Rugby

Connacht capitalise on Stormers ill-discipline to seal narrow Sportsground win

Andy Friend praises his ‘bouncers’ from the bench after comeback win in Galway

Connacht’s Tom Daly celebrates scoring a try during the United Rugby Championship match against the Stormers at the Sportsground in Galway. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho

Rob Murphy at the Sportsground
Sat Feb 26 2022 - 15:31

Connacht 19 Stormers 17

Facing the prospect of another key home defeat and the potential demise of their playoff aspirations, Connacht dug deep into their reserves at the Sportsground on Saturday afternoon and produced a stirring comeback in the closing stages to secure a vital victory of the visiting Stormers.

It’s the first time since early December that Connacht have managed back-to-back wins and Andy Friend will be hoping that the spirit and resolve shown in a second-half turnaround here – that saw them overturn a 10-point deficit in the final quarter – might prove to be a turning point in their season.

“I thought that when our bouncers came on, that’s what we call our replacements, they gave us the go-forward ball, they gave us the sting in the tackle and the disruption around the lineout, so real credit to them. They gave us the impetus we needed,” noted Friend afterwards.

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In blustery conditions, the Stormers controlled play and frustrated Connacht, keeping a firm grip on proceedings in the first half. Paul Boyle’s try had the hosts in the game but the visitors had been more industrious and direct and were worth their 10-7 lead thanks to tries by Sergal Petersen and the impressive South African international Damian Willemse.

To make matters worse for Friend’s men, they conceded again after half-time when Manie Libbok pounced on a dropped ball from Kieran Marmion and burst clear to score untouched from just inside his own half. The gauntlet was now well and truly laid down by the men from Cape Town but Connacht found the answers thanks to an impressive impact from a host of replacements.

The turning point in the game came with a sin-bin for Petersen who was caught for a deliberate knock-on. Three minutes into the sin-bin Caolin Blade announced his arrival into the game with a sniping break from inside his own half. The scrumhalf received support from Conor Oliver who executed a superb offload that paved the way for Tom Daly to score Connacht’s second try which was converted by Conor Fitzgerald.

The Stormers did initially regain control of the contest but a second yellow card for John Dobson’s side – this time for a Ruhan Nel shoulder charge on Fitzgerald – helped Connacht regain control and with the likes of Oisín Dowling, Abraham Papali’i and Leva Fifita all to the fore, Connacht broke the visitors resistance paving the way for a third try scored by Peter Sullivan in the corner after a perfectly executed one-handed flick pass from Alex Wootton.

“We wanted to play football and I thought we got we rewarded for it,” noted Friend afterwards. “We play a brand of football where we can be hard to contain and I think we showed the belief in that in the closing stages.”

That style of play is certainly winning plaudits but Connacht are searching for wins to climb the table at the moment, so the focus will quickly tun to next Friday’s trip to Edinburgh. “We’re very aware that Edinburgh is playing a good brand of footie too, so it will be tough but we’re excited by the challenge,” said Friend.

SCORING SEQUENCE – 18 mins: Peterson try 0-5; 29: Boyle try, Fitzgerald con 7-5; 38: Willemse try, 7-10; 42: Libbok try, Libbok con 7-17; 59: Daly try, Fitzgerald con 14-17; 71: Sullivan try 19-17.

CONNACHT: J Porch; P Sullivan, S Arnold, T Daly, A Wootton; C Fitzgerald, K Marmion; D Buckley, S Delahunt, T Tuimauga; N Murray, L Fifita; C Prendergast, J Butler, P Boyle.

Replacements: J Aungier for Tuimauga (42 mins); O Dowling for Murray, C Oliver for Butler and J Duggan for Buckley (all 49); C Blade for Marmion (57); A Papali'i for Prendergast (58); T Farrell for P Sullivan (66); P Sullivan for Fitzgerald (68); J Murphy for Delahunt (73).

STORMERS: S Petersen; A Davids, R Nel, D Willlemse, S Senatla; M Libook, H Jantijies; S Kitschoff, S Ntubeni, B Harris; A Smith, A Orie; E Van Rhyn, E Roos.

Replacements: D Meihuizen for Smith and J Pokomela for Fourie (both 42 mins); H Dayimani for Van Rhyn (66); P De Wet for Jantjies, A Vermaak for Kitshoff and N Fouche for Harris (all 68); C Smit for Petersen (69); AH Venter for Ntubeni (74).

Sin bin: S Petersen (59-69 mins) R Nel (69 to 79 mins)

Referee: B Blaine