Connacht turn it on after break to maintain unbeaten start to URC season

United Rugby Championship: Connacht 34 Glasgow Warriors 26

Connacht made it two from two in the URC, and for a second week had to survive a late revival from their opponents at the Galway Sportsground.

In the end they claimed their biggest victory over Glasgow since 2011, but failed to nail the four-try bonus, while the Scottish outfit had to be satisfied with a try-bonus point.

Although down at half-time, Jarrad Butler said there were frustrations having started well, particularly in tough conditions against the breeze.

“When they bring their maul into the game which is very good, we knew we had to play like we did in the first quarter – not to be afraid to run the ball.

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“We knew it would be important to start well with three home games, so to take two from two was a big part in what we have do too, so it’s a great first two weeks.”

Three penalties kicked by JJ Hanrahan were the deserved reward for keeping Glasgow pinned inside their half in an up-tempo start. But the visitors quickly responded, taking advantage of a deep restart that Connacht failed to control, and right wing Kyle Rowe was able to nudge ahead and touch down. Outhalf Tom Jordan added the extras to reduce the deficit to two.

Within a minute Connacht responded with their first try. Tom Farrell made the inroads before scrumhalf Caolin Blade kicked to the corner, the ball deceiving left wing Kyle Steyn which provided Diarmuid Kilgallen with the opportunity to touch down.

There was no breathing space for Pete Wilkins’s side when two penalties in quick succession resulted in another Glasgow try from a rolling maul, with Jarrad Butler also receiving a yellow card. It gave the visitors the momentum as their pack started to dominate and stifle the home side’s possession

Worse for Connacht was they found themselves on the back foot. Having conceded four successive penalties, they were camped on their line with a series of five-metre scrums. Eventually they were able to lift the seize to win a penalty having withstood a series of scrums. But on the stroke half-time the visitors were duly rewarded for their domination as Richie Gray set up a lineout maul five metres out before Huw Jones delivered a quick inside pass to Jordan to give the Scots a 14-19 half-time lead.

Connacht, however, delivered a strong start to the second half, hooker Dylan Tierney Martin breaking through from close range to touch down, with Hanrahan adding the conversion. When the home side won a penalty in front of the posts, Cathal Forde added the three vital points. Six minutes later he delivered a second from the halfway line.

It got even better when Kilgallen delivered a try in the 60th minute from an intercept in his own half, which Forde converted stretching the lead to 34 -19. Glasgow had the last say, delivering a late try through Jamie Dobie, converted by Duncan Weir, but it was not enough to deny Connacht a satisfying win.

SCORING SEQUENCE – 4 mins: Hanrahan pen 3-0; 8: Hanrahan pen 6-0; 14: Hanrahan pen 9-0;15: Rowe try, Jordan con 9-7; 19: Kilgallen try, Hanrahan con 16-7; 24: Penalty try Glasgow 16-14; 39: Jordan try 16-19; HT 16-19; 45: Tierney-Martin try, Forde con 21-19; 52: Forde pen 24-19; 57: Forde pen 27-19; 60: Kilgallen try, Forde con 34-19; 79: Dobie try, Jordan con 34-26.

CONNACHT: T O’Halloran; B Ralston, T Farrell, C Forde, D Kilgallen; JJ Hanrahan, C Blade (capt); D Buckley, D Tierney-Martin, J Aungier; N Murray, J Joyce; C Prendergast, S Hurley-Langton, J Butler. Replacements: L McNamara for Farrell (41 mins); T McElroy for Tierney-Martin (51); D Robertson-McCoy for Aungier (53); O Dowling for Murray (54); P Dooley for Buckley (60); D Murray for Joyce and C Oliver for Butler (both 62); C Reilly for O’Halloran (74). Yellow card: J Butler (24 mins).

GLAGOW WARRIORS: J McKay; K Rowe, H Jones, S McDowall, K Steyn (capt); T Jordan, G Horne; O Kebble, A Fraser, Z Fagerson; S Cummings, R Gray; G Brown, S Vailanu, H Venter. Replacements: J Dobie for Steyn (37 mins); J Mathews for Fraser and R Darge for Horne (43); N McBeth for Kebble and L Sordino for Fagerson (both 59); G Peterson for Gray (60).

Referee: A Jones (WRU).