Connacht ‘moving in the right direction’ despite heavy Bulls loss - Pete Wilkins

URC: Bulls 53 Connacht 27

Connacht’s two-match South African sojourn produced a satisfactory return, despite a hefty loss to the Bulls on Saturday.

“Moving in the right direction,” says head coach Pete Wilkins, “but there is work to do in all aspects of our game.”

Connacht is one of five teams sitting on 18 points in a crowded URC top eight, behind leaders Glasgow, Leinster, and Saturday’s opponents, Vodacom Bulls. Yet, despite that failure to grab a bonus point from their outing in Loftus Versfeld, it has not detracted from a solid start to the season.

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“Four wins from six is probably above people’s expectations,” says Wilkins, “but we are not satisfied with it, and I think we could have got more out of the first six games.

“Everyone wants to get in the top eight, everyone wants to make a splash in the Champions Cup as well, and I think we are on track this season. After this start, we are targeting ongoing growth and improvement.”

The Bulls, as expected, were rampant at home. Their physicality coupled with the high altitude in Pretoria contributed to Connacht’s heaviest loss this season. By half-time, Wilkins’ outfit had leaked four tries to trail 32-13.

Despite Connacht opening with a Jack Carty penalty after seven minutes, the home side dominated every facet of the game in the 40 minutes, and eventually their territorial domination was rewarded. A penalty from outhalf Jaco van der Walt was followed by their opening try, when from a break up the short side, hooker Akker van der Merwe scored in the corner. The Bulls then capitalised from a penalty when openside Elrigh Louw powered home.

Connacht’s scoring chances were limited to a 31st minute penalty before the home side’s big ball carriers provided Ryan Nortje with an easy canter to the line, stretching the lead to 25-6.

However, Connacht delivered a super try before the break. David Hawkshaw and Cathal Forde combined before wing Diarmuid Kilgallen finished in the left corner, and Carty struck his touchline conversion to reduce the deficit to 25-13 after 35 minutes.

It was a brief respite. Springbok Willie Le Roux enjoyed an easy finish for the fourth try to leave it 32-13, but after the break, when the home side lost Akker van der Merwe to the sin bin, Connacht made it count. Joe Joyce and Oisín Dowling made impactful surges, before Tadgh McElroy finished well,  with Carty adding the conversion.

That was as close as Connacht could get, not helped by a sinbinning for Conor Oliver. The Bulls added three more tries to their tally, and Wilkins’ side was always chasing the game. Although Connacht added a third try through Shamus Hurley-Langton, they were denied a fourth and bonus point as time ran out.

“I don’t think we played our best rugby in the first half. We spoon-feed the Bulls a few too many opportunities - they are a classic team and make your pay.  In the second half, I think we played some of our best rugby ironically, and built up some scores, but it wasn’t enough.

“We would have been happy to come out of that encounter with a losing bonus point - if we had scored that fourth try -  and we were pushing pretty hard. At the end of the day we were chasing it and probably left too much to do.”

Scoring sequence: 7 mins: Carty pen 0-3; 9: van der Walt pen 3-3; 11: van der Merwe try 8-3; 19: Elrigh Louw try, van der Walt con 15-3; 20: van der Walt pen 18-3; 31: Carty pen 18-6; 32: Nortje try, van der Walt con 25-6; 34: Kilgallen try, Carty con 25-13; 38: Le Roux try, van der Walt con 32-13. Half-time 32-13; 46: McElroy try, Carty con 32-20; 56: Carr try, van der Walt con 39-20; 65: Kriel try, van der Walt con 46-20; 72: Smith try, van der walt con 53-20; 77: Hurley-Langton try, Hanrahan con 53-27.

Vodacom Bulls: W le Roux; S de Klerk, S Gans, D Kriel, S Petersen; J van der Walt, Z Burger; G Steenkamp, A van der Merwe, W Louw; R Ludwig, R Nortje (capt); M van Staden, E Louw, N Carr.

Replacements: JH Wessels for van der Merwe (36-40 mins), C Brink for Louw (30-40), J Swanepoel for Nortje (45), H Wessels for van Staden (48), M van Staden for van der Merwe (56),  E Papier for Burger, S Matanzima for Steenkamp, M Smith for Louw, C Moodie for Gans (all 57), C Brink for Louw, C Smith for van der Walt (both 67).

Yellow card: A van der Merwe (45 mins)

Connacht: T O’Halloran; B Ralston, D Hawkshaw, C Forde, D  Kilgallen; J Carty (capt), C Reilly; D Buckley, T McElroy, F Bealham; D Murray, J Joyce; O Dowling, S Hurley-Langton, S Jansen.

Replacements: S O’Brien for Jansen (40 mins), C Oliver for Dowling and D Tierney Martin for McElroy (both 50), S Illo for Bealham and N Murray for Joyce (both 57), JJ Hanrahan for Carty, P Dooley for Buckley (both 60), C Blade for Reilly (67).

Yellow card: C Oliver (56 mins)

Referee: Gianlucca Gnecchi.