Pride restored as heroic Connacht lay bodies on line

Toulouse 24Connacht 3

Rob Murphy at the Stade Ernest Wallon

TOULOUSE secured the bonus point win they needed on Saturday, but the contest didn’t pan out as many had expected. Connacht arrived on a 13 game losing streak and some French media took the opportunity to recall some of the biggest winning margins during Guy Noves’ era as part of the pre-match build up.

This was meant to be a landslide but that never materialised. Connacht did what they have been doing all season in these ‘backs to the wall’ scenarios – they stood up and were counted. If only they could funnel some of that energy into the ‘meat and drink’ games.

The rapturous reception they received from their loosely estimated 700 strong army of supporters was no doubt bestowed on them in gratitude for the tireless workrate shown, the thundering tackles, ferocious effort at the breakdown and adventurous – if at times ill judged – counter attacks.

Whether or not Connacht are content with their efforts is hard to tell. The players applauded their fans in appreciation at the end, but the disappointment at not getting on the try scoring sheet and conceding a fourth to Toulouse was plainly evident too.

It should be, because there was more in them in that regard. Scoring chances have been botched far too often in recent weeks and the penchant for poor decision making in open play was evident here again.

The opening salvos were all in the Toulouse half. The home side had clearly bought into the expectation of an early four try bonus point to match what was achieved in a 52-3 victory over Lyon the previous week.

Yet on a bitterly cold evening in front of 18,508 supporters, Toulouse failed to ignite and Connacht dictated the early pace. Niall O’Connor’s post-hitting penalty effort on five minutes was the first good scoring chance.

Not deterred, Connacht battled on and finally took the lead on 15 minutes through O’Connor who had been recalled after the Aironi debacle. That kick came after a late hit on Tiernan O’Halloran by Thiery Dousatoir. The Connacht players squared up to their opponents at that point. It was a good sign that such cheap shots would not be accepted.

As the first quarter concluded, Connacht had shared possession, dominated territory and led by three on the scoreboard thanks in no small part to a pack spearheaded by Michael Swift. Toulouse, however, had already amassed four penalties from collapsed scrums as the enormous springbok Gurthro Steenkamp turned the screw on his fellow country man Dylan Rogers time and again.For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.