AKI NEW YEAR
Bundee’s showing fires up Connacht
CONNACHT bounced back from their heartbreaking last-gasp loss to Leinster at the RDS with a three-try victory over Ulster at a heaving Sportsground last night.
Andy Friend’s men were seconds away from ending a 16-year wait for a win in the capital last Saturday only for replacement Andrew Porter to muscle his way over the line after the hooter.
The Westerners were clearly hurting from that defeat and responded with a furious display against Ulster on their home turf.
Dan McFarland’s side arrived in Galway on the back of four straight wins, but they were no match for a rampant Connacht outfit, who continue to be the most entertaining attacking province in the country.
Connacht’s pack — led by their outstanding captain Jarrad Butler — threw down the gauntlet with some surging lineout mauls early in the contest.
That proved to be an ominous omen for the visitors as Butler and tighthead Conor Carey made big yards with some powerful carries which laid the platform for hooker Shane Delahunt to burrow his way over the line.
Jack Carty fired over the conversion to give Connacht a 7-0 lead.
The visitors were on the back foot again minutes later and only some last-ditch defending prevented Sean O’Brien from scoring near the post.
All the home side’s pressure eventually told when Bundee Aki powered his way over the line with a trademark burst.
From a rock-solid Connacht scrum, the Ireland centre ran a hard line off scrum-half Caolin Blade’s pass before swatting away Ulster out-half Johnny McPhillips to score. Carty once again added the extras as the hosts cruised out to 14-0.
Ulster were struggling for a foothold in the contest, but they were handed a gift in the 33rd minute. Spotting an isolated Cian Kelleher on the left touchline, McPhillips sent a booming cross-kick on top of the Connacht wing. Kelleher made a mess of the high ball before losing his footing in the in-goal area. Angus Kernohan followed up to pounce on the loose ball and when John Cooney fired over a sublime touchline conversion, Ulster were back in the hunt before the break.
Connacht needed a big response after the interval and Blade provided the cutting edge once again.
The Galway native made sure to win the foot race onto Kyle Godwin’s chip to score Connacht’s third try of the night.
Carty’s third successive conversion pushed the home side into a 21-12 lead.
It looked like game-over but Ulster refused to go quietly into the Galway night as Jordi Murphy touched down off the back of a powerful lineout maul.
Friend’s men went on the hunt for the fourth try and a precious bonus point but after a frenetic finish, substitute scrum-half James Mitchell kicked the ball out of play — much to Aki’s dismay.