Connacht cut loose with a vengeance to floor Ulster

Connacht 36

Ulster  11

Rob Murphy at the Aviva Stadium

ALL that was required was a win, a simple hard fought one score, hands and knees effort would have silenced the critics on Saturday evening in the national stadium, but Connacht were in no mood for such an approach on their big day. They went with the spectacular when solid would have done just fine and gave their supporters a night to remember in the big arena. Can’t ask for more than that.

The encore came with the clock already past 80 minutes. Connacht were home and hosed with a bonus point secured, but they had won last trick in the shape of a Caolin Blade tackle and turnover on half way. He then found Mack Hansen on the short side and Connacht’s blockbuster new signing broke clear down the line and with the roars of the home crowd in his ears, cantered in to score before celebrating with the fans who included all the mini rugby players that had played at half time. They won’t forget that, no one who was there will.

The politics and stinging criticism that dominated the build up to this game are worth a nod and we’ll get to that. Connacht took a gamble moving the fixture to Dublin and knew the day before kick off, that the attendance wasn’t going to be an impressive number by the standards of the likes of Leinster when they play there. By extension that added to the pressure on the group and Andy Friend’s side arrived at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday as a team somewhat under the spotlight.

He had more headaches than that with Bundee Aki forced to withdraw by the Irish management team as a precaution with the November series of internationals about to get under way. Leva Fefita was injured, Abraham Papali’i wasn’t showing good enough form so Connacht were lacking power and bulk. It seemed as though they would need to make up for that with speed and ingenuity and there was reason to believe that might be in short supply, based on the one win from four in the opening weeks of the season.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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