Connacht endure further frustration

Connacht 10 Gloucester 14:FROM EXPECTATION comes pressure, and also frustration, as the goalposts have moved again for Connacht this week.

As the province faces its first visit to Kingsholm Park in the second of back-to-back Heineken Cup fixtures with Gloucester, coach Eric Elwood knows pressure is mounting to “get that elusive win”.

Such pressure was absent from their first foray against Harlequins, while the visit of Toulouse was all about the occasion. But, in nearly causing an upset against the Premiership leaders, the expectation levels have increased, and securing a first Heineken Cup point against Gloucester was no consolation.

Saturday’s third Pool Six game represented what Elwood described as a “missed opportunity” in “one of the easier winnable games”. Now they head to Kingsholm trying to stop a run of recent defeats, struggling with injuries and increased pressure.

“Both teams were in a difficult place because we both had bad runs. At the moment we are frustrated with our performance and we know there is more in us,” added Elwood.

“We know we are capable of mixing with this opposition, but they will be a different proposition at home, and that’s the challenge for us.

“We all want the same thing, we want that elusive win, but you have to earn it. You have to be at your best, keep performance levels up, respect the ball when you have it, and work hard in defence. It’s a simple game.”

Elwood must now plan without openside flanker Ray Ofisa, who suffered a knee injury on Saturday, while Johnny O’Connor, who is “making good progress” with a calf injury, could be a week or two shy of returning.

The squad, which on Saturday boasted a total of 20 international caps, will now head to Gloucester, who had some 169 on the park in Galway. It told in the strength of the Gloucester pack, which caused the damage in the second half – a string of penalties at scrum time ensured the visitors were on the front foot throughout.

However, Connacht carved out opportunities, mainly through their aerial prowess and a dogged pack performance at the breakdown, led by Mike McCarthy. Having fallen behind by 11-0, Connacht came within a single point within minutes of the second half, but thereafter their opportunities were limited.

“We struggled in the second half to get field position, but I would have thought when it was a one-point ball game, we would have pushed on because we had a bit of momentum . . . .

“We were giving penalties away in the set piece because their scrum was good, then they kick to the corner, driving maul; so it’s difficult to get the ball off them.”

The visitors opened the scoring on seven minutes with a penalty from outhalf Freddie Burns from the halfway mark. Connacht had an opportunity when they were awarded a penalty after Gloucester dropped their scrum, but Niall O’Connor’s 10th-minute effort was wide.

The visitors, however, grabbed their chance when Burns, having missed an effort two minutes earlier, made no mistake after Connacht were pinged at the breakdown to go 6-0 up, and as their lineout superiority started to make an impact, starving Connacht of first-phase ball, they seized the initiative with a penalty to touch from which left wing Daniel Simpson-Daniels eventually crossed.

Connacht soon replied although it came from a somewhat hesitant Garryowen from O’Connor and Ray Ofisa did well to reclaim possession. The pass bounced into the hands of a chasing Gavin Duffy who finished near the posts for O’Connor to convert.

When outhalf O’Connor posted a 43rd-minute penalty to close the gap to a single point, Connacht were in a real position to grab their first Heineken Cup win.

However, Gloucester reverted to their power pack and a string of penalties gave them the possession to add a 71st-minute penalty and dash hopes of a home win.

CONNACHT: G Duffy (capt); M McCrea, K Tonetti, D McSharry, T O'Halloran; N O'Connor, F Murphy; B Wilkinson, E Reynecke, R Loughney; M McCarthy, G Naoupu; D Gannon, J Muldoon, R Ofisa. Replacements: E McKeown for Ofisa (37 mins), R Ah You for Loughney (ht), F Vainikolo for O'Halloran and P O'Donohoe for Murphy (59 mins), A Flavin for Reynecke (65), M Kearney for M McCarthy (73).

GLOUCESTER: O Morgan; C Sharples, H Trinder, E Fuimaono-Sapolu, J Simpson-Daniel; F Burns, R Lawson; N Wood, S Lawson, D Chistolini; P Buxton, J Hamilton; B Deacon, A Hazell, L Narraway. Replacements: A Qera for Hazell (56 mins), R Harden for Chistolini (61), J May for Trinder (66), M Cortese for Lawson (72), W James for Buxton (72).

Referee:N Patterson (SRFU).