Wheels starting to come off the Connacht wagon
Inside Track with John McIntyre
If you were told beforehand that Connacht would score four tries – and a couple of them were high on artistic impression – in their critical European Challenge Cup encounter against Exeter Chiefs at the Sportsground last Sunday, it would have been difficult to imagine any outcome other than a home victory, but the obvious didn’t happen.
And difficult as it is to face up to that disappointing outcome, the reality is that Connacht can have few complaints over losing 33-24 to their physically powerful visitors who dominated up front and turned the match around in a second half where Pat Lam’s men simply couldn’t cope with the sheer muscle and strength of the Exeter Chiefs.
On a rare benign day on College Road, ideally suited to Connacht’s expansive game, the contest ultimately boiled down to a struggle between grunt and pace, with the heavyweights winning out. This was the first time this season that the Westerners’ front eight were basically mauled into submission and over-powered in the scrums . . . and it wasn’t a pleasing spectacle.
Out wide, however, Connacht were a real threat and their backs left the Chiefs floundering in the opening-half when Matt Healy and Danie Poolman superbly finished off two attacking moves of the highest quality. They deservedly led 17-10 at the break, but there were warning signals that Exeter’s pack was something of a lethal weapon, especially when they engineered a penalty try after sustained pressure.
Still, few home supporters could have then predicted that Connacht would end up without even a losing home point – although they did manage one for touching down four times – as they were gradually worn down physically, with an intercept try from second row and team captain Dean Mumm really turning the game on its head in the 57th minute.
Exeter had controlled much of the exchanges on the resumption and their third try from Dan Armand, together with a couple of penalties from out half Henry Slade, powered them into a 16 point lead after trailing by seven at the break. The Sportsground hadn’t witnessed Connacht take such a battering so far this season, leaving their aspirations of qualifying for the knock out stages no longer a formality.
To the credit of John Muldoon and his team-mates, they never dropped their heads and worked hard to engineer a second well taken try from Healy in the 75th minute, while replacement Darragh Leader could have snatched a losing bonus point only to see his long range penalty attempt drifting wide of Exeter’s right hand post.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.