URC: Connacht 31 Dragons 7
Connacht head into the November break content to have grabbed fifth spot on the BKT United Rugby Championship table after a bonus-point win against Dragons at Dexcom Stadium.
The 31-7 victory over the Welsh outfit was “hugely important” for Pete Wilkins’ side, “not just for self-belief, but growth,” the Connacht coach said.
“We’re certainly not the finished article, but I’m content going into this break and knowing there’s a lot of hard work ahead of us, but we’ve set ourselves up well for it.
“What we can’t do is stand still at the level we’ve reached. We have to get better. We now must go to stage two of what this team looks like this season. And that doesn’t have to be dramatic change, but it does need to be an improvement, because the good teams in this competition get better as the season progresses.”
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Despite scoring five tries, Saturday evening’s contest was not the showpiece Connacht supporters might have expected, but in the end they delivered the required win to maintain their push up the table.
Connacht led 19-0 at the break having opened their scoring tally within six minutes. Taking advantage of a scrum penalty with a kick for touch, the home side attacked the line efficiently before No 8 Paul Boyle secured the touchdown. Cathal Forde, taking over the kicking duties, added the extras for a 7-0 lead.
The visitors enjoyed some territorial control - in the main from Connacht mistakes - but their attack was blunt in the face of Connacht’s defence and the home side was able to take advantage.
From a superb attack, started inside their own half by Piers O’Connor, Connacht delivered a second try when Caolin Blade crossed after 20 minutes, Forde again converting.
Connacht’s third try of the evening came when Forde sent a penalty to touch and Cian Prendergast was instrumental in the lineout. Blade was impressive in support and, with help from Bundee Aki and Joe Joyce, Prendergast got over the line.
As expected the scoreless visitors gained some momentum after the break, but were kept at bay in a poor second half. At the other end, Cathal Forde’s 73rd-minute try wrapped up the game and the bonus point.
It was of little consolation to the Dragons when they posted their only points through a late Taine Basham try, but Connacht had the last say when replacement scrumhalf Matthew Devine showed his footwork to create the final score.
Scoring sequence: 5 mins Boyle try, Forde con 7-0; 19 Blade try, Forde con 14-0; 38 Prendergast try 19-0; HT 19-0; 73 Forde try and con 26-0; 77 Basham try, O’Brien con 26-7; 80 Devine try, Forde con 31-7.
CONNACHT: P O’Conor; S Bolton, C Forde, B Aki, S Cordero; J Ioane, C Blade; P Dooley, D Tierney-Martin, F Bealham; J Joyce, N Murray; C Prendergast (capt), S O’Brien, P Boyle.
Replacements: H Gavin for Bolton (20 mins), E Buitlear for Tierney-Martin, D Buckley for Dooley, J Aungier for Bealham, S Jansen for O’Brien, M Devine for Blade (all 50), B Ralston for Gavin (59), D Murray for Joyce (67).
DRAGONS: C Evans; R Dyer, J Westwood, A Owen, E Rosser; A O’Brien, D Blacker; C Jones, O Burrows, C Coleman; B Carter (capt), M Screech; S Lewis-Hughes, H Keddie, A Wainwright.
Replacements: A Seiuli for Jones and R Williams for Blacker (both 41 mins), B Coghlan for Burrows (52), L Yendle, S Cummins for Screech (65), T Basham, R Williams for Westwood (65), L Evans, H Wilson.
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR).
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