Cockerill’s cheating claims are bang out of order
SOME big hits went in at Murrayfield last weekend, and fair play to both teams who served up a cracker despite the lack of atmosphere with such a small crowd in the massive stadium. But Connacht came out on the wrong side of the result and Andy Friend will be determined to get them back winning.
With games against Scarlets and Leinster to come, Connacht needed to win in Scotland. But it wasn’t the worst-case scenario coming away with a losing bonus point and a decent performance too.
The crucial incident in the game was the yellow card for Jarrad Butler. Edinburgh scored their first try then and it put Connacht on the back foot. Up to that point their defence had been immense but they couldn’t hold out with 14 men.
It was probably the right decision to give the Connacht captain yellow but I have seen players get away with it in those instances in the past. Saying all that, the referee was pretty poor throughout the game.
There was no way that Connacht were three times worse than Edinburgh in the discipline stakes and a penalty count of 15 to five didn’t paint the correct picture. You will always find some referee difficult throughout the season and Connacht have come out on the wrong side of a few decisions from Ian Davies already in this campaign.
Disappointed
However, I don’t think it’s a case that the team will have been thinking about that all week long. Friend must have been disappointed with some of the decisions but you need to have a thick skin in this industry and they will move on.
It was surprising to hear Richard Cockerill blast Connacht and the referee after the match. He labelled Connacht as cheats. But I think he was more disillusioned with his own team’s performance rather than any calls from the referee.
Connacht always go out to play. They never adapt a cynical gameplan and last weekend they were on the back foot because Edinburgh forced them to defend for long periods. But Connacht still play their game and when the chances came they almost stole a draw in the end.
A losing bonus point was probably a fair reflection of the game as a whole, and Cockerill was probably more disappointed that his players allowed Connacht back into the game. I’m sure he didn’t want to see them leave with the losing bonus point. But Connacht showed great heart to get something from the game and despite the poor penalty count, they have lots to build on going into this week.
Paul Boyle was outstanding again, and with Robin Copeland having featured for the Connacht Eagles last weekend, it means that Friend has a huge decision to make at No 8. It’s a great selection headache to have.
The backline probably stood out most and Tiernan O’Halloran was awesome at full-back. He is definitely back to his best and his fielding in those testing conditions was international class.
The centres were great in defence. Eoin Griffin was particularly good and really made those big collisions, even turning the ball over on occasion. Kyle Godwin is starting to look the complete package too, while Bundee Aki got a run-out.
On the wings, Matt Healy was the real threat. His runs really caused Edinburgh problems in the second half and he was unfortunate not to get a try. Niyi Adeolokun only had one real chance and he scored.
Jack Carty continues to thrive this season. His place-kicking was unerring and his pass to Adeolokun, for the try, was top-notch. Some of his long kicks to touch weren’t great and with a guy like Blair Kinghorn in opposition you need to be more pinpoint accurate.
Kieran Marmion is still finding form at scrum-half but with Caolin Blade competing for that No 9 jersey, it looks like a really healthy prospect for the team.
The pack were good too. Against Edinburgh, it’s never going to be an easy day up front but the guys performed well with the limited possession that they got. Their tackling and rucking was really good but offensively they didn’t really get a chance.
Stats
When you look at the stats Connacht only had four scrums and 11 lineouts, and that shows you just how long the players spent defending their own line. They were camped deep in their own territory for much of the game.
The crucial part of it this week is to just get their hands on the ball. I’m sure they will at home in the Sportsground, but you don’t know the players they will be facing either.
I have noticed that some PRO14 teams are starting to adopt a more French style when they go away from home now. They don’t bring their strongest starting 15 and save those guys for the big home games.
Not every team is doing it, but I have noticed it a few times in the opening weeks and it will be interesting to see who Scarlets bring to town this weekend. I do expect a strong selection because they need to keep winning after a tough one last time out.
But they still managed to get a bonus point in victory over Benetton Rugby, and that’s surely what they would have wanted. The Italians gave them a right scare but Scarlets pulled through and off the back of a big win over Leinster confidence must be high.
But Connacht showed great heart to get something from the game and despite the poor penalty count