Connacht get just reward on scoreboard

MAGNERS LEAGUE/Connacht 22 Edinburgh 21:THE DESERVING team won. After their moral victory over Leinster last week, Connacht reaped the reward on the scoreboard last evening by disposing of the title-chasing Edinburgh here.

Shorn of seven front-line players, Connacht fronted up to the Scottish visitors who travelled with high hopes of grabbing a bonus-point win to propel them above their Irish opponents in the Magners League table.

This one-point victory, secured just four minutes from time, was testament to the growing self-belief in Connacht – now unbeaten in six home matches.

It provides a huge fillip for the province ahead of next week’s Amlin Cup quarter-final against Bougoing.

The lack of bar facilities in the west and the heavy shower of hail that had groundmen sweeping and repainting the lines as the teams ran out, did not detract from Connacht’s perseverance that saw them concede the lead twice, having posted 11-0 in the opening 30 minutes.

But Edinburgh posted two easy tries and upped the ante in the second half to grab a third midway through the half.

But it was not enough against a gutsy Connacht who grabbed the victory in the 76th minute when replacement outhalf Miah Nikora kicked the winning penalty from the 10-metre line.

Johnny O’Connor and Jamie Hagan epitomised the home side’s work ethic, while outhalf Ian Keatley, who produced an almost seamless touch-kicking game, was a potent force in attack.

After Edinburgh flanker Alan MacDonald was lucky to escape a sin-binning within the first minute for a tackle on the air-borne Mike McComish, Connacht kicked the opening three points when Roddy Grant was penalised in the ruck after three minutes.

The bright start continued when Keatley set up Brian Tuohy when bursting through the central defence, and his offload in the tackle ensured space for the right wing to race home from 15 metres.

Keatley struck a superb drop goal after 13 minutes to extend the lead to 11-0.

Having controlled possession for the opening 30 minutes, Connacht lost the initiative, conceding two tries in six minutes. Tim Visser struck for the first, running onto Phil Godman’s pass at pace before cutting through the midfield cover to touch down. Minutes later Edinburgh turned defence into attack after coughing up ball from Troy Nathan’s solo run into the heart of Edinburgh half. Mike Blair tidied up before hooker Andrew Kelly fed right wing Mark Robertson who ran in from 60 metres. Godman’s two conversions gave the visitors an unlikely 14-11 lead at the break.

Their big locks and backrow came more into the attacking line, and number eight David Callum’s break gave Edinburgh territorial control minutes after the break. But Keatley read the move to perfection, timing his intercept and racing the length of the pitch to head off his counterpart’s attempted chase.

He kicked a 54th minute penalty to extend the lead to 19-14, but Edinburgh once again hit back, and the platform was set from a penalty kicked to touch. The pack were able to halt Edinburgh’s best forward surges, but eventually John Houston fed Roddy Grant who broke through for a third try.

Edinburgh would have expected to go on and bag that all-important fourth try and the victory. But Connacht worked hard for their chance four minutes from time to reaped the reward.

CONNACHT: G Duffy; B Tuohy, A Wynne, T Nathan, F Carr; I Keatley, F Murphy; B Wilkinson, S Cronin, J Hagan; M Swift, B Upton, M McCarthy; J O’Connor, M McComish. Replacements: E Griffin for Carr (29-37 temp), R Loughney for Wilkinson (52), A Browne for McComish (60), M Nikora for Keatley (62).

EDINBURGH: J Thompson; M Robertson, B Cairns, J Houston, T Visser; P Godman, M Blair (capt); A Jacobsen, A Kelly, G Cross, S MacLeod, J Hamilton, A MacDonald, R Rennie, R Grant. Replacements: R Ford for Kelly (h-t), S Turnbull for Hamilton (55), K Traynor for Jacobsen, S Newlands for MacDonald, G Laidlaw for M Blair and S Webster for Cairns (all 60 mins).

Referee: Leighton Hodges (WRU).