Connacht’s European campaign over after disappointing defeat

Date Published: {J}

Harlequins 20

Connacht 9

Rob Murphy

That should be that as far as the Challenge Cup is concerned this year, as even with three bonus point wins in the remaining rounds, Connacht will now need favours but it shouldn’t take away from the importance of them winning the return leg against Harlequins this Friday and ending a two game drought at the Sportsground.

They’ll be more than capable of doing so too on the evidence of Sunday evening’s battling display at the Stoop, but they will have to find a shaper edge in attack fairly quickly as too many tight games are slipping in such circumstances.

The biggest problem however is decision making. Frank Murphy’s quick tap penalty midway through the second half of Sunday’s defeat was the games pivotal moment – a three pointer would have made it 13-9 but he spotted the gap and one phase later the ball was intercepted on half-way by the superb Tom Guest who charged towards the Connacht line before off-loading to who touched down for a try which was converted to give the home side a 20-6 lead.

It was the death knell for Connacht, although you can be sure that in previous seasons, such a calamity would have been followed by a complete collapse and a bucket load of tries, this hasn’t been the case this year which is hugely encouraging and once again here, the Westerners battled to the end.

Decision making and the absence of a few more defense drawing passes to create the key breaks are the big problems. The set piece remains strong, the scrum was good and the lineout worked well also.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.