Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Connacht storm to comfortable victory over Ospreys in Galway

By PA
(Photo By Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Connacht’s admirable sense of adventure at a wind and rain-lashed Sportsground was rewarded with a 46-18 bonus-point win over the Ospreys.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Westerners led 18-11 at half-time after playing into the big wind, Mack Hansen touching down after just 129 seconds and debutant centre Shayne Bolton and Oran McNulty also scoring tries.

Luke Morgan had an opportunist score for the Ospreys, with Stephen Myler booting two penalties to Jack Carty’s one.

Video Spacer

Reviewing the season-ending All Blacks loss to France and the Foster vs Robertson | Aotearoa Rugby Pod

Video Spacer

Reviewing the season-ending All Blacks loss to France and the Foster vs Robertson | Aotearoa Rugby Pod

Sam Arnold and Joe Hawkins swapped seven-pointers, making it 25-18, before Morgan’s 58th-minute high tackle saw him sin-binned and concede a penalty try.

As the Ospreys fell to their second United Rugby Championship defeat, Connacht replacements Caolin Blade and Conor Fitzgerald made it a seven-try success.

The hosts took off at a rate of knots in the difficult conditions, Carty’s long pass finding winger Hansen, who stepped inside two defenders for an unconverted try.

Myler and Carty traded penalties for an 8-3 scoreline before another quick-fire attack – finished by 20-year-old South African Bolton – was rewarded with five more points.

ADVERTISEMENT

Carty missed the conversion, as did Myler after a Connacht attack broke down, Owen Watkin twice hacked through and winger Morgan got the grounding for his try.

However, young full-back McNulty then took advantage of a defensive slip to scamper over from 45 metres out.

The visitors, who went close through hooker Elvis Taione, returned fire when Myler cut the gap to seven points.

Connacht were the aggressors on the resumption, centre Arnold brilliantly breaking through a couple of tackles to crash over. Carty squeezed over the conversion.

ADVERTISEMENT

Back came the Ospreys, successive scrum penalties leading to Rhys Webb releasing teenage centre Hawkins to go in under the posts. Myler’s kick made it a seven-point game again.

Webb was well position to deny Connacht replacement Jack Aungier a try, but Morgan’s high tackle on the newly introduced Peter Robb, as he sought to score in the right corner, was a killer blow.

Connacht dominated the remainder, Blade wriggling free from Reuben Morgan-Williams’ grasp to go in under the posts. Carty unselfishly sent Fitzgerald over in the final few minutes.

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

B
Bull Shark 5 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus' Boks selection policy is becoming bizarre

To be fair, the only thing that drives engagement on this site is over the top critiques of Southern Hemisphere teams.


Or articles about people on podcasts criticizing southern hemisphere teams.


Articles regarding the Northern Hemisphere tend to be more positive than critical. I guess to also rile up kiwis and Saffers who seem to be the majority of followers in the comments section. There seems to be a whole department dedicated to Ireland’s world ranking news.


Despite being dialled into the Northern edition - I know sweet fokall about what’s going on in France.


And even less than fokall about what’s cutting in Japan - which has a fast growing, increasingly premium League competition emerging.


And let’s not talk about the pacific. Do they even play rugby Down there.


Oh and the Americas. I’ve read more articles about a young, stargazing Welshman’s foray into NFL than I have anything related to either the north and south continents of the Americas.


I will give credit that the women’s game is getting decent airtime. But for the rest and the above; it’s just pathetic coming from a World Rugby website.


Just consider the innovation emerging in Japan with the pedigree of coaches over there.


There’s so much good we could be reading.


Instead it’s unimaginative “critical for the sake of feigning controversial”. Which is lazy, because in order to pull that off all you need to be really good at is:


1. Being a doos;

2. Having an opinion.


No prior experience needed.


Which is not journalism. That’s like all or most of us in the comments section. People like Finn (who I believe is a RP contributor).


Anyway. Hopefully it will get better. The game is growing and the interest in the game is growing. Maybe it will attract more qualified journalists over time.

19 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ 'There will be no honeymoon period for Borthwick's wedding usher El-Abd' 'There will be no honeymoon period for Borthwick's wedding usher El-Abd'
Search