“Sometimes we leave them off.” – Donncha O’Callaghan criticises Connacht in scathing half-time analysis

Niall McIntyre

If this was how disappointed he was at half-time, just imagine how he felt at full-time.

Donncha O’Callaghan laid into Connacht at half-time of their Champions Cup pool stage loss to Bordeaux Bègles.

Connacht were favourites heading into the game, which took place in the SportsGround in Galway, but they put in a thoroughly under-whelming performance in front of their home crowd.

Pete Wilkins’ side lost by 41-5, with French winger Damien Penaud dotting down for one try, as his team-mates Romain Buros and Pablo Uberti bagged a brace each.

Connacht themselves committed a number of handling errors in that first half and, to compound matters further, Bordeaux cut through their defence at will.

By half-time, the writing was on the wall for Munster legend O’Callaghan, who was scathing in his analysis on TNT Sport.

“From an Irish point of view, Connacht have been so disappointing,” O’Callaghan told host Sarra Elgan, despite the fact that Connacht were only losing by 12-5 at that point.

“Pete Wilkins is a lovely man but he needs to lose it inside that dressing room.

“Small little things at the moment, throwing the ball into touch, not looking after the ball, losing lineouts.

French winger Damien Penaud scored a try in Bordeaux’s defeat of Connacht.

“I came here hoping that Connacht were starved of European rugby. They’re top table now and you would not think it.”

O’Callaghan acknowledged the ankle injury suffered by Mack Hansen but doesn’t feel that’s a strong enough excuse. He then labelled their set-piece as a ‘joke.’

“I promise you Sarah, some of the performances, the likes of Buccaneers and Galwegians tomorrow would have greater desire than what we’ve seen out of Connacht.

“I don’t like to be harsh on them, but sometimes we leave them off.

“That first half was not acceptable. I was hoping, that they’d build on the momentum of a good start.

“They got into the game really early on. You can use the excuses, Mack Hansen going off injured, the bigger men, but they’re excuses for this team.

“The individual errors are not good enough for Connacht at the moment. Their set piece is a joke. The line out they can’t get any return of it, and it’s really hurting them.'”

Connacht will be hoping to redeem themselves against Saracens this weekend in the StoneX stadium, in their second game of this year’s Champions Cup pool stage.