Wonderful Connacht effort falls short

HEINEKEN CUP POOL SIX: Harlequins 25 Connacht 17:CONNACHT ANNOUNCED their arrival among European's elite last evening, making the Premiership leaders Harlequins fight every inch of the way for this opening night victory at the Stoop.

While Harlequins did enough to preserve their 100 per cent record in the opening Pool Six fixture, the story of the night was as much about the underdogs, who served up a display worthy of this competition.

Connacht grabbed two tries to Harlequins’ single first-half effort, but it was the boot of Harlequins’ outhalf, former All Black Nick Evans that made the difference.

Kept scoreless by Connacht for most of the second half, Harlequins finally put paid to any ideas Connacht had of giant-killing when Evans potted two penalties in the last five minutes. There was no eleventh hour reprieve for Connacht on this Armistice Day, and although Eric Elwood’s men refused to surrender until the final whistle, Quins appropriately claimed their 11th win from 11 games on the November 11, 2011.

The hosts enjoyed a 19-10 half time lead, thanks in the main to Evans’s efficiency in front of the posts, and he was quick off the mark, when Gavin Duffy was caught in possession, to kick the 35m penalty for a 3-0 lead.

However counterpart Miah Nikora was spot on with a similar kick three minutes later to level matters and after 10 minutes, Evans was once again on target after Connacht were pinged for not rolling away at the breakdown.

With neither side edging the scrums, it was a massive effort from Connacht in the third one after 14 minutes that paved the way for their first try. Prop Rodney Ah You got the push and when John Muldoon secured possession, it provided the newcomers with their first sustained attack. Young Eoin Griffin found the gap and Tiernan O’Halloran on his shoulder and the left wing finished off to claim Connacht’s first Heineken Cup try. Nikora added the extras, giving the visitors an unexpected 10-6 lead.

It seemed to unsettle Quins who made uncharacteristic handling errors. However Quins’ big ball carriers up front started to make an impact, and with man of the match Joe Marler and replacement lock Tomas Vallejos to the fore, and Evans providing the link, it was not long before the hosts responded. Quins were forced to settle for an Evans penalty after Sam Smith was held up just short, to reduce the arrears to 10-9, and when Connacht coughed up possession inside the Quins 22, and failed to deal with an attempted clearance, the home side reaped the reward.

Quins’ forwards again ramped up the pace and, despite a questionable knock-on, play continued as they put the ball through the hands. Brian Tuohy halted their progress temporarily until scrumhalf Karl Dickson squeezed over from the ensuing ruck to help Quins retake the lead in the 31st minute. Evans added his fourth penalty before the break.

However the second half was as different story. Connacht rolled up their sleeves, led by John Muldoon, and ferocious defending, particularly at the breakdown, blunted the home side’s attack. Marler was denied a try when penalised for crossing, giving Connacht breathing space, and they then wrested the initiative with three successive penalties.

A clever cross-field kick from Duffy provided the field possession after Tuohy forced his counterpart into touch and from the resulting scrum, Eoin Griffin found Duffy out wide who scampered in for Connacht’s second try after 57 minutes.

Replacement outhalf Niall O’Connor converted, putting Connacht within two points of their more illustrious hosts who tried to respond through a boot of Evans.

A huge kick to touch from a penalty gave the Quins a second chance in the half, with a line-out five metres out, and for a second time they were denied. Unable to break down Connacht’s defensive wall up front, replacement centre Benjamin Urdapilleta delivered the clever kick for Sam Smith, but the TMO ruled Smith had failed to ground. Connacht kept attacking but in the end Evans struck two late penalties. It denied Connacht any points, but the Heineken Cup has a worthy new entrant.

HARLEQUINS:M Brown, S Stegmann, G Lowe, J Turner-Hall, S Smith, N Evans, K Dickson, J Marler, C Brooker, J Johnston, O Kohn, G Robson, M Faasavalu, C Robshaw (cpt) N Easter. Replacements: T Vallejos for Kohn (15 mins), B Urdapilleta for Lowe (32 mins), J Gray for C Brooker, D Care for Dixon (49 mins), J Gray for C Brooker, (59 mins), L Wallace for Faasavalue (73 mins).

CONNACHT:G Duffy (cpt), B Tuohy, E Griffin, D McSharry, T O'Halloran, M Nikora, P O'Donohoe, B Wilkinson, A Flavin, R Ah You, M Swift, M McCarthy, J Muldoon, R Ofisa, G Naoupu. Replacements: T Anderson for Ofisa (27 mins), N O'Connor for Nikora (47 mins), E Reynecke for Flavin, D Rogers for Ah You (both 54 mins), F Murphy for O'Donohoe (55 mins) H Faafili for McSharry (65 m), R Loughney for Wilkinson (69 mins),

Referee:Jerome Garces (France)