URC: Connacht 27 Bulls 28
Sean Naughton narrowly missed a late conversion and the chance to snatch victory for Connacht against the Bulls in Galway.
Naughton pulled his effort just wide after wing Mack Hansen’s superb try had hauled Connacht to within a point of the visitors, who held on to clinch their third URC win of the season.
Josh Ioane went over for the opening try following early pressure from Connacht’s pack close to the Bulls’ line, the outhalf also converting to put his side 7-0 up inside 10 minutes.
But the Bulls hit straight back with two clinical tries in seven minutes through scrumhalf Paul de Wet and fullback Willie Le Roux’s brilliant effort, the second score converted by Keagan Johannes to give the visitors a 12-7 half-time lead.
RM Block
Despite the deficit Connacht welcomed the half-time whistle as it reinstated them to 15 men after Josh Murphy was shown a 20-minute red card midway through the opening period for punching Cobus Wiese in the head.
Johannes’ drop goal early in the second period extended the Bulls’ lead to 15-7 before Connacht reduced the margin to a single point when Ioane converted after scrumhalf Caolin Blade rolled two tackles to touch down.
De Wet’s blindside break earned him his second try of the night and Johannes’ penalty put the Bulls 25-14 ahead before Connacht stormed back when Naughton won the race to his own kick ahead to bag a third try for Stuart Lancaster’s side.
Ioane missed the conversion, however, and after Johannes and Naughton exchanged penalties, Hansen’s superb score hauled the hosts to within a point only for Naughton to miss the chance to take the win.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 10 mins: Ioane try, con 7-0; 13: de Wet try 7-5; 20: le Roux try, Johannes con 7-12; Half-time 7-12; 43: Johannes DG 7-15 45: Blade try, Ioane con 14-15; 54: de Wet try, Johannes con 14-22; 63: Johannes pen 14-25; 68: Naughton try 19-25; 72: Johannes pen 19-28; 74: Naughton pen 22-28; 79: Hansen try 27-28
CONNACHT: M Hansen; C Mullins, B Ralston, B Aki, S Bolton; J Ioane, C Blade; P Dooley, D Heffernan, F Bealham; D Murray, D O’Connor; J Murphy, C Prendergast (capt), S Jansen.
Replacements: S O’Brien for Murphy (39, RC), J Duggan for Dooley, J Joyce for O’Connor (both 53), D Tierney-Martin for Prendergast (56 to 67), S Naughton for Mullins (56), J Aungier for Bealham (58), C Forde for Aki (60), M Devine for Blade (67), Blade for Hansen (82).
Red card: Murphy (19 mins).
BULLS: W le Roux; C Moodie, D Kriel, J Serfontein, S de Klerk; K Johannes, P de Wet; A Tshakweni, JH Wessels, W Louw; C Wiese, R Ludwig (capt); N Xaba, JJ Theron, J Rudolph.
Replacements: F Klopper for Louw (56 mins), G Steenekamp for Tshakweni, J Grobbelaar for Wessels (both 60), H Vorster for Serfontein (65), E Papier for de Wet (75).
Referee: Mike Adamson (SCO).
