Heroic Connacht stun holders Leinster to chalk up another win

Connacht 10

Leinster 9

A clever and crafty performances underpinned by a resilient and well constructed sense of self belief, guided Connacht on Friday night. Rugby teams from the West of Ireland never seem to fear what comes from the east and Pat Lam’s men are no different in that regard, but they are different in many other ways and that’s making people sit up and take note.

It would be wrong to say that Connacht stood toe to toe with Leinster from the outset or that they were the better team throughout the 80 minutes. They had moments where the self doubt must have been creeping through some cracks as Leinster stormed into a 9-0 lead and had two tries disallowed in a hugely impressive first half.

Boldly, defiantly and heroically Connacht stood firm though, as wave upon wave of onslaughts were unleashed. All the while, identifying problems, figuring out ways to sort them out and negotiating huge obstacles such as John Muldoon’s sin binning or Ian Madigan’s game stretching passes. It was a siege but the moat was not breached and all the while within walls, the plans were been formulated for a counter surge.

At half time, it all must have happened. One stat that stands out from an incredible start to the season – that has seen Connacht start with three wins from three in the Pro 12 –is their second half defensive efforts. Just three points conceded in three games. The half time team talks are becoming an integral part of the success, Connacht are analysing and adjusting and each week they emerge, a more informed and infused force after the break.

The second half wasn’t dominated by the home side but it was controlled, defensively they had Leinster hesitating in possession behind the gain line. Muldoon’s first half crushing tackle on former team-mate Mike McCarthy and Robbie Henshaw’s memorable overlap stopping smash on Jimmy Gopperth had lifted the roof off both stands and instilled a sense of hesitation in their opponents.

It was a night less about passion and more about application. The aforementioned hits along with Dave McSharry’s thundering tackle on a shell shocked Rob Kearney in the second half were all technically brilliant and very much designed to disrupt and dishearten. Time and again, Leinster gave away penalties after being halted like that and their petulant reactions turned the game against them.

Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.