Connacht reach last eight

CELTIC LEAGUE/Bridgend ... 23 Connacht ... 24: Connacht's Eric Elwood could hardly contain the wry smile creeping across his face when asked about his province's contrasting fortunes with defending Celtic League champions Leinster.

The former Ireland out-half had just helped book his unfashionable side's place in the quarter-finals for the second successive season courtesy of a snatch and grab raid at Bridgend while Leinster now have barely one hand left clutching their crown.

"It is amazing how the tables have turned," said Elwood.

"Leinster have a big squad but I am not sure how any team would have been able to cope with the loss of so many players to international duty.

"I feel sorry for them because they are an Irish province but the rules say we have to play and that's just the way it goes."

Few outside of Galway, however, could have foreseen that Connacht would be unbeaten after five Celtic League games and sitting proudly at the top of Pool B.

A place in the last eight is now assured thanks to their gutsy second-half comeback at the Brewery Field that continued their unbeaten record against Welsh opposition in the competition.

But a fortuitous try 11 minutes from time by full-back Mark McHugh, returning from World Cup duty with Ireland in Siberia, snatched a victory that never looked to be theirs for most of the contest.

Trailing for the entire game until McHugh's touchdown, Connacht had been left reeling by an early blitz, particularly in the scrum, that saw Bridgend race into a 17-0 lead following tries from Tongan flanker Maama Molitika and British Lion Dafydd James.

Matters took a turn for the worse when skipper Tim Allnutt was stretchered off the field with suspected damaged cruciate ligaments.

Ironically, however, the 15-minute delay for the injury was to prove the moment that the impetus swung in Connacht's favour by taking the wind out of Bridgend's sails.

Whether consciously or not, the sight of their captain being carried off woke Connacht from their slumber and galvanised them into pulling back a crucial score before half-time through wing Wayne Munn.

Penalties from Elwood and McHugh kept Connacht in contention but it was only when centre Darren Yapp slid over on 56 minutes and McHugh pounced on a blundered Bridgend clearance from Chris Keane's chip that the comeback - and qualification - was sealed.

"I thought we showed great character and commitment to come back from 17-0 down," said Elwood.

BRIDGEND: A Carter; R Mustoe, D James, G Thomas (capt), C Richards (J Funnell, 65); C Warlow, S Martens; C Loader, G Williams (B Phillips, 24), C Horsman (J Thiel, 69), A Moore (R Jones, 82), D Jones, M Molitika (R Bryan, 80), N Budgett, C Harris.

CONNACHT: M McHugh; T Robinson, D Yapp, T Allnutt (capt, S Moore, 36), W Munn; E Elwood, C Keane; D McFarland, J Flannery (M Uijs, H-T), P Bracken (R McCormack, H-T), D Browne (M Swift, 74), R Frost, C Rigney, E Peters, J O'Sullivan.

Referee: R Goodliffe (England)