Connacht Rugby book European place

Connacht Rugby booked a quarter final place in the European Challenge Cup with a 30-20 win away to La Rochelle this evening (Saturday).

The win means Connacht qualify for an away quarter final in April against one of the competition’s top seeds, quite possibly Gloucester.

Connacht got off to a great start when Kieran Marmion scored after two minutes but La Rochelle responded with a penalty from out-half Jean-Pascal Barraque seven minutes later.

Jack Carty extended Connacht’s lead in the sixteenth minute with a penalty which was cancelled out by a similar score from Barraque after a further seven minutes.

After Nathan White was sin-binned La Rochelle began to dominate the forward exchanges and were rewarded with a penalty try in the 32nd minute which Barraque converted to put the home side into the lead for the first time at 13-8.

With three minutes left in the half, Carty clawed back three points with a penalty but La Rochelle’s No 8 Albain Meron crossed for a try almost from the restart which Barraque converted to leave the half-time score at 20-11.

Six minutes into the second half Eoin McKeon crossed for the visitors’ second try which Carty was unable to convert.

The score remained 20-16 for almost 30 minutes as both sides began to use their benches.

Niyi Adeolokun came on for Mils Muliana after 73 minutes and less the minute later he was crossing the whitewash to put Connacht back into the lead. Carty converted to bring the score to 20-23 in favour of the visitors.

Connacht returned the restart with a vengeance and Matt Healy scored the bonus point try a minute later with Carty converting to bring the final score to 20-30 for Connacht.

Connacht now have a three week break until the Pro 12 resumes with an away match to the Scarlets on 15th February.