Connacht powering up the table

Dragons 8

Connacht 24

THE wins keep coming for Pat Lam and records are starting to fall. Sunday’s hugely impressive and powerful display in east Wales was a fourth win in-a -row in the Pro 12 for the first time in 12 years in collecting 19 points out of a possible 20.

Connacht are beating the teams they should beat and doing so in a consistently ruthless manner, the like of which has hardly been seen before. What lies ahead can only be described as choppy waters. Llanelli Scarlets away next Sunday is big step up, the trip to Ulster on April 11 is a rung higher again, but this is a positive camp.

The raw emotion at the full time whistle from the entire Connacht team underlined a real sense of mission in the camp to finish the season well, and possibly even sneak into a the newly proposed and soon to be ratified 20 team European Cup.

Seven team Pro 12 teams will qualify for that, one from each country and three others. At the moment, the three additional spots belong to Munster (62 points), Ulster (59 points) and Scarlets (36 points). Connacht (32 points) are just four points back and heading to west Wales this weekend looking for third straight away win in the league.

The victory in Newport came from a dominant forwards display, tireless work at the set piece and a blitz like defence that didn’t allow the Dragons to build the expansive game they wanted. All four Connacht tries came from either scrum or a lineout catch and drive. The Rodney Parade faithful were simply left shellshocked.

The first 20 minutes and the final 20 minutes belonged to Connacht, in between they had to defend sternly. The opening try was scored by John Muldoon after the Connacht scrum had turned over possession against the head and drove towards the line at speed.

That was 7-3 and made up for a questionable call against Connacht on their own scrum five metres out when a penalty try should have been given. It was 14-3 by the 20 minute mark, Rob Sidoli had been set to the sin bin for interfering with the lineout jumper in the air and Connacht went to the corner and drove over with ease. Rodney Ah You got the touch down.

In an act of desperation, the Dragons changed their entire front row on the 28 minute mark and it worked. Parity at scrum time felt like a massive success at that point. It steadied the flow of ball to Connacht but the home side didn’t tag on any scores at that juncture.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.