Leicester pack come good in the second half to see off brave Connacht challenge

Leicester 29 Connacht 23

Leicester extended their winning run to 13 but not before Connacht provided their English Premiership opponents with one of the sternest tests they have faced in Welford Road this season.

Andy Friend’s side, pushing the Tigers all the way, led this Heineken Champions Cup encounter at the break 17-12, but changes to the home side’s entire frontrow made all the difference in the second half as the hosts produced two crucial tries in a seven-minute spell. It proved enough to see off a valiant Connacht effort that saw Jack Carty produce another sterling performance, bagging 18 of Connacht’s 23 points.

But Connacht know they left a win behind. Having dominated possession, they were guilty of a host of handling errors and that lack of clinical efficiency, allied with a yellow card for Finlay Bealham in the second half – proved their undoing.

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However, they can take a bow that in the 80th minute they were still relentlessly fighting with Carty providing a bonus point with a well-worked drop goal. It ensured Connacht left Welford Road with six points from a possible 10 from their opening two games, and still very much in contention to qualify from the pool.

Friend says that bonus point was a deserved reward, but that his side still need to improve their execution.

“The drop goal was really important – it was just in the end. We didn’t come here to get a losing bonus point, but the win was out of reach when we went to the last lineout, and the bonus point was a compliment to the team and Jack Carty, who had the wherewithal and ability to get the ball over the posts.”

Friend says while the scrum was key, it could have been a “different game if we had executed some of the opportunities we created”.

“We have to get better at that, but when you’re eight points up with 25 minutes to go, the one thing you can’t give is territory and yellow cards – that hurts you. We will take a lot positives, but it’s not what we came here for. This is all learnings for us. It is the biggest stage some of these players would have played on. What I do know is we have the game plan that can hurt teams and we have to keep working on it and believing in it.”

Connacht had grabbed the lead just before the half-time whistle when Carty seized on loose ball and ran from halfway to touch down and convert. Leicester had been on the attack, but it was Connacht’s in-your-face defence that proved crucial as the Tigers, having been hunted down, eventually coughed up possession. Alex Wootton’s line speed was instrumental, and when Leicester fullback Bryce Hegarty failed to secure off the ground, Carty took his opportunity to bag Connacht’s second try and ensure the visitors led 17-12 at the break.

The Connacht outhalf had opened this round two fixture with a fourth-minute penalty as Connacht reaped rewards for forcing four penalties from the hosts in the early stages.

It certainly gave Friend’s outfit a real boost, but they were unable to capitalise on opportunities created. The first real attacking threat came after Bundee Aki surged forward. However, fullback Tiernan O’Halloran could not find Wootton, who over-ran the pass. Nor could they make it over the line when they lost the ball from a lineout and drive.

Fourteen minutes had passed before Leicester’s famed maul was set in motion, but it was from a scrum penalty the home side opened their tally two minutes later when hooker Nic Dolly found too much space on the wing. Outhalf Freddie Burns failed with the conversion and an ensuing penalty before Leicester added a second try. The midfield duo were instrumental as Dan Kelly put Matt Scott through a gap and Hegarty claimed his first try for the club, with Burns adding the extras for a 12-3 lead.

Within minutes Connacht had replied – Aki setting up a willing John Porch who, coming off his wing in support, burst through to touch down. Carty added the extras, and thereafter Connacht dominated possession and territory until the break, putting the Tigers on the defensive again.

It took a tap tackle from Burns on Wootton to stop try number two, but eventually the pressure paid – once again it stemmed from staunch defence, and when Carty was quickest to scoop up a loose ball from Hegarty, he ran in from his own half to score and convert, giving Friend’s side real hope as they led 17-12 – the only opposition this season to lead the Tigers at the half-time.

Within minutes Carty has stretched that margin to eight via a penalty after man-of-the-match Ben Youngs was pinged for a deliberate knock-on.

That score signalled Steve Borthwick’s move to introduce his heavy-hitting bench – the entire frontrow with 57-times Argentinian international Julian Montoya and the experienced Dan Cole, in addition to Guy Porter for Burns, with Hegarty moving to outhalf.

It paid immediate dividends. After one penalty went begging, Tigers reverted to type. Five scrums later and with Bealham having been yellow carded, they made it count when right wing Freddie Steward found space from the base of a scrum to cross, with Hegarty adding the extras.

The home side, with their tails up, continued to put the pressure on Connacht, and the maul once again provided the score. As Connacht players were sucked into close-range defending, left wing Hosea Saumaki took advantage of space to bag try number four, which Hegarty converted.

With 14 points conceded during the yellow card, and with less than 20 minutes on the clock, Connacht had nothing to lose as they emptied their bench. However, it was Leicester who extended their lead with a penalty via Hegarty which ended Connacht’s hopes.

Yet, Connacht’s never-say-die attitude kicked in as they continued to search for points. When opting for touch with a minute to play, Carty produced the perfect kick, Ultan Dillane secured the lineout, and Carty opted for a drop goal, giving the the visitors a valuable and well deserved bonus point for their resilience.

SCORING SEQUENCE – 4 mins: Carty pen 0-3; 19: Dolly try 5-2; 23: Hegarty try, Burns con 12-3; 27: Porch try, Carty con 12-10; 39: Carty try, con 12-17. (Half-time 12-17). 47: Carty pen 12-20; 58: Steward try, Burns con 19-20; 63: Saumaki try, Hegarty con 26-20; 71:Hegarty pen 29-20; 80+1:Carty drop goal 29-23.

LEICESTER: B Hegarty; F Steward, M Scott, D Kelly, H Saumaki; F Burns, B Youngs; N Leatigaga, N Dolly, J Heyes; H Wells, E Snyman; G Martin, T Reffell, J Wiese.

Replacements: G Porter for Burns, J Whitcombe for Leatigaga, J Montoya for Dolly, D Cole for Heyes (all 51 mins); C Green for Snyman (56); O Chessum for Martin (58); M van Staden for Reffell (62); J van Poortvliet for B Youngs (66).

CONNACHT: T O'Halloran; J Porch, S Arnold, B Aki, A Wootton; J Carty, K Marmion; M Burke, D Heffernan, F Bealham; U Dillane, N Murray; C Prendergast, C Oliver, J Butler.

Replacements: S Delahunt for Heffernan (55 mins); J Aungier for Butler (56-66) and for Bealham (74); C Fitzgerald for O'Halloran, T Tuimauga for Burke, L Fifita for Murray, A Papali'i for Prendergast (all 65); C Blade for Marmion (66); D Kilgallen for Wootton (76).

Sin bin: Bealham (56).

Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France).