Eight-Try Triumph Sends Connacht Through To Quarter-Finals

Connacht put in a clinical performance at the Sportsground to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup with a 47-5 bonus point triumph over Russian outfit Enisei-STM.

With eight tries in all, Pat Lam’s men finished an eventful day in the Challenge Cup at the top of Pool 1 as Brive, who beat the province 21-18 last Saturday, lost 27-23 away to Newcastle Falcons today.

Intriguingly, former Connacht players Bernard Jackman and Andrew Farley will be plotting the province’s downfall at the quarter-final stage. Jackman’s Grenoble team defeated Edinburgh 34-23 tonight to secure the honours in Pool 5, and they will host Connacht in the last-eight over the weekend of April 7-10.

Tiernan O’Halloran, Matt Healy, Denis Buckley and Danie Poolman scored tries to secure Connacht’s five match points by half-time. And the job was completed after the break thanks to scores from the fit-again Robbie Henshaw, Tom McCartney, a second try from Healy and Caolin Blade.

It took some time for the home side to break their Russian opponents down, but the breakthrough finally came after 11 minutes when AJ MacGinty fired them in front with a penalty. Jurijs Baranovs’ yellow card just three minutes later proved to be a turning point as Connacht made the most of their numerical advantage.

Full-back O’Halloran was the first to go over after the ball was worked wide following a scrum in the Russians’ 22. Speedster Healy scored Connacht’s second against the 14-men of Enisei, with Aly Muldowney, O’Halloran and Henshaw all featuring in the build-up. MacGinty was on target with the conversion to make it 15-0.

After some free-flowing rugby, the third try came from pure power. The pack drove a lineout from close range and prop Buckley was at the bottom of the pile to touch down.

And with Enisei continuing to concede penalties, the westerners’ bonus point was wrapped up before half-time. From a promising scrum position, man-of-the-match Kieran Marmion linked with Henshaw whose accurate long pass put the lurking Poolman strolling over out wide for a 25-0 scoreline.

It took less than a minute of the second half for Ireland international Henshaw to notch a try of his own, following up on a neat break from number 10 MacGinty.

But Enisei did not give up, showing their mettle to pull five points back though bruising flanker Vitalii Orlov after 45 minutes. Out-half Iurii Kushnarev sent the conversion wide.

Moments later and after less than a minute on the pitch, McCartney put Connacht back on the front foot when a well-worked lineout move involving captain John Muldoon saw the replacement hooker dive over for a score of his own.

Healy, who was a constant threat again out wide, cruised over in the corner from an O’Halloran pass to complete his brace and put Connacht 40-5 up on the hour mark.

Blade then completed the rout in the 79th minute, wriggling his way over from close range with fellow replacement half-back Jack Carty converting for good measure as the province brought their five-match losing streak to an end.