Challenge Cup: Connacht 52 Black Lion 0
Georgia became the eighth country to provide opponents to Connacht in the Challenge Cup but Black Lion never looked like producing a shock result at Dexcom Stadium as Stuart Lancaster’s men got their campaign up and running with an emphatic win.
Connacht, who have played more matches than any other team in the Challenge Cup, have dealt with unknown opposition from Spain to Siberia in the competition in the past and found that the best way to triumph is to just concentrate on their own game.
And after blowing a 21-0 lead away to Ospreys last Sunday, when their dominant scrum was taken apart after a couple of injuries, Lancaster’s men knew they needed to control this clash from the outset on a foul night in Galway.
And they did just that with captain Paul Boyle scoring after just 54 seconds. He became the 12th Connacht player to score a hat-trick in the competition and he completed that by the 28th minute, which also secured the bonus point as scrumhalf Caolin Blade had also crossed earlier.
RM Block
Connacht were on top throughout. Black Lion never got a foothold in the scrum and Connacht dominated the lineout despite the wind and rain.
That possession provided plenty of options and with centres Cathal Forde and Hugh Gavin on top of their game, the scores flowed. Boyle got his second from a tapped penalty, then Gavin shipped ahead and Blade, having pointed infield where he wanted it kicked, timed his run to perfection.
Boyle’s hat-trick came from another tapped penalty when hooker Dave Heffernan again did the initial pounding, while Boyle turned provider with Forde to send tighthead Sam Illo in after 33 minutes. They finished in style out wide with Shayne Bolton down the left wing to lead 38-0 at the break.
Connacht replaced their frontrow after 48 minutes, with Kildare native Billy Bohan coming on for his debut and 130kg tighthead Fiachna Barrett from Mayo winning his fourth cap. They won penalties in their first two scrums, the first on a Georgian put-in, with Blade getting his second try from the second to push the lead out to 45-0 after 53 minutes.
Fullback Luka Kakhoidze, who played against the Irish Under-20s last summer, did most to try inspire Black Lion but they were outclassed on the night as they fell to the biggest defeat in their third year in the competition.
Connacht, who will conclude their pool with a trip to Montpellier and then host another Top 14 side Montauban in their final pool match were full of running to the end on a night when new signing Sam Gilbert converted six tries, including a second from Bolton 13 minutes from time after a break from debutant prop Bohan.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 1 min: Boyle try, Gilbert con, 7-0; 9: Boyle try, Gilbert con, 14-0; 16: Blade try, 19-0; 28: Boyle try, Gilbert con, 26-0; 33: Illo try, 31-0; 39: Bolton try, Gilbert con, 38-0; Half-time: 38-0; 53: Blade try, Gilbert con, 45-0; 67: Bolton try, Gilbert con, 52-0;
CONNACHT: S Gilbert; C Mullins, H Gavin, C Forde, S Bolton; J Carty, C Blade; J Duggan, D Heffernan, S Illo; D Murray, N Murray; S O’Brien, S Hurley-Langton, P Boyle (capt).
Replacements: J Joyce for D Murray (h-t); B Bohan for Duggan, D Tierney-Martin for Heffernan, F Barrett for Illo (all 48 mins); J Murphy for Hurley-Langton (51); M Devine for Blade, H West for Carty (both 55); D Hawkshaw for Forde (65).
BLACK LION: L Takaishvili; A Tabutsadze, D Tapladze, T Kakhoidze, S Aptsiauri; L Tsirekidze, T Peranidze; N Khatiashvili, I Kvatadze, K Darbaidze; M Babunashvili (capt), D Epremidze; L Tsikhistavi, G Tsutskiridze, G Sinauridze.
Replacements: G Kervalishvili for Tsikhistavi (22 mins); V Kakovin for Kvatadze (33); Z Lutidze for Kakhoidze (55); S Todua for Aptsiauri, S Mamukashvili for Kvatadze (both 60), G Spenderashvili for Peranidze (65).
Referee: A Woodthorpe (England).
