Late Heffernan try earns Connacht bonus point

Munster 22

Connacht 16

THE league’s best team got their expected win against Connacht at Thomond Park without many of their front line players. Munster were Munster on Friday night, tenacious, unglamorous and effective but for a change in this fixture, we got a different Connacht. That’s something.

The last gasp bonus point try and conversion garnered by the men from the west was something very different in a fixture where the province hadn’t offered a single positive note for over eight years.

A spectacular try that started in their own 22 with no time on the clock and ended with the world famous respectful crowd at Thomond Park booing the Connacht team for having the cheek, the audacity, to stand up to the men in red and deliver a massive score.

Off to one side, as Dave Heffernan charged over the Munster try line after a brilliantly timed pass from Fionn Carr, Keith Earls was laying a volley of punches on Andrew Browne and getting away with it. It was that kind of night. Munster were not impressed with Connacht’s refusal to buckle.

When Pat Lam was asked about the 11 year run without a win away from home against Irish provinces before the start of the season, he embraced the question and acknowledged the importance of tackling the situations.

He talked about consistency in performances in these fixtures. He pointed to the disparity of budgets and talked about the need for his group to enjoy their rugby and feel part of a squad that scraps for everything to help negate that difference.

Last season Connacht didn’t score a single point in the three fixtures, this season they have left Dublin and Limerick with bonus points and some grumbling locals in the background. Matt O’Connor unleashed a tirade about the western province in the post game press conference back in October, Munster’s moaning was more directed at referee Dudley Phillips on the pitch.

All of this should not hide the main facts. Connacht were not far off full strength, Munster were without first team regulars Casey Laulala, Ian Keatley, Conor Murray, Damien Varley, BJ Botha, Donnacha Ryan, Paul O’Connell and Peter O’Mahoney and delivered a steady display backed by the boot of JJ Hanrahan, who ended up with all of their 22 points. Full match report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.