ought to be recognised as a triumph in its own right.
CONNACHT: G Duffy; L Bibo, N Ta'auso, A Wynne, F Carr; I Keatley, F Murphy; B Wilkinson, S Cronin, R Morris; M McCarthy, B Upton; J Muldoon, R Ofisa; G Naopu. Replacements: T Nathan for Bibo (53 mins), J Hagan for Morris (68 mins), M Swift for Ofisa, M McComish for Naopu (both 71 mins.
WORCESTER WARRIORS: C Pennell; M Garvey, A Grove, C McRae, R Gear; M Jones, J Arr; A Black, C Fortey, O Sourgens; G Kitchener, W Bolwey, J Collins, J Abbot, M Cox. Replacements: T Taumoepeau for Sourgens (44 mins), T Wood for Abbot (45 mins), D Rasmussen for Grove (74 mins), O Frost for Arr (75 mins), J Gilding for Fortey (79 mins).
Referee: P Gauzere(France).
