Glasgow 17
Connacht 19
By Rob Murphy in Firhill
One word encapsulates this ground breaking victory for Connacht at
the Firhill Arena on Friday night, control. Eric Elwood’s
charges are
oozing that characteristic at the moment. Three stirring and hugely
impressive Magners League games into the season and ten points have
been secured. The westerners lie in fourth place in the table and are
looking for more.
The level of self control to their play is at the heart of this
incredible start to the campaign. This win wasn’t about heart or
putting bodies on the line, it wasn’t greeted with wild celebrations
either. It was born out of a confidence in the game plan, a trust in
the defensive strategy and a propensity to take their opportunities.
Connacht are playing like a side that expect to be in fourth place in
the table, that’s what is most impressive. Eric Elwood’s regime is
making early changes and laying an early season foundation that few of
the provinces sides have managed in nine years of Celtic League rugby.
Ian Keatley’s 73rd minute penalty on Friday night kicked Connacht to their first away win in two and half years in this competition and copper fastened his sides best start to a campaign since 2001. Last season it took the westerners all of six months to break the ten point mark in a February bonus point defeat to the Ospreys, so just three weeks speaks volumes.
There were nervy moments at times on Friday and for a split second late on it looked like more last gasp heartbreak was on the way as Duncan Weir lined up a drop goal and memories of the Scarlets defeat six days previous came flooding back. The Connacht charge to block was ferocious and might just have put him off, as the kick drifted wide.
Connacht hands burst into the air, hugs all round and one emotional half way line huddle followed but that
was it. The side walked off with their heads held high but with minds firmly set on Ulster this weekend.
The game started with a bang for the Warriors and one wondered if the exertions of the previous week in Wales were starting to tell on the visitors. Ruairdh Jackson kicked three points before a wave of attacks on the Connacht line led to Greame Morrision scoring in the corner after sharp hands from Jackson.
Connacht’s defense on the Glasgow centre was poor and he was allowed drive through two covering tackles and score from 15 metres out. The conversion was missed but Glasgow had the perfect start.
It was the scrums that offered a foothold back into the game for Elwood’s side. They were dominant there thanks to Brett Wilkinson, Sean Cronin and the superb Jamie Hagen who was too much for Jon Welsh to handle and combined this with his usual strong effort in open play.
Such set piece dominance led to penalties. territory gains and eventually points through the boot of Ian Keatley who tapped over two in quick succession just after the midway point of the half to narrow the gap to 8-6.
That preceded Fionn Carr’s majestic try. It came initially from a hard won turnover by Michael Swift and Michael McCarthy which yielded a Connacht scrum on half way. The initial surge gained yards on the short side and the second wave lost ground but Carr burst through the cover from a standing start and put on the afterburners for a brilliant score.
Connacht’s half time lead was 13-8 and an early Ian Keatley second half score made it an eight point gap. The visitors made one or two errors which invited Glasgow back on them after that and Jackson kicked two more penalties in quick succession before his 64th minute strike gave them the lead again.
That score sparked Connacht back into life in an attacking sense and there was a clear belief within the side at that stage that a score would come. A brilliant Keatley kick set up an attacking lineout and Flavin hit his man before the Connacht maul was pulled down for a penalty which Keatley converted.
Glasgow picked away at the Connacht defense for the closing five minutes but as had been the case for the entire contest, there wasn’t even the slightest of gaps to be exploited. The last gasp drop kick might well have been blocked down even if it had been on target.
Home coach Sean Lineen will have enraged Connacht folk with a truly ungracious appraisal of the contest declaring that only Glasgow were “trying to play rugby.” It was an outburst in keeping with the character but ridiculous all the same. The under pressure coach will be under the spotlight when he comes west for the return fixture.
A huge result then and next up for Connacht of the visit of an Ulster side that has completely dominated its fixtures with Connacht in the last five years with eight straight wins on the bounce but the days of the men in green simply trying to want it more in this fixture are done. They’ll stick to the plan and hope for more success.
Connacht G Duffy, T Nathan, N Ta’auso, K Matthews, F Carr, I
Keatley, F Murphy, B Wilkinson, S Cronin, J Hagan, M Swift, B Upton, M
McCarthy, R Ofisa, M McComish.
Replacements: A Flavin for Cronin (55), A Browne for Upton (60), C
Willis for Murphy, R Loughney for Wilkinson and R Sweeney for Hagan
(all 71m), M Nikora for Matthews (74).
Glasgow B Stortoni, Dth van der Merwe, M Evans, G Morrison, H
O’Hare, R Jackson, C Gregor, J Welsh, F Thomson, E Kalman T Ryder, R
Gray, R Harley, J Barclay (cpt), R Vernon.
Replacements: K Tkachuk for Welsh and M Low for Kalman (ht), A
Muldowney for Ryder (51m), D Weir for Jackson (64), C Forrester for
Barclay (68).
Referee: Leighton Hodges (Wales).