Rainbow Cup, Round 3 – Thomond Park, Friday 14th May 2021

Connacht dug out a gritty win in torrential conditions against a strongly fancied Munster side in Thomond Park. It was a much-improved performance from Andy Friend’s side from last Saturday’s capitulation against Leinster at home. For Johann van Graan’s Munster side it’s a serious setback to their Rainbow Cup ambitions after wins over Leinster and Ulster in the first two rounds.

Pre-game

The announcement earlier today that the inaugural Rainbow Cup will now culminate in a ‘North v South’ final on June 19th has added a layer to intrigue to this previously unheralded competition. Munster’s ambitions in this competition have been made clear from their opening team selection against Leinster. They are anxious to stop the now decade-long trophy drought. However, Connacht also had a point to prove after shipping fifty points against Leinster last time out.

Match Report

Conor Fitzgerald got the scoring underway for the visitors with a penalty after four minutes. It didn’t take Munster long to respond and after a series of pick and go drives James Cronin crashed over. Ben Healy added the extras. Munster were massive favorites with the bookies pre-game and the apparent ease of the score made one fear the worst for Connacht. But Andy Friend’s side weren’t working off the same script. Immediately from the restart, the underdogs hit back with a try in the corner for Sammy Arnold who beat Craig Casey in the air after Billy Holland had fumbled the kickoff. Arnold then raced clear to score. Conor Fitzgerald nailed the conversion from under the East stand. 

After a frantic opening ten minutes, the game calmed down somewhat after that. A knock to Craig Casey shortly after saw an early introduction for Conor Murray for the duration of the HIA. The rain that had been threatening all day arrived after 15 minutes making the ball-handling trickier.

Munster’s  Shane Daly was given a yellow card on 22 minutes for a deliberate knock-on. Connacht made the extra man count with a superb try from Conor Fitzgerald. The out-half took a superb line to cut open the Munster rearguard, when perhaps they expected a pass outside. Fitzgerald then converted his own score and Connacht led by ten just before the half-hour mark. 

Munster found a way back into the game through a familiar route. The Connacht defense was powerless to stop a driving maul off the back of a lineout. Hooker Rhys Marshall was the man to touch it down. Ben Healy added the conversion to cut the gap back to three points. 

Half-time: Munster 14 Connacht 17

Connacht’s first attack of the second half yielded their third try of the game. A kick ahead was gathered by Kieran Marmion who raced in for the score. The conversion stretched the westerners’ lead out to ten. 

Munster thought they had reduced the deficit five minutes later. This time Peter O’Mahony crashed over, however, after consulting Joy Neville the TMO, the score was chalked off due to O’Donoghue holding back Abraham Papali’i in the build-up. 

Munster unloaded the cavalry off the bench in the second half with Tadhg Beirne, Murray, Carbery and Earls all entering the fray as the home side chased the game.

Healy did reduce the arrears with a penalty from near halfway on 51 minutes. Munster showed their pragmatic nature by opting to take the three points on offer from another penalty with ten minutes to go. Joey Carbery, fresh off the bench defied the tricky underfoot conditions to nail his kick from the ten-meter line. 

Munster believed they had hit the front with ten minutes to go. A superb cross-field kick sent Andrew Conway scampering over in the corner. However, there was another TMO check on this score. Damien de Allende was shown to have knocked on in the build-up and once again the score was chalked off. 

Munster pushed for the Connacht line with the last play of the game. Daniel Jones’ full-time whistle sounded after Stephen Archer knock-on. Connacht’s celebrations were cut short when a captain’s challenge was called by Peter O’Mahoney. This was quashed when a review showed the ball went forward off the back of Archer’s hand rather than a boot. With that, the final whistle sounded and Connacht had their first win over Munster in seven meetings and only their second of the professional era at Thomond.

Full-Time: Munster 20 Connacht 24

Teams:

Munster: 15. Matt Gallagher; 14.Andrew Conway, 13.Dan Goggin, 12.Damian de Allende, 11.Shane Daly; 10.Ben Healy, 9.Craig Casey; 1.James Cronin, 2.Rhys Marshall, 3.John Ryan; 4.Jean Kleyn, 5.Billy Holland; 6.Jack O’Donoghue, 7.Peter O’Mahony (C), 8.CJ Stander.

Replacements: Niall Scannell (for Marshall 48’), Dave Kilcoyne (for Cronin 58’), Stephen Archer (for Ryan 58’), Tadhg Beirne (for Holland 52’), Fineen Wycherley (for Kleyn 78’), Conor Murray (for Casey HIA 13-27’& 52’), Joey Carbery (for Healy 62’), Keith Earls (for Gallagher 69’).

Connacht: 15. John Porch, 14. Sammy Arnold, 13. Sean O’Brien, 12. Tom Daly, 11. Alex Wootton, 10. Conor Fitzgerald, 9. Kieran Marmion, 1. Paddy McAllister, 2. Shane Delahunt, 3. Dominic Robertson-McCoy, 4. Niall Murray, 5. Ultan Dillane, 6. Cian Prendergast, 7. Conor Oliver, 8. Abraham Papali’i.

Replacements: 16. Dave Heffernan (for Delahunt 57’), 17. Denis Buckley (for McAllister 10-18 HIA &40’), 18. Finlay Bealham (for Robertson-McCoy 39’.), 19. Eoghan Masterson (for Papali’i 69’), 20. Sean Masterson (for Oliver 46’), 21. Caolin Blade (for Marmion 65’), 22. Jack Carty (for Fitzgerald 54’), 23. Peter Sullivan (for Arnold 69’).

Referee: Daniel Jones.

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Guinness Pro14, Round 10 

January 2nd, 2021 – RDS Arena, Dublin

Leinster’s long unbeaten run in the Guinness PRO14 stretching back 26 games came to a juddering halt after being blitzed by a superb first half-performance by Andy Friend’s Connacht side. Leo Cullen’s men tasted defeat for the first time in all competitions this season and for the first time in this competition since a 14-13 loss to Ulster in Ravenhill towards the end of the 18/19 season.

Match Highlights

Both sides had their preparation interrupted by COVID cases within their camp, a reflection of a worrying rise in case numbers in wider society. Both managers were forced to juggle their squads ahead of this clash.

Match Report

Connacht started with the greater intensity. In their opening attack, Shane Delahunt was stopped just short of the Leinster line after a double hit from James Tracy and Peter Dooley. The opening score came 9 minutes in when Jack Carty intercepted a Ross Molony pass off the base of a ruck 40 meters out, to sprint clear for the score. Connacht then extended their lead when Carty was on the end of a team move and crashed over from short range, with a good shove from Quinn Roux ensuring the Athlone man wouldn’t be stopped. 

Leinster responded almost instantly when Scott Penny found space on the fringe of a ruck to sprint in untouched for a try which got the home side off the mark. Liam Tuner had entered the fray just prior to that score as a HIA replacement for Jonathan Sexton, who would fail to return to play. Rory O’Loughlin moved into the fly-half slot for the remainder of the match. 

A brace of Jack Carty penalties stretched the lead for the visitors. An Alex Wotton try after a good break from scrum-half Caolin Blade just prior to the interval gave Connacht a scarcely believable twenty point lead at the break.

Half-Time: Leinster 5 Connacht 25

Leo Cullen’s side came out after the interval with a heightened intensity and set about eating into that deficit. Luke McGrath sniped over three minutes after the restart. Then the score was converted by Jimmy O’Brien who had taken over kicking duties from McGrath.  Who had missed his own conversion effort in the first half. 

Jack Carty was on target from a penalty on 47 minutes to re-establish a two-score cushion. Just before the hour mark former Connacht hooker Sean Cronin brushed off a couple of would-be tacklers. He then fed Ryan Baird on the short-side, the young flanker then dived over from close range. O’Brien’s effort at the extra’s from the left-hand touchline was pulled across goal.

Turning point

With the scoreboard now reading 17-28 Leo Cullen’s side began turning the screw. It appeared that Leinster had further cut the margin when David Hawkshaw cut in for a try a few minutes later. However, an infringement was spotted in the build-up by TMO Ollie Hodges. Sam Arnold’s path to make a tackle in midfield had been obstructed by Andrew Smith and the try was duly struck off. 

Connacht weathered the Leinster storm. Both the win and the bonus point were ensured when Tom Daly intercepted on the 22’. He broke a covering tackle to grab a fourth Connacht try. An Ed Byrne try under the posts in the final play of the game gave Leinster the consolation of a bonus point themselves. However,  all the plaudits go to the men from the west on their first win in Dublin since a last-minute Mark McHugh drop goal gave them a victory in Donnybrook way back in 2002.

Full-time: Leinster 24 Connacht 35

Pro14 standings

It’s first v second in both Conferences this weekend. In Conference A Leinster will host Ulster at the RDS on Friday night at 7:35. The northerners are now ten points ahead of Leinster. However, Leo Cullen’s side do have two games in hand. Meanwhile in Conference B Munster are on top of the pile after 8 games on 33 points. Connacht are 8 points behind on 25. For the home side, a win is a must if they are to catch Johann Van Grann’s side at the top.

Table reproduced from Pro14.rubgy

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