Late Frawley Try Denies Connacht In Gripping Interpro Derby

Ciaran Frawley’s 81st-minute try saw Leinster snatch a 24-22 derby win from the jaws of defeat and end Connacht’s near year-long unbeaten run at the Sportsground.

Newly-arrived senior coach Jacques Nienaber watched on as Leinster lost their grip on a 19-8 lead, despite the impact of an experienced bench.

Converted tries from captain Caolin Blade (63 minutes) and Diarmuid Kilgallen (69) had Connacht on the cusp of their first home victory over their provincial rivals in seven such meetings.

However, having trailed 8-7 at half-time with David Hawkshaw and Charlie Ngatai swapping tries, Leinster bagged an unlikely bonus point through Frawley in the final play.

Short of back-line cover with a six-two bench split, full-back Tiernan O’Halloran’s early injury-enforced departure meant Connacht had to reshuffle but they replied with a brilliant eighth-minute try.

In a quicksilver attack, the returning Mack Hansen released Byron Ralston down the right wing. He outpaced Ngatai and linked back inside with Hansen who breached the visitors’ 22 before sending replacement Hawkshaw over in the corner.

After losing three early lineouts, Leinster had a prolonged period of pressure off a five-metre scrum. Connacht held them out despite Cathal Forde’s sin-binning for making head contact with Ngatai.

A JJ Hanrahan penalty made it 8-0 in the 22nd minute, rewarding Connacht’s scrum, and a scrappy Leinster, with 14 personnel changes, continued to make handling errors.

Crucially, as the interval neared, a Connacht penalty was reversed for Shamus Hurley-Langton pulling Ryan Baird’s scrum cap. Ngatai barrelled over from a clever quick-tap move for Harry Byrne to convert.

Early in the second half, Leinster turned the tables on the Connacht lineout. Second row Jason Jenkins used the momentum swing to burrow over for a seven-pointer after Connacht prop Peter Dooley had been yellow carded for offside.

Leinster were now on top, and although James Culhane was held up, Rob Russell nudged a Ngatai kick on and a favourable bounce allowed Ronan Kelleher to cross in the right corner.

Just when Connacht looked to be struggling, replacement Paul Boyle and Forde unlocked the defence in midfield and Blade had the pace to finish from outside the Leinster 22.

Hanrahan converted and also added the extras to Kilgallen’s fifth score of the season, which saw Hansen break past halfway before unleashing his fellow winger for the whitewash.

Both teams had set-piece issues in a nervy finish. A crooked Connacht lineout allowed Leo Cullen’s men to flood forward suddenly, and Frawley coolly stepped inside both Hansen and Forde to leave the home crowd stunned.

It was a mixed performance from a much-changed Leinster. A high error count threatened to derail them, but Frawley came up trumps for them in the end as they moved back to the top of the BKT United Rugby Championship.

BKT URC player-of-the-match Blade was talismanic as ever for Connacht. The diminutive skipper took his try with aplomb, led well at crucial stages, and his covering in the back-field was important, particularly in the first half.