Terrific O’Halloran try proves crucial moment of tight affair

Edinburgh 9

THE words high and flying are frequently popping up in media outlets around Ireland when referencing Connacht’s professional rugby team in recent weeks. Why? Well quite simply, they sit second in the table with five wins from six games and four very valuable bonus points thrown in for very good measure. At the very least, they’ve caught the attention of a lot of people.

For Pat Lam, that one defeat away to Glasgow still rankles. A mark of the man perhaps. As a result, he certainly isn’t calling this the perfect start but in the same breath, he readily acknowledges that they are very much in a strong position after a string of impressive results to start the campaign.

Saturday evening at the Sportsground was another really strong marker, perhaps the most impressive yet at their home grounds. The only fireworks on this Halloween night were shooting up above the Clan Terrace from the estates around the east side of the city, as on the field it was a game of chess between two fairly evenly matched sides, but Connacht’s victory was born from a keen sense of control and poise.

Those elements have emerged in the last two weeks. In the previous four rounds, Connacht were relentless in attacking play but leaky and imprecise in a lot of the defensive aspects of the game. Late on in the win over the Ospreys and for long periods here at a clear and dry Sportsground on Saturday evening, the diligence and attention to detail when the ball was with the opposition proved to be the cornerstone of the success.

The difference between the sides in the end was Tiernan O’Halloran’s try. From an attacking point of view, it was a rare moment of a brilliance in a game of many errors and one dominated by the overtly fussy refereeing of Leighton Hodges, but that shouldn’t take away from the sheer precision involved in the first half move that carved the Edinburgh back line to pieces.

A lineout on the left hand side of the field on the ten metre line provided the platform where the ball was quickly transferred to Nepia Fox Matamua who stood in the scrum half position for the move.  The flanker found Kieran Marmion whose sweeping pass took play into the middle of the field and into the hands of Jack Carty. The Athlone out half disguised his intentions well, passing back inside Matt Healy for the key break.

The left winger had timed his run perfectly and the switch of direction flat footed the defence. Healy has electric pace and he made 20 metres before drawing the full back and sending O’Halloran in for the try. It was a try not far removed from the move Japan mustered in their famous World Cup win over South Africa in September.

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