Marmion’s back as Connacht leave Cheetahs in their wake

IRELAND scrum half Kieran Marmion made a timely return following ankle surgery as Connacht saw off the Cheetahs 25-17 in an entertaining Pro14 encounter at the Sportsground.

Playing for the first time since Ireland’s November win over New Zealand, Marmion (right) came on for the final 22 minutes, during which Shaun Venter’s searing breakaway try brought the Cheetahs level.

A Jack Carty penalty and Connacht captain Jarrad Butler’s decisive 78th-minute try then sealed an important victory in this Conference A duel.

Andy Friend’s men are now third in the table, but they did it the hard way, the Cheetahs up 12-10 at half-time.

Sibahle Maxwane took his Championshipleading haul to 11 tries and his back-three colleague Louis Fouche also touched down, with Tom Farrell, fresh from his Six Nations squad call-up, replying in the 24th minute.

Tom McCartney’s 45th-minute maul try put Connacht ahead for the first time and, despite Venter’s jetheeled response on the hour mark, the western province had the better of the final quarter as they completed a firstever double over the Cheetahs, following December’s 21-17 win in Bloemfontein. CONNACHT: D Leader, C Kelleher, T Farrell, T Daly (K Godwin 72), S Fitzgerald,

J Carty, C Blade (K Marmion 58), D Buckley (P McCabe 61), T McCartney (D Heffernan 55), F Bealham (D Robertson McCoy 61), U Dillane (C Gallagher 72), J Cannon, E McKeon (P Boyle 55), C Fainga’a, J Butler. Rep not used: C Fitzgerald. SCORERS: Tries: T Farrell, T McCartney, J Butler. Cons: J Carty 2. Pens: J Carty 2.

CHEETAHS: L Fouche, W Small-Smith (T Meyer 79), D Swanepoel, N Lee, S Maxwane, T Schoeman, S Venter (R Paige 77), O Nche (L De Bruin 49), M Van der Merwe, J Coetzee (Nche 69, , R Venter 72), J Wiese (S Manjezi 49), JP Du Preez (W Steenkamp 49), A Nonkontwana, J Pokomela (H Venter 53), G Olivier. Rep not used: J Du Toit.

SCORERS: Tries: S Maxwane, L Fouche, S Venter. Cons: T Schoeman. Yellow card: N Lee 32.

REFEREE: Nigel Owens (Wales).