In Pics: Borders 9 Connacht 11

Pictured above: Connacht prop Ray Hogan (left) and captain and lock Andrew Farley (right) celebrate at the final whistle. The Borders game was Farley’s 59th Celtic League game since joining the province three seasons ago. The 6ft 5in former Australian Under-21 international, who signed a two-year contract extension at the start of the month, is Irish-qualified in June.

Borders lock Opeta Palepoi tries to power through a tackle.

Chris Keane flings a pass out to Connacht out-half David Slemen during the first half at Netherdale. Originally from Skerries in County Dublin, scrum half Keane has had a busy season, playing in 14 of Connacht’s 16 Celtic League fixtures to date and starting all six of their European Challenge Cup pool ties. Keane kicked three conversions in the 62-17 hammering of Italian side Catania in Galway in October.

Borders’ Scottish international winger Simon Danielli, who was later forced off with an injury after crashing into an advertising hoarding, tries to get past Connacht’s Andrew Mailei and Mark McHugh.

Mark McHugh puts in a strong challenge on Borders full-back Stuart Moffatt with Connacht out-half David Slemen (right) in support. Friday was only McHugh’s second start of the season. A lateral ligament rupture, sustained in a pre-season friendly win over Leicester last August, saw the one-cap Ireland international sidelined for close to five months.

Former Scotland star Gregor Townsend applauds Connacht off the pitch at the end. Townsend is still Scotland’s most-capped player (82 caps). He scored a try in each of the Scots’ game in the 1999 Five Nations Championship, and 164 points in all, during his ten-year Test career. His last game for Scotland was against Australia at the 2003 World Cup.

**All photos by David Gibson on behalf of Inpho Photography**