Sterling Effort But Connacht Miss Out On Elusive Win

Freddie Burns landed the clinching penalty as Gloucester clawed their way past Connacht to claim their first win in this season’s Heineken Cup.

Freddie Burns kicked the English side 6-0 ahead at the Sportsground before James Simpson-Daniel and Connacht captain Gavin Duffy swapped tries coming up to half-time.

The second period was bookended by penalties from Niall O’Connor and Burns as the Cherry and Whites stood firm to pick up only their second away victory in all competitions since February.

Connacht showed their intent in the opening minutes with Ethienne Reynecke snaffling a turnover and David Gannon bounding up the right wing.

Gloucester scrambled well though and despite struggling for early territory, Burns edged them ahead with a thumping eighth minute penalty from halfway.

Pressure from the restart led to Dario Chistolini infringing at a scrum but O’Connor failed to find the target from a kickable position.

Very good work in contact kept Connacht in the visitors’ half and trying his luck from 55 metres out, the wind-backed Burns missed his second penalty attempt.

The Gloucester out-half spotted a mismatch in midfield to raid through into the Connacht 22, setting up a third shot at the posts which he converted.

Justice was served for the hosts when Burns struck an upright with a long range penalty attempt after Ray Ofisa was harshly pinged.

Connacht were let down by a series of mistakes – loose lineouts being the most obvious – and Gloucester cranked up the pressure for a deserved 31st minute try.

Their skipper Luke Narraway went close before play was swung out to the left, the Cherry and Whites biding their time until a lovely offload out of the tackle from Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu sent Simpson-Daniel over in the corner.

Burns failed to add the extras but the concession of the try prompted Connacht to lift their game. O’Connor’s high, hanging kick broke free for Duffy to gather and jink away from Olly Morgan and glide over by the posts.

O’Connor converted to close the gap to 11-7 before Gloucester almost ended the half with a second try, Charlie Sharples just running out of space as he hurtled onto Henry Trinder’s teasing grubber kick.

An early offside in the second half saw O’Connor make it a one-point game, slotting a high and handsome kick from the right.

With both sides struggling for form of late, the tension was obvious as an arm wrestle between the forwards ensued. A powerful couple of scrums and a lineout maul got Gloucester back into scoring range.

But they turned down a kickable shot and Connacht’s committed defence kept them out, with the tireless John Muldoon typifying their huge effort at the coalface.

Connacht’s penalty count tipped into double figures though, inviting Bryan Redpath’s side forward and although they created some promising positions, they still lacked a killer pass or a moment of magic from the backs.

It was left to Burns to punish Rodney Ah You for a 72nd minute offside decision, his close range penalty edging Gloucester home – although the losing bonus point does get Connacht off the mark in their first Heineken Cup campaign.