AV SOME OF THAT
Connacht look right at home on big stage as Ulster win run ends
CONNACHT emphatically ended Ulster’s four-match winning run in the United Rugby Championship with a bonus-point victory at the Aviva Stadium.
Andy Friend’s side brought this derby fixture to Dublin to draw a bigger crowd and they had the backing of the vast majority of the 9,875 attendance.
Niall Murray’s first ever try for Connacht, coupled with Mack Hansen’s third of the season, had them 17-6 ahead at half-time.
They landed the knockout blows when John Porch and academy youngster Diarmuid Kilgallen dived over after 61 and 64 minutes respectively.
Ulster replacement Brad Roberts scored from a lineout maul with 13 minutes remaining but Connacht – reeling from last week’s Thomond Park disappointment at the hands of Munster – had the final say through livewire winger Hansen.
It was a feisty start with Tom Daly having a penalty reversed for a push on Nathan Doak, who mopped up with the three points.
Connacht replied with a slicklyworked try, Paul Boyle offloading for young lock Murray to charge through and score. Jack Carty converted. Scrum-half Doak hit back with a 16th-minute penalty but that proved to be Ulster’s final score of the opening half. The opportunistic Hansen then gobbled up Billy Burns’ pass and sped home from 35 metres out. Carty converted and added a penalty for an 11-point cushion for the Westerners. After Doak missed a penalty, Connacht hooker Dave Heffernan was fortunate to avoid a yellow card for a lifting tackle on Iain Henderson.
Instead, Ulster lock Alan O’connor was sin-binned for a shoulder into Heffernan. Repeated penalties saw Connacht’s Ultan Dillane yellow-carded soon after.
The second half started at a frantic pace and Connacht number eight Boyle was held up before Carty missed a longrange penalty.
As Ulster continued to struggle for their usual rhythm, Connacht whipped the ball wide for winger Porch to get outside Michael Lowry and dive low for the corner.
Carty missed the conversion before adding the extras to replacement Kilgallen’s bonus-point score, as the 21-yearold pinched a Burns pass from Ross Kane to race clear.
Roberts replied for the visitors before a late breakaway effort from Hansen, set up by Caolin Blade’s steal, sealed a memorable night in Dublin for Connacht.