Third Defeat Leaves Connacht Bottom Of The PRO12

Connacht were held scoreless in the second half as the Scarlets swept past them to claim their first win (17-8) of the GUINNESS PRO12 season, leaving Pat Lam’s men bottom of the table.

Niyi Adeolokun’s first half score had cancelled out by a converted effort from Wales international Liam Williams, before Jack Carty’s penalty gave Connacht an 8-7 half-time advantage in wet conditions.

But Wayne Pivac’s side looked a different animal in the second period, piling the pressure on a resilient Connacht outfit who eventually crumpled when Williams grabbed his second before Rhys Patchell turned the screw with a late, clinching drop goal.

The defending PRO12 champions remain winless and welcome Edinburgh to the Sportsground next weekend, while the Scarlets travel to Italy to take on Benetton Treviso.

One late change to the Connacht team saw Andrew Browne miss out with a thigh injury. Ultan Dillane reverted to the second row and Eoin McKeon came into the back row, with James Connolly added to the bench.

The two teams were inseparable for 20 minutes in a scrappy first half at Parc y Scarlets, but it was one of the stars of Connacht’s title charge last season – Adeolokun – who broke the deadlock.

Connacht’s pack had been gradually getting the upper hand and a strong scrum put the province in position, before slick hands from prop Denis Buckley sent winger Adeolokun haring over in the corner.

Out-half Carty missed the conversion and was off target again, before the Scarlets fought back through winger Williams.

The initial impetus came from Aaron Shingler, the flanker collecting a wide pass and bursting through the Connacht defence. When the ball was recycled, slick hands between brothers James and Jonathan Davies sent Williams over under the posts, which Patchell converted.

The Scarlets were growing into the game, but Connacht were at their dogged best, captain John Muldoon intervening critically on 53 minutes with a turnover on the try-line that relived vast amounts of pressure.

Ken Owens’ break looked potentially game-breaking and when the ball found Williams on the flank, one outcome looked likely, but he was denied by a stunning Tiernan O’Halloran cover tackle.

Yet Pivac’s charges continued to pile forward and despite heroic defence, the westerners could not escape their try-line.

Williams then made amends for missing out, with a textbook finish in the 66th minute and Patchell found his kicking boots to convert superbly, taking the hosts 14-8 ahead with less than 15 minutes remaining.

The increasingly influential Patchell then thumped over a drop goal to move the Scarlets beyond a converted score, and out-of-sorts Connacht were unable to manufacture a response.

Giving his reaction afterwards, head coach Lam said: “It was certainly our best game this season in terms of energy and performance, but we are bitterly disappointed with the result.”