Blade Provides Cutting Edge As Connacht Bounce Back In Style

Hugely frustrated by their 29-7 defeat in Cardiff a fortnight ago, Connacht bounced back in fine style with an exciting 37-26 bonus point win over Edinburgh at BT Murrayfield.

Guinness player-of-the-match Caolin Blade and his half-back partner Conor Fitzgerald led a sparkling attacking performance which produced tries for Alex Wootton (2), Blade, Sam Arnold and Shane Delahunt.

Their execution with ball in hand was top notch, and despite some hampering injuries (including the first-half departures of both Fitzgerald and Arnold), Connacht were able to hold off a couple of resurgent spells from the hosts.

Having trailed 23-14 at half-time, Edinburgh drew closer thanks to a second Mike Willemse try, but the impressive Wootton and Delahunt were able to secure the result before Andrew Davidson bagged the Scots’ bonus point late on.

Without seven of their Ireland contingent for this Guinness PRO14 third round tie, the visitors started with intent and scored the first points of the night when Fitzgerald confidently slotted over a third-minute penalty.

Edinburgh responded well, however, and got the first try on the board when captain Nic Groom sniped over from close range after his pack put significant pressure on the Connacht line. Jaco van der Walt converted for a 7-3 scoreline.

Making his first start of the campaign, young out-half Fitzgerald was running the westerners’ back-line with authority. The 23-year-old’s massive penalty kick to touch gave his side a lineout in the Edinburgh 22.

Blade then took control, cleverly using a ball that had gone loose from the maul to scamper down the left touchline, side-foot the ball around winger Eroni Sau and win the race to the touchdown. The slicky-worked solo try went unconverted on the quarter hour mark.

One try soon became two when Fitzgerald, who was given territory by the powerful carries of the pack – with abrasive Kiwi Abraham Papali’i particularly prominent – stabbed a grubber kick through that winger Arnold caught to make it 13-7.

Andy Friend’s men were playing with an infectious pace and confidence and despite having to rejig their back-line with Peter Robb and Tiernan O’Halloran coming on, they scored a dazzling third try of a highly entertaining first half.

Displaying their international Sevens experience and scorching speed, John Porch and Wootton combined to devastating effect up the left touchline. The latter’s intelligent trail line saw him collect the Australian’s brilliantly-timed offload without breaking stride and cruise over in the corner.

Daly, who had switched to out-half in Fitzgerald’s absence, added a terrific conversion, and the former Ireland Sevens captain landed a 33rd-minute penalty before Edinburgh hooker Willemse’s late maul score left nine points between them at the break.

The Scots’ lineout drive was causing serious trouble for Connacht, and with ten minutes gone in the second half, Willemse was once again the beneficiary of a strong maul as his second try – this time unconverted – cut the gap to 23-19.

Nonetheless, scrum half Blade was managing the game excellently for Connacht with his accurate box-kicks a great source of territorial gains. Another deft grubber kick from the Monivea man delivered the bonus point try for the inrushing Wootton in the 53rd minute.

Daly kept the scoreboard moving in the right direction as his successful conversion from the left took the province to 30 points. With their tails very much up, Delahunt’s clincher followed with 61 minutes on the clock.

Indeed, it was the Birr-born hooker’s sharp and incisive line which got Connacht back into the Edinburgh 22. Following some hard carries closer in by his fellow forwards, he smashed his way over just to the right of the posts for Daly to convert.

Edinburgh did manage to take something out of this thrilling encounter, with lock Davidson powering over in the 71st minute. However, young debutants Cian Prendergast and Colm Reilly came on to help Connacht see out a deserved 11-point victory.

Giving his reaction afterwards, Connacht head coach Friend said: “We’re happy, that is probably the best we have managed a game. We have been guilty of playing in the wrong area at times and burning too much fuel by playing in the wrong areas of the field but I thought the way Caolin, Conor Fitz and Tom Daly put the ball in behind Edinburgh allowed us to save our fuel and our energy for when we needed it.

“Their execution was much, much better. It was also the variety with which we scored the tries, there were kicks through, there were open-field run-throughs, good variety.

“I love the fact that the players, when they got into the red zone backed themselves and executed. That is a good sign for us.

“We were also very conscious of the way we have played here previously, I don’t think we played smartly. I  think Edinburgh probably expected something similar so to be able to turn that round was pleasing.”