The Irish Mail on Sunday

Connacht hit back to defeat Brive and claim a bonus point

- By John Fallon AT STADE AMÉDÉE-DOMENECH

CONNACHT’S PRO14 form may be poor but they are right on course for a home quarter-final in the European Challenge Cup after winning a remarkable game in France last night.

Trailing by 16 points at one stage, Connacht fought back to nail the bonus point by the 57th minute and then hold off a Brive side who scored five tries in defeat.

Connacht, with three wins now from three, will aim to take another big step to a home quarter-final when Brive come to the Sportsgrou­nd on Saturday.

Brive didn’t score a try in either of their two previous Challenge Cup wins over Connacht at Stade Amédée-Domenech, but they had three on the board by the end of the opening half last night.

The French side may be in serious relegation trouble but they went into this encounter having won their last seven home Challenge Cup games. But it was Connacht who made the brighter start and good early pressure yielded a sixth minute penalty from Jack Carty.

However, Connacht’s indiscipli­ne proved costly and with the penalty count climbing to seven to two after just 14 minutes, English referee Craig Maxwell Keyes lost patience and binned John Muldoon for an infringeme­nt as Brive attacked from a penalty to the left corner.

They again opted for the corner and made the most of the extra man with Portuguese hooker Mike Tadjer crashing over.

They posted 14 points while Muldoon was in the bin with scrum-half Florian Cazenave finishing superbly in the right corner after the opening had been created by a crosskick from Thomas Laranjera to Benjamin Petre.

Full-back Gaetan Germain converted both tries but he was off target on the half hour when former Munster prop Julien Brugnaut made it 19-3 after a great initial burst by winger Nadir Megdoud.

Connacht, with the game slipping away from them, rallied before the break and full-back Tiernan O’Halloran set up Ultan Dillane for only his second try.

Carty converted to make it 19-10 eight minutes from the interval and that score kicked them into action.

They were rewarded for going to the left corner with a penalty just before the break and after a take from Muldoon., scrum-half Kieran Marmion spotted a gap to dash through and score under the posts. Carty converted to leave it 19-17 at the interval.

Carty began the second-half as he did the opening one, landing a penalty from 35 metres to edge Connacht back in front with a good effort from 35 metres. But almost immediatel­y they coughed up another penalty and lock Johan Snyman taking the resulting lineout and Tadjer again got the touchdown, Germain’s converting to make it 26-20. The lead lasted little over a minute as Carty scored a superb try, breaking from midfield and then throwing a dummy before scoiring, his conversion leaving it 27-26 to Connacht. Carty made it six from six as his penalty saw Connacht take a 3026 lead into the final quarter. Cian Kelleher sealed the bonus point 18 minutes from time when he slid home after the final pass from O’Halloran in a crossfield move.

Carty missed the conversion but did add another penalty shortly afterwards. Brive then scored from inside their own 22 in a move that was finished in the left corner by Guillaume Namy for their fifth try but Connacht held on.

 ??  ?? TACKLED: Connacht’s Ultan Dillane is unable to get away from Brive player Johan Snyman
TACKLED: Connacht’s Ultan Dillane is unable to get away from Brive player Johan Snyman
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