Leicester Tigers 48 Connacht 32
So another one bites the dust and Connacht’s miserable European record in England continues.
It was not all that unexpected given Leicester’s traditional modus operandi and what has been something of an Achilles Heel for Connacht. Racing 92 did it successfully, so too Munster, and it was ultimately Steve Borthwick’s big forward unit that did sufficient damage in the line-out and maul to get the job done, led by the relentless No 8, South African Jasper Wiese.
Connacht, despite a disciplined performance, did not help themselves, making too many errors on the night and failing to fire sufficient shots inside the 22 to prevail in this Challenge Cup Round of 16.
Head coach Andy Friend could only lament his side’s failure to secure what would have been only the province’s third victory in England in the past 21 years.
“Too many moments we didn’t deliver, whether physically, or mentally or skill wise,” he says, “and that is what we have to eradicate to be the team we want to be.
“No bones about it, I am gutted because this is the end for us. I really wanted to win and really thought we could win. It is another disappointment. We had an opportunity I thought at 32-34. We had worked so hard to get back, and I thought we were going to steam roll them then.
“From about the 20m to the half way line, I thought we very very capable, but when we got within 10 metres of their line, we didn’t win that battle. They were big physical men filling the field and that is where you need your game smarts - finding space on the short side or through the ruck, or it could be wide. In the first half we didn’t find that space as well as we needed to, in the second half we started to. Moved them around and scored, but certainly from 10m out, we need to be better.”
It had all started so well. Early pressure on the home side was rewarded when John Porch launched a counter-attack. Kieran Marmion, playing a central role, shipped the ball out to academy player Sean O’Brien, who slipped a pass to fullback Zack Henry to make yards, and the Connacht scrumhalf popped up again in support to cross for a seventh minute try out wide.
However, it was not long before Leicester launched the lineout maul from a penalty, with hooker Charlie Clare grabbing the first of four first-half tries. Within minutes they scored a second, Guy Porter bursting from an under-resourced ruck to claim his first try for the Tigers, with fullback Zack Henry adding the extras.
Wasted
Despite Connacht’s solid scrum, they wasted a real opportunity to launch from a penalty to touch, losing a lineout, and although captain Paul Boyle did his best to ignite Connacht’s cause with a super break, the only points came via Carty who slotted a penalty to close the gap to 12-8.
The real damage, however, was done in the next few minutes as Connacht failed to capitalise on a yellow card to the Leicester hooker. Instead they conceded in an attacking position, and from a length of the field run, left wing Guy Porter provided Argentinian Matias Moroni with an easy score.
It provided the momentum for the home side to bag their fourth try after Connacht failed to deal with a McPhillps kick, and although Friend’s men staged a series of attacks within five metres of the line, they were again forced to settle for a Carty penalty, closing the gap to 24-11 at the break.
“At key moments in the game we gifted points instead of scoring,” says Friend. “They had a man in the bin and they scored 14 points which is unacceptable.
“We were getting beaten physically so [in the second half] we changed our game style and twice came within two points, but we gifted it back. Really frustrating and we keep making a habit of that.
“We lack that killer instinct when we’ve got a team on the ropes and we have to become that ruthless team. For whatever reason, we let the foot off the throat and we have to change that. It’s lapses when individuals knock off. We keep talking about wanting to be a team fighting for silverware, but until we change that, there won’t be any.”
Close
The second half was a tale of a fight back, but not close enough. It started with Eoghan Masterson profiting from some strong Connacht carries to cross for a 45th minute try, which Carty converted to narrow the gap to 24-18. But as Connacht tried to up the tempo, Tigers’ defence stood firm, adding a penalty to keep their scoreline ticking over.
A slick inside pass from replacement scrumhalf Caolan Blade provided Wootton with a 60th minute converted try, before Charlie Clare once again profited from a lineout maul to maintain their two-score advantage.
The best Connacht could do was a Paul Boyle try, while the home side added another two pack-driven tries. While Friend can point to a possible “four yellow cards” for Leicester, he says Connacht have to be better.
“It’s no secret we have to make changes in our coaching structure, but we have two brilliant men who are moving on [Nigel Carolan and Jimmy Duffy], and it was disappointing. It would have been lovely to win something for those blokes for what they have given to Connacht rugby.
“We can’t win Challenge Cup silverware, but with six games left we can continue to build on what has been a tricky year, but one in which we have grown as a team, and we have to keep trying to grow as a team. We now have six important games and we will hopefully finish the season with more positives than negatives.”
Scoring sequence - 7 mins: Marmion try 0-5; 12 mins: C Clare try 5-5; 15 mins: Porter try, Henry con 12-5; 21 mins: Carty pen 12-8; 27mins: Moroni try 17-8; 31 mins: Henry try and con 24-8; 43 mins: Carty pen 24-11. (Half-time) 24-11; 44 mins: Masterson try, Carty con 24-18; 57 mins: McPhillips pen 27-18; 59 mins: A Wootton try, Carty con 27-25; 66 mins: C Clare try, McPhillips con 34-25; 71 mins: P Boyle try, C Fitzgerald con 34-32, H Wells try, McPhillips con 41-32; 78 mins: Wiese try, McPhillips con 48-32.
Leicester Tigers: Z Henry; H Potter, M Moroni, M Scott, G Porter; J McPhillips, B Youngs (capt); L de Bruin, C Clare, J Heyes; C Henderson, T Lavanini; G Martin, L Wallace; J Wiese.
Replacements, W Hurd for Heyes and J Wells for Lavanini (both 48 mins), F Steward for Henry (55), T Reffell for Wallace (58), B White for Youngs and J Whitcombe for L de Bruin (both 69), D Kelly for Moroni (72), N Dolly for Clare (78).
Connacht: J Porch; A Wootton, S O'Brien, T Daly, M Healy; J Carty, K Marmion; D Buckley, D Heffernan, F Bealham; U Dillane, G Thornbury; E Masterson, C Oliver, P Boyle (capt).
Replacements, C Blade for Marmion, S Delahunt for Heffernan and D Robinson-McCoy for Bealham (all 50 mins), A Papali’i for Oliver (56), O Dowling for Thornbury and C Fitzgerald for Carty (both 67), J Duggan for Buckley (69).
Referee: A Jones (Wales).
