By Rob Murphy
It’s hard to see what choice they had, the Connacht management that is. Five days out from the enormous encounter with Toulon and just four days on from a never to be forgotten clash with Leinster. This game just wasn’t going to fit.
Connacht arrived at glistening new Parc Y Scarlets on Sunday without 13 front line players, all of whom will likely start on Friday. Johnny O’Connor was on the bench and of those who started, only starting 13 Troy Nathan is likely to start the Amlin Challenge Cup semi final.
With a squad as light on numbers as Connacht, such alterations meant digging deep into the well of underage talent in the province academy stars were wheeled out and we had a squad with no less than eleven home grown players. Young and eager to get their chance.
The Llanelli side were out of sight by half time leading 31-3 and Connacht were always going to ship a few more points after the break. Yet even at full time there would have been a strong hope that Edinburgh would add to Ulster’s miserable run at Murrayfield in the afternoon fixture. They didn’t, Ulster dug deep and produced a stunning display to not only win but also secure the bonus point to end all Connacht hope.
Lets not be too downhearted on this, Connacht players and management knew all along that they needed to win two of their last three games to be sure of staying alive and the Munster defeat was a key blow but even then you just can’t hinge it on that. If Connacht are to ever catch Ulster in a season, they will need to beat them at home and the bonus point loss back in September was the most important result of the season in that regard.
After conceding nine tries in Sunday’s clash with a rejuvenated home side, you won’t convince any of the younger crew that this was beneficial at the moment but in the long run it will be. Tiernan O’Halloran’s second half burst and pass for the supporting Eoin Griffin to score his first ever Connacth try was one highlight.
The sight of a pack finishing with the likes of Conor Higgins, Dermot Murphy, David Nolan, Eoin McKeown is encouraging and all acquitted themselves well considering but Michael Bradley bemoaned the performance of some of his more experienced members of the team in the aftermath.
He wouldn’t have been referring to Mike McComish who certainly put in another full blooded effort here. He was one of the few to make a claim for forthcoming selection. In fairness to all, it was hard to shine but Connacht didn’t start with enough intensity and were chasing shadows on the scoreboard from a very early stage.
A bruised Scarlets side came out with a point to prove after a horrendous run that had seen them lose five successive games and within two minutes Rhys Priestland had three points on the board.
By the tenth minute they had their first try. Tight head prop Rhys Thomas drove over under the posts after a series of incessant attacking from the west of Wales side. The television match official was used and confirmed the talented front row star had got the touch down.
One of the Scarlets young up and coming flankers Rob McCusker got the second try minutes after Ian Keatley had missed a penalty opportunity for the visitors. The try was born from a determination to keep the ball moving by the home side and signaled a tough afternoon ahead as it was now 17-0 with just twenty minutes gone.
The outstanding Jonathan Davies then carved open the Connacht defence four minutes later to make it 22-0 and the home fans were hoping for a bonus point before half time.
Ian Keatley did respond for visitors with a penalty and they did raise the tempo briefly but the Scarlets got a fourth try a couple of minutes before they break with Rhys Thomas getting his second after an impressive piece of skill from Lions and Welsh hooker Mathew Rees.
The second half was almost all one way traffic as the home side added five tries while Connacht blooded a few more of their academy players with Eoin McKewon, Conor Higgins, and Dermot Murphy all seeing game time.
The Scarlets scored first through Dan Evans before Griffin got his try and then added scores from Davies again, Josh Turnbull, Sean Lamount and Regan King who is showing late in the season what the Scarlets were missing during his long absence.
So Connacht now have just one sole objective, Toulon must be downed if this season is to be extended and lets face it, if that happens 2010 will become part of rugby folklore out west and the pursuit of Ulster will be merely a footnote. Roll on Friday.
Scarlets: D Evans; S Lamont, R King, J Davies, A Fenby; R Priestland, M Roberts; I Thomas, M Rees, R Thomas, L Reed, D Welch, R McCusker, J Turnbull, D Lyons (c).
Replacements: P John for Iestyn Thomas 59 mins; E Phillips for Rees 67 mins; D Manu for Rhys Thomas 59 mins, D Day for Welch 59 mins;, T Knoyle for Roberts 65 mins; D Newton for 71 mins; L Williams for Fenby 65 mins.
Connacht: L Bibo; T O’Halloran, E Griffin, T Nathan, B Tuohy; I Keatley, C O’Loughlin; R Loughney, A Flavin, R Morris; D Nolan, B Upton; A Browne, R Ofisa, M McComish.
Replacements: D Murphy for Flavin 62 mins; C Higgins for Morris 45 mins; E McKeown for Ofisa, 49 mins; K Campbell for O’Halloran 53 mins, M Nikora for Keatley 49 mins.
Referee: Andy Macpherson (SRU)