No shame but plenty of frustration in heavy defeat at hands of Toulouse

There’s no shame in losing to Toulouse, no shame at all. There is plenty of frustration, though.

Connacht can be proud of many aspects of this gutsy defeat, but there will be a sense of annoyance, too, at how basic errors made it somewhat easier for the four-times European champions. 

The rain stayed away but the threat of it meant that about 1,500 of the expected 9,000 fans did too. It was ‘mission impossible’ anyway for Connacht to achieve back-to-back victories over the French Heineken Cup specialists but the task was made even more unachievable by the spread of flu virus through the camp last week, affecting a dozen players.

Toulouse’s starting xv had 13 French players on it, and head coach, Guy Noves could empty his bench of a plethora of more internationals late-on with the game effectively over. Not because he needed to, but just because. The contrast in strength in depth couldn’t have been more apparent.

Most of us, if we were hospitalised on a Thursday, and on a drip, wouldn’t be turning up for work on Saturday, two days later . . . especially if it involved running around for 80 minutes! But not scrum-half Kieran Marmion, who ploughed on regardless, because his replacements, Frank Murphy and Paul O’Donoghue, were laid-up with illness.

Centre Dave McSharry was another who soldiered on despite enduring a torrid week of virus. When playmaker Dan Parks was substituted, and replacement number 10 Craig Ronaldson limped off with hamstring problems, Connacht was reduced to playing utility back Darragh Leader at out-half for the final quarter. It was far from ideal but by that stage, just shy of the hour mark, the game was over and it was about damage-limitation. 

It’s against that background, of a chasm in respective resources, a depleted squad and a disruptive week, that the result and display should be judged.

The official ERC stats from the game, to a degree, are misleading and show Connacht had more possession, more territory and more carries. The one that matters, however, is five tries to nil.

The explanation for that is Connacht had 30 missed tackles, twice as many as Toulouse, and conceded 15 turnovers, again almost twice as many as the visitors. It finished 37-9 but just as Connacht could have recorded a more comfortable victory away last week, Toulouse had spurned further opportunity to embellish the score-line.

Connacht can be proud they showed heart and battled to the end but were second best. Head coach Pat Lam now has an almighty task on his hands now to lift morale for the visit of the Dragons on Saturday (5pm).