Connacht chalked up another try-scoring bonus point – their seventh of the campaign – as they outfought Edinburgh in an exciting 28-23 win at BT Murrayfield tonight.
Replacement Eoin McKeon’s 72nd-minute try got Connacht over the finish line in the end, although Edinburgh’s sterling second half comeback saw the visitors lose their grip on a 16-point lead.
Although their bonus point exploits keep them top of the GUINNESS PRO12 table, Pat Lam will be unhappy with a loose third quarter from the province which saw Edinburgh get right back into contention.
Tries from Chris Dean, Damien Hoyland and Cornell du Preez swamped a Bundee Aki effort, with Sam Hidalgo-Clyne’s 68th-minute penalty reducing the arrears to just 21-20.
McKeon’s converted score off a five-metre scrum gave the westerners some much-needed breathing space, but Edinburgh made sure they got something from the game with an injury-time three-pointer from Hidalgo-Clyne.
While their performance had some holes, the results keep coming for Connacht as they made it five league victories on the trot, collecting a hugely impressive 24 points from a possible 25 since late January.
Their run of three successive away league wins – the first time they have achieved this since 2002/03 – is a further statement of intent as their focus now switches to their mouth-watering Easter Saturday date with Leinster.
The otherwise accurate Craig Ronaldson missed a fifth minute penalty attempt in the Scottish capital, hitting the left hand post from out wide after a clever wraparound move led by Kieran Marmion.
A knock-on from the Ireland scrum half spoiled a promising attack, but it was his clever line kick that saw Connacht maintain the early territorial pressure.
The visitors probed again towards the end of the first quarter, man-of-the-match AJ MacGinty wriggling free on the left and Aly Muldowney carrying twice with great intent. The former forced his way over for the opening try soon after.
From a close-in scrum, Connacht attacked wide out to the left before working an opening just to the right of the posts where out-half MacGinty came on a hard line to collect Aki’s pass and crash over past the covering Matt Scott and du Preez.
Ronaldson converted and Connacht kept a stranglehold on proceedings, with some neat interplay between backs and forwards and well-positioned prop Denis Buckley popping up with his second penalty win at the breakdown.
Try number two arrived just past the half hour mark. Danie Poolman was initially denied in the right corner, knocking on in contact just past the whitewash after a fine burst from full-back Tiernan O’Halloran.
But Connacht had a penalty advantage after Edinburgh lock Anton Bresler collapsed a maul, earning himself a yellow card, and the very next maul off lineout ball saw flanker Jake Heenan touch down for the third time in this season’s league. Ronaldson added a brilliant conversion from the touchline for a 14-0 half-time advantage.
The numbers were evened up just before the interval, O’Halloran seeing yellow for a high tackle on the advancing Hamish Watson. However, frustratingly for the home fans, Hidalgo-Clyne sent a difficult penalty attempt wide from the left.
Edinburgh made immediate improvements on the resumption, speedster Hoyland exploiting the space on the right wing and captain Neil Cochrane also gaining good yardage.
With just three minutes on the clock, Connacht were caught for numbers on the right as Hoyland’s pinpoint long pass gave centre Dean a simple run-in in the corner. Hidalgo-Clyne was unable to convert.
Importantly, Lam’s charges answered back just two minutes later. Ronaldson threatened, breaking into the 22 with Marmion hauled down just short. Aki then came back against the grain, slipping easily through a tackle from Simon Berghan to go in behind the posts. Ronaldson’s left boot made it 21-5.
Again, though, Connacht invited forward with a needless ruck penalty conceded by Aki and after threatening from a maul, the Scots neatly used the space wide on the right to put winger Hoyland over near the corner flag.
The margin was down to nine points after Hidalgo-Clyne’s excellent conversion, and his half-back partner Phil Burleigh relieved the pressure in his 22 with a hard-earned ruck penalty.
Connacht was unable to profit from an earlier break by Muldowney and having not got the penalty they deserved from an advancing scrum, a fast-paced surge downfield involving the likes of Hoyland and Blair Kinghorn resulted in number 8 du Preez squeezing over past Marmion.
TMO Jim Yuille confirmed the grounding and Hidalgo-Clyne was unfortunate to see his conversion attempt bounce back off the woodwork.
The mistakes were beginning to mount for Connacht under increasing pressure, with knock-ons from Matt Healy and Buckley. Then, the gap was suddenly down to a single point following a Hidalgo-Clyne penalty with 12 minutes remaining.
McKeon made a timely and sizable impact off the bench, though, adding his weight to a purposeful Connacht attack out wide and hitting a series of rucks in powerful fashion.
A slashing break from O’Halloran deserved a score, but Connacht were evenually hauled down a few metres out. The bonus point try came from the subsequent five-metre scrum, McKeon attacking hard off the base and barging in under the posts. MacGinty’s conversion extended the lead back to eight points.
Connacht skipper John Muldoon’s hard work in winning a ruck penalty near his post was undone by Dave Heffernan’s crooked lineout throw. The result was in no doubt at this stage, but Edinburgh’s persistence was eventually rewarded with Hidalgo-Clyne’s late kick for a losing bonus point.
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