Connacht are up, running and gunning now.
Playing Glasgow, Scarlets and then Leinster at home – in ‘The Month of Champions’ – was always going to be a tough ask. After losing the opener to Glasgow, Connacht did for Zebre and then were defeated by Edinburgh. 2017/18 champions scarlets came to Galway at the weekend and the westerners were in need of a win to spark their season.
They certainly got it and they were inspired by Bundee Aki, Tom Farrell and Tiernan O’Halloran. All 23 Connacht players had a part to play in their impressive 33-20 victory but that trio were electric.
Aki got the party started after only five minutes when he stepped Rhys Patchell, fended off Gareth Davies and delivered a peach on an offload for Farrell to score under the posts.
Credit: Premier Sports/PRO14Jack Carty and Leigh Halfpenny then traded kicks and it was 10-6 when Cian Kelleher blazed in for another fine try. The former Leinster winger is 25 now and as yet uncapped for Ireland but a run of form and fitness, this season, could soon alter that.
Johnny McNicholl got one back for Scarlets but Connacht came out with renewed intent after the break. Carty extended the Connacht lead to 26-13 but Tom Prydie’s converted try had them within a score of snatching victory.
The result was put to bed when Aki took Hadleigh Parkes down and Caolin Blade nipped in to secure a turnover. Sean O’Brien was in support, carried superbly and found Niyi Adeolokun off his shoulder. His breakaway try was converted by Carty and Connacht had won by 13.
Aki’s stats for the game were mighty impressive:
- 47 metres gained off 17 carries
- 8 defenders beaten
- 2 line breaks
- 2 offloads
- 2 tackles
- 1 try assist
That was a very good shift from the Ireland centre but O’Halloran’s – revised and updated by ESPN the day after the game – were outrageous.
The fullback was impossible to box in and gave Scarlets trouble all afternoon. Ulster’s Henry Speight made 140 metres with ball-in-hand (against Southern Kings) last weekend. O’Halloran topped that:
- 142 metres off 22 carries
- 1 line break
- 3 defenders beaten
- 1 offload
As a team, Connacht made 545 metres off 163 carries. Scarlets gained 326 metres.
The victory, and form of several stars, will boost Connacht’s confidence heading into Saturday’s Guinness PRO14 encounter with Leinster (from 5:15pm on eir Sport).
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