Connacht fail to raise much of a gallop in disappointing away league loss

Connacht 7

By Rob Murphy

READING too much into one result would be foolish. This was after all, merely the second game of what is likely to be a long and disrupted season, but Connacht were poor in Wales on Saturday against an opponent that finished below them in the standings last season.

The Cardiff Blues are far from a title contender in this competition, but they are improving slowly and at their temporary home of Rodney Parade in Newport, they produced some impressive rugby in the final quarter of this contest to not only secure a commanding victory over their conference rivals, but also secure a bonus point for good measure.

For the moment, the rugby season is about getting to and from games in good health and producing a safe environment for players to train and play while reducing the chance of an unexpected Covid-19 case spreading through the group. Even having rugby back on our TV screens is some achievement, and perhaps that wider context needs to be kept in mind in the coming months should the on field performances fall short of what is needed.

A specially chartered Ryanair flight took Connacht to and from Wales on Saturday. The team landed at lunchtime and were on the field in Newport by early evening before departing late on Saturday night and returning to Galway in the wee hours of Sunday morning. It’s a highly unusual move but a necessary one all the same.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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